Downton Fullerton’s Walk on Wilshire will continue through January and then face an ultimatum: expand or end.
The 200-foot street closure on Wilshire Avenue west of Harbor Boulevard began in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The road was closed to vehicles to create outdoor dining spaces intended to help local restaurants at a time when California imposed indoor dining restrictions.
Since then, the Fullerton City Council has extended the temporary street closure multiple times while launching a pilot program that allows business owners to rent and build parklets on the street space.
A majority of Fullerton residents seem to support the street closure, according to a city survey. A large crowd of residents urged the City Council at its latest meeting to continue the program.
But, several downtown property owners said the street is often quiet with little-to-no foot traffic. A report from city staff said a majority of restaurants along that stretch of Wilshire Avenue have declined to participate in the parklet program or are underutilizing the outdoor space in front of their spaces.
Advocates for Walk on Wilshire say that’s largely because businesses have been hesitant to invest in building a parklet — a sidewalk extension with outdoor seating — knowing that the program is temporary and their investment could be for naught.
Councilmember Fred Jung said the street closure was “clunky,” having been created under a temporary order during the pandemic. He advocated for doing the street closure in what he considered the right way or not at all.
A majority of the council agreed with him.
So, the council passed a motion to end the Walk on Wilshire program on Jan. 31 unless a plan is approved to permanently extend the street closure an additional 400 feet west to Malden Avenue.
In the meantime, the council directed city staff to prepare the necessary regulatory documents and architectural renderings for that permanent closure. Councilmembers said they intend to make a final decision about the pedestrian way before Jan. 31.
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