With brewpub stalled, charter captains call on city to reclaim marina parking

A week after the Port Washington Plan Commission rejected a revised plan for Inventors Brewpub, charter fishing captains called on the city to reclaim what they described as precious marina parking places being usurped by a construction trailer and fence adjacent to the construction site and on city property.

But while the controversial brewpub project on the former city parking lot between the marina’s north slip and Washington Street is stalled, the Plan Commission is expected to consider another revised design for the building next week.

Regardless, Mayor Ted  Neitzke said Tuesday the city is looking for a solution to the parking issue.

“I’m trying to figure out if there might be a better place,” Neitzke said, adding he has tasked City Administrator Tony Brown and the Department of Public Works with  studying the issue.

It’s an issue the city needs to deal with before the fishing season gets going in earnest.

“Fishing defines this community. They’re an important industry and an important part of our city and our marina,” Neitzke said.

And while the city gave permission for the trailer to be placed in the parking lot, he noted that no one consulted with the captains about it ahead of time.

Alex Gantner of Angry Fin Charter Fishing, president of the Charter Captains Association of Port Washington, said every parking space is precious at the lakefront, especially for the approximately 30 charter boats.

“It just seems as though we’ve been kicked under the rug. For us it’s a big deal. We don’t have enough parking as is,” Gantner said. “If you go to any construction site, the trailer is on their site.”

The construction trailer and fence take up eight marina parking places, and the fact that Inventors is being built in a former parking lot that was available for use until this year will make the situation even more difficult to navigate, he said.

“That lot was used for customer parking,” Gantner said, and the captains often used the spots now being taken up by the construction trailer.

“Parking is going to be bad this summer,” he said. “I know for a fact last year there were issues.”

Chad Biersach, owner of C&D Charters, said that if construction is delayed because the Plan Commission turned down a redesigned Inventors building last month, it would only make sense to open up the parking taken up by the construction trailer.

“If they’re not going forward with it right now, we’d like our parking spots,” he said. “If we could get them for the summer, it would be exceptional.

“Every spot is worth its weight in gold.”

Right now, he noted, there are plenty of parking spaces, but as the season gets going it’s often tough to find places to park.

The loss of the parking lot where Inventors is being built is a tough enough pill to swallow, Biersach added.

The fear, he said, is that customers will be inconvenienced by the lack of parking and book charters with boats elsewhere on the lake.

“If you’re going to tell our customers to walk, they’re going to go somewhere else,” he said.

The marina has given charters parking passes for the marina lot, Biersach said, but on a busy summer day the lot is filled with tenants’ vehicles.

Although the city has done studies that show there is adequate parking, Gantner said they don’t reflect the situation in the heat of summer

The situation is especially frustrating, the men said, because the charters bring plenty of business and revenue to the community.

“Our customers are staying at the hotels, eating at the restaurants and stop at the bars,” Gantner said. “They buy clothes in the shops.”

Both Biersach and Gantner said they aren’t opposed to Inventors, but the parking situation is something that needs to be dealt with.

“We’re not against anyone’s business,” Biersach said. “But we need (all the parking spaces) we can get so we can bring our customers to town.

“Hopefully, we can get some help.”

The Plan Commission on April 24 turned down a proposal for a redesigned Inventors Brewpub on the north marina slip, saying the new design does not reflect the prominence of the location. They are willing to consider some changes, members said, but the building needs to look much like the original design.

Gertjan van den Broek of TBF Inc., which is constructing the brewpub, and Inventors owner Adam Draeger said they would work on a compromise plan to meet the city’s requirements, and on Tuesday Neitzke said the Plan Commission will meet on Thursday, May 11, to review the new plan.