Mile Long Pier parking lot to close at dusk

LORAIN — The parking lot along Mile Long Pier will only be accessible to marina slip holders after dusk, the Lorain Port Authority announced this week. The change comes after an increase in illicit activity overnight in the past month, Lorain Port Authority Executive Director Tom Brown said, escalating "to the point that it is no longer safe for our guests." The pier itself will not be closed to the public, Brown said Friday, only the northernmost parking lot. Visitors, including fishermen and tourists, will still be able to park near Erie Steak and Seafood Co. and walk up to the site, he said. The Port has also added more security cameras in the area, Brown said. The changes come after increased reports of cars congregating around 2-4 a.m. in the northernmost lot. "We're going to slow down the traffic out there because basically you can park out there and you're half a mile away from anybody and people are doing whatever they want, to put it mildly," he said. Just after 4 a.m. Aug. 5, Lorain police responded to a fight in progress at the marina, Lorain police Capt. Michael Failing said. A 25-year-old man was shot and taken to Mercy Health - Lorain by private vehicle. No one has been charged and the incident remains under investigation. Prior to that, Lorain police responded to an assault around 1:30 a.m. July 26 for a juvenile girl who had been cut near her eyebrow. That incident also remains under investigation. Brown said the change is not taking away public access to the pier, even after dark. He said the parking lot being limited was only put in in the mid-2000s. While visitors after dark are going to have to walk a little farther, they will still be able to fish after dark, he said. "People have always been able to fish at night and we're trying to maintain that," he said. "But if we can't get this thing under control, the (Army Corps Of Engineers) could always say, 'Close it at dark every night.' So we're just trying to avoid that." Eventually, the port authority will put in a permanent gate, Brown said. The port has solicited quotes for the project. "People are reacting … and they're saying 'I can't go fishing or I can't go walking or I can't see a sunset," he said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. You can park out there, go watch a sunset and then drive out through the gate." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.