New outdoor seating is coming to downtown Coupeville in the form of a tiny park.

Coupeville Mayor Molly Hughes told town council members during a meeting April 12 that early plans to permanently close a section of Grace Street to make a “parklet” are underway. The idea for the project came from the Coupeville Historic Waterfront Association, which wanted to provide seating where visitors of the historic downtown area could eat outside.

The town assumed responsibility for the project this year. Hughes said that while town staff members initially considered closing the street on a temporary basis only, they quickly realized Grace Street is steep enough to pose a safety hazard unless benches in the area are permanently fixed into the ground. They decided to move ahead with a permanent closure and seating installation.

Public Works Superintendent Kelly Riepma told the News-Times that the 60-foot section of Grace Street that stretches from Front Street to below the Coupeville Rec Hall parking lot is the part that will be closed.

The mayor told council members that the closure will not affect access to nearby businesses’ parking lots.

Hughes said the project is not extensive; the town will install bollards at either end of the closed section of road and benches and plant some flowers in the area. The road will not be torn up for the parklet. The town does not yet have a cost estimate for this project.

Hughes told the News-Times that although a timeline for the project has not been finalized, she hopes to have the parklet completed by the end of June.