The revamped parking at Wright Park in Dunkirk includes new striping where Lakefront Boulevard meets Serval Street. Photo by M.J. Stafford

Dunkirk’s Wright Park is so popular these days, it’s challenging to park sometimes. City council members sought to revisit the parking issue there, and a 2022 resolution intended to help, at a workshop session last week.

“This involves the Beach Hut and parking in and around the Beach Hut. As I understand it, it’s become somewhat of an issue for the council,” City Attorney Michael Bobseine said to open the discussion. He mentioned the council passed a resolution in 2022 to add more parking in the area and passed around copies of it.

The resolution sought a parking area between Serval and Ocelot streets on the site of a former city tennis court. Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak, who represents the First Ward where Wright Park is located, voted for it — but later criticized the plan and stated that neighbors were against it. There is still no parking lot there.

Randy Woodbury, Department of Public Works director, stated he had not received a copy of the resolution in 2022.

“This did not go to me in the peanut gallery last year, so the first time I’ve actually seen this in writing about it is today — although I did know that you wanted something down there,” he said.

Woodbury continued, “We have started (that project). We put 30 marked spaces in an already paved area on the east part of the wall area. Striping parking is much more efficient.”

Parking was eliminated “on both sides in front of the Beach Hut. It was too congested … especially with our sludge trucks going down there,” he said.

On either side of Serval Street, seven more spaces were added, for 14 new parking spots in total. “We have a beginning of a parking lot there,” he said. There are also plans to put in 20 new spaces near the driveway to the skate park.

Woodbury said the lot between Serval and Ocelot hasn’t gotten started because “we really haven’t met down there to decide exactly what you want.”

He said having parked cars face north “towards Canada” would be best for that lot, so headlights don’t bother neighbors. “I’m ready to do it. I think we all ought to meet down there so there’s no surprises, either to us who are building it or to the people who wanted it,” he said.

Luczkowiak said the 2022 resolution “took me surprise as a walk-on before I knew what the residents (of the neighborhood) really wanted. The residents are very much against that, taking away more green space, we don’t have enough green space there. The houses there pay good taxes, they should be No. 1 to be considered.”

The other council members did not seem to support her.

Councilman Martin Bamonto called the parking “a good problem to have” because it speaks to the revitalization of Wright Park. He said everyone should work together quickly to figure out how to add more parking in the area, as upcoming softball tournaments will bring many people.

Woodbury was directed by council members to set up his meeting on the new lot between Serval and Ocelot and include Police Chief David Ortolano and Fire Chief Michael Edwards.