Outdoor seating was always meant to be temporary. Can Norwich Parklets replace it?

NORWICH — Norwich is starting to move from the temporary outdoor seating areas necessitated by the pandemic into something more permanent.

The city’s first Parklet, an outdoor eating and sitting area, was erected outside of Cream Coffee Co. and Epicure Brewery last week, and customers have begun using the outdoor seating arrangement. Currently, the fenced-in Parklet has tables, chairs and umbrellas, but plants and other decorations will be added.

“It’s not that interest didn’t exist before (the pandemic), but it created a sort of a mandate,” Norwich Community Development Corp., President Kevin Brown said. “Business owners began to recognize that outdoor space is a great amenity, and an extension to serve customers and attract business.”

Jessica Douglass, who lives down the road, said she saw it bicycling by, and decided to check it out. She said having these sitting areas is preferable to seeing people sitting on the sidewalk.

“It makes it more appealing to be downtown and not be paranoid or scared,” Douglass said.

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Brown said this project is building on what the city did when the state allowed outdoor dining during lockdown restrictions in 2020.

“Our agile, adaptive, temporary solutions have run their course, so it’s time for us to run this thing in a more aesthetically pleasing, and more permanent, direction,” Brown said.

Brown said this first Parklet will be a test run for the city, with the intention to add more around the downtown, thanks to $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds approved by the Norwich City Council on July 5. The minutes state that it will provide for 8 to 10 units, but Brown said there will be a clearer plan for the Parklets in about 30 days.

Placement is based on where the city wants to place them, and applications from businesses. Safety and security will also figure into Parklet placement.

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Douglass said more by the library, post office, and city hall may be good ideas.

Jess Persad, co-owner of Cream Coffee Co., had heard of the plan before opening the shop in October. Though some people are still confused by the new addition, Persad also said her customers like the Parklet, with some promising to sit out on it the next time they visit.

“They think it’s a great addition to Franklin Street, and hopefully they get out a lot more to use it,” Persad said.

Though she hasn’t seen it herself, Persad also said Epicure customers might sit out on the Parklet in the evening.

Looking forward, Brown said he wants the Parklets to encourage more traffic for local businesses, and to also provide better aesthetics in the downtown.

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“It’s a good change for the city,” Brown said.

Persad said the Parklets make the city more inviting to people walking downtown and those coming to check out the bars and restaurants, so she’d welcome more.

“Outdoor seating is something Norwich could really expand upon,” Persad said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich begins turning pandemic outdoor seating into Parklets