New Santa Monica Parklet Fees Hit Restaurants With Steep and Confusing Charges | Eater LA

"After initially staring in disbelief at a roughly $40,000 wastewater fee, manager Chuck Craig and owner Geri Gilliland discovered the city’s net-new-seat formula could wipe out that charge if they reduce indoor seating by the same number of parklet seats, which made Lula’s wastewater fees evaporate; Craig ultimately decided he needed more time to consider costs and refine a permanent design, so Lula will lose its outdoor space on October 1 and file for a permit sometime after the first of the year. Craig expressed pride in how the city handled the pandemic and frustration that this sudden fee structure felt like “a bridge too far.”" - Karen Stabiner