JACKSON, Wyo. — Who enjoys dining al fresco on Town Square in the summertime?
At its Monday evening meeting, the Jackson Town Council will discuss restructuring the parklet program that began as a solution to social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The program has allowed downtown restaurants to use parking spaces outside of their business for dining within a specified barricade from April 30 to Oct. 30. The program was free the first three summers, and in 2023, Town Council voted to charge a flat rate of $3,500 per season for each parklet. Council will consider whether to dissolve or maintain the current program, or renew it and require businesses to pay per parking space. The downtown parking landscape has been shifting rapidly, with the parking garage now charging for overnight use and the Home Ranch Lot soon implementing a three-hour limit.
“The businesses that host parklets appreciate being able to expand their footprint and host outdoor dining,” reads the staff report. “As with many items, there are competing interests on this topic though, and local businesses that do not host parklets have a shared perspective that they would rather the public right-of-way be used for customers parking their cars. … Proponents of parklets see benefits in activating the downtown corridor, providing options for people to be outside during the warmer months, and making town more vibrant overall.”
If Council seeks to continue the program, staff recommends that restaurants be required to renew their parklets annually (instead of a previous option to pay multiple years at once) and that parklets cost $2,000 per parking space used. Town Council could also elect to maintain the program as is.
In 2025, the following eight downtown restaurants utilized the parklet program: D.O.G. (one parking space), Jackson Drug (two), Pearl Street Bagels (two), Teton Tiger (two), Trio (two), Jackson Hole Playhouse (three), Roadhouse/Melvin Brewing (three), and Gather (three).
Vicki Garnick, proprietress of Jackson Hole Playhouse and Saddle Rock Saloon, told Buckrail that she thinks charging $2,000 per parking space is excessive.
“We really love the parklet, because it helps us and our overflow of people, being a theater,” Garnick said. “And we have 325 people in the theater; it really helps us a lot. … [Additional fees] are making it inaccessible for families, and I’m a family business and I attract families. That’s what we hear over and over again.”
The Town’s staff report lists parklet fees from seven municipalities across the country, which include a $300 flat fee in Fort Collins, Colorado; a $2,500 flat fee in Billings, Montana; a cost between $1,000 and $4,000 in Seattle, depending on location and complexity; and a $5,000 application fee plus $2 per square foot in Santa Barbara, California. The fees in Jackson are meant to cover use of the public right of way, permit processing, safety inspections and some cost recovery for additional use of sewer infrastructure. For perspective, the Town charges $94 per day to use a single public parking space for construction staging.
The Town Council meeting will be held at the Council Chambers at 150 East Pearl Avenue on Monday, March 16, at 6 p.m. This item is listed on the agenda under “Public Hearings, Discussion and/or Possible Action Items.” Community members are encouraged to attend and provide public comment. Written public comments can also be submitted by emailing electedofficials@jacksonwy.gov.
