New Ulm– A Pilot Program for Parklets is coming to downtown businesses this summer.

The New Ulm City Council approved a Pilot Program for Parklets. This would allow downtown businesses to put parklets in parking spaces for people to eat and drink outside.

The program is open to businesses along Minnesota Street from 4th North to 3rd South, as well as the side streets between Broadway and Minnesota.

Parklets serve as a sidewalk extension providing additional space amenities for people using the street. A test run was done last summer with the MN Eis ice cream shop offering the amenity. It was a success for the business and the community, leading to support for an expansion of the idea.

A new feature of the parklets will be the allowance of alcohol. Initially, businesses could not extend liquor license far enough outside their building boundaries. City Attorney Robert Scott then ruled liquor licenses can be extended to a patio area or parklet.

Parklets would take up two parking spaces. Some businesses, like B&L, would need to remove the tables and chairs they currently have set up before applying for a parklet.

Council member Les Schultz was concerned businesses would be unfairly punished if forced to remove existing outdoor areas to qualify for the program. City Manager Chris Dalton said this is necessary due to an 8 feet sidewalk space requirement designed to ensure sidewalks are walkable.

The City Council unanimously passed the project.

Parklets would be open until 10pm and monitored by a police officer to ensure rules are enforced and followed. Businesses can only have one parklet. Customers would be allowed to walk their drinks from the business to the parklet.

This is a running program expected to continue in future summers. Parklets will be removed before the first big snowfall.