Mayor Richard Frey sat at the table in the city hall conference room this week with members of the Greater Dunkirk Area Harbor Commission. As he addressed the commission, he was asked about the "big issue" of trailer parking for fishermen.
"You know what the nicest thing is, when you run a business, it's to say, 'I can't handle the parking,'" Frey said. "That is a good problem. It means you've got customers."
Progress is happening now as Frey had hoped it would, when he initially set his focus on developing the city's waterfront, he said.
"Everybody is investing on the waterfront because this is what we wanted to do," Frey said. "Nine years ago, when I came into office, I said that the tourist dollars are the easiest dollars we can get. Industrial dollars will take a little longer. We can get the tourist dollar overnight, if we have a destination."
Improvements have been made to the waterfront, and the mayor feels the city is close to developing that "destination."
"I think the city can stand up, and we can be proud about what we've done over the last 5-6 years on the waterfront," he said.
Getting back to the issue of boat-trailer parking, Frey argued the city has made all the accommodations it could possibly make for fishermen in need of parking.
Commission member Paul Cybart was reserved in his comments regarding the mayor's statement about the accommodations being made. Outlining the changes in the habits of local fishermen over the past few years, Cybart avoided saying that more needs be done.
"Everybody is accommodating," he said. "It's just that I think we need to be a little bit more accommodating."
Cybart said he usually fishes by himself. If he is unable to get one of the few trailer parking spots on the pier, he has to drive over to Washington Avenue and walk back. Depending on whether or not he beats the traffic light, he may have to leave his boat and equipment unattended for 10 minutes or more, he said.
"They're going out by themselves, and they have to leave their valuable equipment and everything else unattended there for a short period of time," Cybart said. "It's the times, you know. I mean, we're still a good community here, but we do have an element sometimes of people who are not so honest."
With people from across the midwest and the eastern seaboard using the Dunkirk boat launch to fish the waters of the Lake Erie, Cybart believes the city needs to be fully aware of their concerns and economic impact.
While Frey was sympathetic to the concerns of fishermen, he said it's the special events, tournaments, Boardwalk Market traffic and the bass season that bring in the "big bucks."
"That is what generates our income, and that's what generates our waterfront," he said. "The day-to-day operation of the fishermen is not our livelihood in the city of Dunkirk."
Over the summer, Cybart and fellow fishermen may not have to worry about leaving equipment unattended. City officials are planning to hire enough harbor staff to ensure about 16 hours of daily boat launch coverage.
Also, to ease parking concerns, Frey said he is working on getting a golf cart donated for the summer to transport boaters from the Washington Avenue parking lot.
"I don't know if it's going to happen," he said. "If not, we will have a gator there on weekends only."
There will also be some parking available at the former Dutch Bertges property on Lake Shore Drive West.
"We're diligently working to own that property," said Director of Development Kory Ahlstrom, "but like any commercial real estate transaction, there's some due diligence that you've got to do. If not, we're diligently working on being able to lease it while we're going through that process."
DPW Director Tony Gugino offered to help the commission post signs to designate locations were parking is and is not allowed.
The commission also asked city officials about any harbor dredging or weed cutting happening this year.
There will not be any more dredging, but Gugino will be speaking to the Cassadaga Lakes Association about using their weed-cutting equipment. It's up to members of the harbor commission to inform the city of when and where they need the weed cutting done, Frey said.
Another major concern was the heavy traffic expected the weekend of June 18 and 19. That weekend marks the opening of bass season and the city's Wreck and Roll Festival. Frey said it's not a case of competition. It's an effort to bring people and their money into the city.
Ahlstrom said the city has made adjustments to the festival schedule to accommodate fishermen. There will also be enhanced communication, as Harbormaster Bill Heenan will be distributing flyers to boaters informing them of the schedule of festivities.
"We'll have a zero impact on the boat launch other than for that one 45-minute period (when participants launch for the Anything That Floats Race) because for the most part nothing starts that early."
The commission hopes to conduct a beautification project for the city pier. They want to remove the grass by the harbormaster's house and replace it with a flower bed, stones and concrete - similar to the work that was completed at Kosciuszko Square, which is the open area on the corner of Lake Shore Drive East and Roberts Road.
Commission Chairman Jim Nichols is confident he can get local clubs and businesses to contribute funding to the project.
"I'm trying to get the clubs to chip in some, and I'd probably chip in some as a businessman to do it because it just looks terrible," Nichols said.
The chairman said he's received an estimate that - if the DPW were to do a portion of the work - it would cost about $1000 to complete the project.
"But the other thing is, with the budget crunch," Ahlstrom said, "there are less men this year to do that type of work than previously. Tony (Gugino) and (Parks Department Director) Tommy (Rozumalski) each have less guys on their summer staff."
Regardless, Nichols is optimistic about the project and the summer season ahead.
"We're just trying to make it as comfortable for people as we can, and we're trying to make it look worthwhile for people to come in," Nichols said. "Hopefully, the weather will cooperate because that does control quite a bit of what goes on around here. I hope everybody will come down and enjoy the beautiful pier we've got and the boardwalk."
