Resident says 11th Street construction removed parking without notice; city staff to follow up

Dawn Johnson, a Lockport resident who said she has lived in the city for 55 years, told the council she and her husband — both disabled — lost two parking spots after 11th Street construction and received no advance notice.

“Where are we supposed to park?” Johnson asked, saying she had spoken to several departments and was told by some staff to simply move. She said she had asked the construction foreman whether the parking plots would remain and was told yes; when concrete work finished she found the spots removed.

City staff acknowledged the problem and described the notification process: the city notifies property owners and posts public information and open houses, but notices are sent to the registered unit on file, which may be the owner rather than a lessee. Staff said they had met with the property owner at the corner and offered suggestions for reconfiguring private property behind the curb to create off-street parking. “Ben and Brian, they’ll reach out and work with the property owner. Let’s see if they can find a solution with that person,” the mayor said. Staff also offered to pull aerial photos to show where parking exists and noted that some older, nonconforming conversions produce parking shortfalls; the city’s long-standing policy expects owners to provide parking for converted units.

Staff committed to follow up with Johnson and her alderman and to contact the property owner to explore options including creating parking on private gravel area behind the sidewalk. No formal council action was taken; staff said they would continue to pursue a solution and report back.

Johnson’s remarks highlighted a recurring issue the council has discussed previously: how downtown conversions to multiple units have created parking demand that predates current construction standards and where responsibility for remedying that demand should lie.