City seeks a fix for beach parking

Port Washington’s south beach is without question one of the most popular spots in the city, especially on hot, humid days when the lake breeze offers relief found few other places, but the issue for many has been finding parking nearby.

That may change next year.

On Tuesday, the Board of Public Works approved a draft capital improvement plan that includes $50,000 to expand the south beach parking lot in 2027.

As much as $120,000 for the work could also come from the Parks Department’s open spaces fund.

Jon Crain, the city’s director of parks, recreation and forestry, told the committee that he has been working with an engineering firm and We Energies to find a solution to the parking problem.

“As everyone can see, it’s one of our most utilized places,” Crain said. “You go down there any weekday when it’s warm, and you have trouble (finding parking).

“It’s very congested. We are looking to try and find a solution. Our goal is to add spaces and have it (parking) more controlled.”

Crain said he has consulted with RA Smith on a plan that would expand the paved parking lot to the east, where vehicles currently park haphazardly. Creating an organized system could add more spaces while retaining a small strip of green space between the parking area and beach, he said.

“Right now it’s a free for all,” he said.

Crain said he’s also exploring the idea of expanding the parking lot 60 to 80 feet to the south.

Between the two areas, he said, the city is hoping to add 20 spaces to the lot — double the number currently there.

“We’re looking at how far south we can go. That is We Energies land, and we have  had some tentative talks with them,” Crain said.

The utility has indicated a willingness to allow the area, which it owns, to be used for parking, he said.

That would not only allow the city to expand the parking area but also to make it easier for vehicles to get through the lot, Crain said, noting there are times he can’t get his truck through the lot because the spacing it so tight.

Expanding parking in the area of south beach is difficult because of the south bluff, he said.

“We can’t tie into the hillside,” Crain said. “The landscape is challenging.”

The existing south beach parking lot only has 22 parking spaces, and on warm days they are filled and people park on the perimeter of the lot as well.

Some motorists park along South Beach Road, where parking is prohibited, and police often ticket those vehicles.

City officials have talked to We Energies in the past about the possibility of allowing parking on South Beach Road, which is on land owned by the utility, but company officials have turned down the request, saying they need to keep the road open for deliveries and equipment.

The city has encouraged people to park in Coal Dock Park and walk through the bird sanctuary that connects the park with the beach, but parking there is also scarce on hot days.

It’s so congested at times that motorists will park on Chestnut Street on a hot day and walk several blocks to get to the beach.

South Beach, which was opened in 2010, has become increasingly popular through the years — especially since periodic slumping of the north bluff has blocked the entrance to the city’s north beach repeatedly in recent years.

The city has looked at ways to increase parking for the beach during the past several years, but those efforts have been stymied.

The draft capital improvement plan for 2027 also includes a $10,000 study of the city’s outdoor pool, which is aging, with an eye toward making improvements in 2029.

“We want to take an overall look at the long-term expenses,” Crain said.