Parking Returning to East St. Germain Street in St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- On-street parking will be coming back to East St. Germain Street. The city council held a public hearing on the proposal during Monday night's meeting.

Marla Waseka owns a building in the 400 block that has four apartments on the second level with plans for two retail businesses on the street level. She says parking for those business's customers is vital.

The fact that this could be done by this fall, or perhaps next spring, because my renovation of the main level will be complete. I have a customer renting one side and by this spring I should have another customer on the other side. This is vital to move my business forward.

Council member Karen Larson says on-street parking will help to draw new businesses to the area.

Myself and others have been attempting to court businesses to come to East St. Germain and we cannot really do that in good conscious unless there's parking there because they can't make it.

The plan is for the street to be reconfigured from Veterans Bridge to the railroad tracks with a dedicated left turn lane.

Parking will be allowed on the north side of the street.