Parklets may be all the rage these days, but the one that has sprung up in front of Tac-Oh! in Willow Glen is stirring up a hornet’s nest.

Some residents are upset that two parking spaces were removed to make way for the curbside dining spot. Others worry that the setting is dangerous, and there’s been considerable confusion about who can sit there.

The parklet–curb cafe to some–was finished several weeks ago and closely resembles one farther down Lincoln Avenue in front of the Garden Theatre. Parklets have grown popular over the past few years and have popped up in other parts of San Jose as a way to revitalize business districts.

Although some residents contend no spaces should be snatched from Lincoln where parking is already at a premium, District 6 Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio told the Resident there’s plenty of spots–just not in plain sight.

“There’s 1,546 parking spaces that are in the parking lots on Lincoln Avenue behind the buildings, not including the street,” Oliverio said.

After business hours, for example, there are plenty of spaces at the Wells Fargo parking lot and Bill’s Cafe, Oliverio said. And people can park any time at Bank of America.

As for safety, he said that “public works approved the placement of the parklet and defined what it should be.”

Though some worry that a car could hit the parklet when turning onto Lincoln from Minnesota Avenue, Oliverio said it’s actually eliminated a traffic hazard.

“One of the reasons people like this one is people would try parking in those first few spaces and back up into the intersection,” he said. “You’re less inclined to back up into traffic.”

Perhaps the most contentious issue has been the seating itself; some neighbors complained that the restaurant’s table settings give the impression it is reserved instead of open seating, like the Garden Theatre parklet.

“Anyone can sit there,” Oliverio said. “[Tac-Oh!] can put out a setup but you’re not obligated to buy. Essentially the parklets are places for the public.”

Tac-Oh! management did not respond to interview requests, and staff gave conflicting information. A kitchen worker said seating is reserved while a server said it’s open. The server, who asked to not be named, said he had never seen anyone shooed away for sitting at the parklet without ordering food.

Another employee said “it would be open seating as long as they let us know.”

The parklets allow the public to be there, Oliverio said, and “if someone wants to read a book to their kid that they bought at Hicklebee’s, they’re welcome to do so.”

If people are asked to leave the parklet for not ordering, enforcement of the open seating policy would be complaint-based, he added.

On the flip side, Oliverio said the owners’ investment should also be considered when taking a load off: “The people that sit there should realize the property owner spent upwards of six figures building it.”

Julia Baum can be reached at jbaum@bayareanewsgroup.com.