Parklet idea being renewed in La Crosse

City taking applications for
the roadside parking spots

Parklets are back in downtown La Crosse.

The city is, again, taking applications for downtown parklets – small, curbside patio space set in a parking space on the side of the road.

La Crosse only had one application for a parklet last year. It’s on Fifth Avenue (pictured above).

“We’re hoping that, with this second year, people who were interested then, will have more solid plans to go forward,” La Crosse associate city planner Lewis Kuhlman said.

The spaces are a tad controversial, in that you are seated on the road and they’re taking up what may or may not be valuable parking spaces.

Kuhlman said there can be up to five parklets on a downtown street.

“It’s definitely a novelty in downtown, especially on Fifth Avenue, which doesn’t have much for outdoor seating,” Kuhlman said.

Applications for parklets are being accepted at city hall now for use from May to October. They are not limited to downtown. A parklet could be placed, for example, in the university area.