Wausau committee delays decision on South 9th parking amid church, neighborhood concerns

The Wausau Infrastructure & Facilities Committee on March 12 postponed for one month consideration of proposed parking restrictions on South 9th Avenue, 10th Avenue and nearby blocks after a steady stream of public comments and discussion about enforcement, signage and neighborhood impacts.

Residents and parish representatives told the committee at a standing-room public comment period that removing curb parking could harm local businesses and displace parishioners who depend on on-street spaces for weekend Masses. Jess Kufall, who said she owns a small two-chair beauty salon at 10th and Thomas, warned removing curb parking “would put my tenant out of business” and requested daytime customer-only signage for the storefront. Father Woody Pace, pastor of Holy Name Parish, said the parish owns much of the block and depends on street parking when lot capacity is exhausted.

Why it matters: The committee must weigh public-safety complaints about narrowed travel lanes and poor visibility against the economic and access impacts on small businesses and an active parish. Staff and alderpersons emphasized targeted, enforceable solutions rather than blanket, long-term restrictions.

Committee members discussed a range of options, including clearer “no parking here to corner” signage enforced by ordinance, targeted signs at specific problematic driveways, temporary event signs that the church could deploy during peak services, and the feasibility of painted curb demarcations. An officer reporting extra patrols during four weekends said enforcement produced nine citations for parking less than 4 feet from a driveway and eight citations for parking less than 15 feet from a crosswalk, evidence that some motorists routinely block critical clearances.

Alders raised two recurring concerns: that removing parking on one side of a block would simply push vehicles farther onto adjacent streets, and that widespread driveway signage could be intrusive if deployed without discrimination. Alder Larson and others suggested prioritizing a small number of the most problematic driveways for targeted signage and continuing enforcement to educate drivers. Alder Neil moved to postpone the matter for a month to gather additional enforcement data and counts for signage; Alder Martins seconded the motion, which passed 4–1.

What happens next: The committee directed staff to collect additional data on violations and the number and cost of signs or other mitigation measures, then return with a recommendation at the next monthly meeting. No ordinance changes were adopted at this meeting.