Larkspur’s Left Bank gets new extension on parklet removal

The Left Bank Brasserie in Larkspur will have through Sept.15 to remove its outdoor dining parklet, but it will no longer be able to serve guests on it, under a newly approved rule.

The regulation prohibits Left Bank, and any other restaurants, from operating a parklet on any street other than Magnolia Avenue. Left Bank’s structure is on Ward Street, which shares a corner with Magnolia Avenue.

When the policy was approved in June, the City Council gave Left Bank until July 31 to remove the structure. Frank Caiazzo, manager of the restaurant, asked for an exemption to the rule, and was granted an extension to Aug. 8.

In letters to the council prior to the meeting, Caiazzo said he would demolish it, if needed, but would need time to come up with the $3,000-plus it would cost to do so.

The council voted unanimously to grant another extension until Sept. 15.

“He’s agreed to remove it,” Councilmember Catherine Way said. “He’s asked for several extensions, and I think we’ve given him several extensions.”

Way said she was moved by comments made by Jerome Bernal, owner of the Blue Rock Apartments, which are above the Left Bank restaurant. Bernal said his first-floor tenants moved out because of noise from the outdoor dining structure.

Cities and towns across Marin have considered whether to continue the parklet trend, which was designed to help struggling restaurants and cafes generate revenue during the pandemic.

The topic has been contentious in Larkspur, where the council has said it’s weighing parking issues and noise complaints against benefits for a few restaurants.

Left Bank is the only restaurant parklet that still stands. Eight other businesses had parklets, but they were torn down when Magnolia Avenue was repaved earlier this year.

Businesses have to reapply for permits to install parklets, and the structures will now only be allowed on Magnolia Avenue.

The new rules extend the parklet program through the end of the year.

Parklets are limited to a “sidewalk bypass design,” meaning the structure must be compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Permits require the consent of the landlord.

Design standards that were approved mimic those adopted by the Novato City Council, which require planters in parklet corners and open railings at 30 to 40 inches. Umbrellas are permitted, but roofs are not.

Caiazzo said he spent $50,000 on his parklet.

“I’m disappointed,” Caiazzo said after the meeting. “I see other Marin towns who are working with restaurant owners to make it work. I don’t see the City Council in Larkspur doing the same thing.”

Caiazzo said the restaurant doesn’t have the budget to build a new parklet on Magnolia now. If the council extends the parklet program beyond January, Caiazzo said the restaurant would consider applying for a permit.

“What we’re hoping is that the city will do their due diligence and come up with a more business-friendly plan,” he said. “Right now, we’re unsure if they can be permanent, so to spend the money to demolish one and rebuild another on a busier street is just too challenging for us to undertake.”