Church backs request for polite parishioners
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Heather Birch, of the East End, poses in her car in the parking lot behind her house where she is often blocked in by members of the nearby Mount Ararat Baptist Church despite several "No Parking" signs posted around the lot.
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Heather Birch bought a town house in the East End in July that came with off-street parking in a private lot.
She soon discovered that others also liked to park on the gravel lot behind her three-story brick home.
Ms. Birch, 36, a counselor for Mercy Behavioral Health in West View, learned the trespassers were attending services at the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church, just up the street at 271 Paulson Ave.
The church, a landmark in the Larimer neighborhood, has Bible study on Tuesday and services on Saturday evening and Sunday morning and early afternoon. The building also houses the Early Childhood Development Center, which is open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Ms. Birch said her parking problem has gotten worse in recent weeks.
She returned home from a New Year's Eve church service and wasn't able to park behind her house because the lot was clogged with cars that were double-parked.
"My repeated calls to the church have fallen on deaf ears," she said. "I realize that the church has one of the biggest memberships in the area and that parking is at a premium for its members. However, when I have to go to work or do errands, it is distressing to not be able to get out of the lot or into the lot upon my return.
"I am asking that the parishioners who park their cars in the lot to have some compassion on the homeowners who live there. After all, this is a private parking lot. My only recourse is to call the police. As a Christian, I am reticent to do that."
I visited the parking lot behind Ms. Birch's home on Monday afternoon. I was surprised to see a large Ford van with the church's name on it parked directly in front of a No Parking sign. The name of Pastor William H. Curtis was prominently displayed on both front doors.
Although there was an open parking space on Paulson Avenue in front of the church, someone had illegally parked the van in a private lot in open defiance of the No Parking sign. The sign, one of three prominently displayed in the lot, warns violators that the lot is private property and that they'll have to pay if United Towing hauls away their cars.
As I walked along the streets near the church, it became apparent that Ms. Birch's parking problem isn't an isolated case. A 20-car asphalt parking lot at the corner of Ashley and Mayflower streets has a faded No Parking sign attached to a chain link fence. It warns trespassers that they park at their own risk and that the owner of the lot isn't responsible for "loss, damage or towing of vehicle."
First Published February 4, 2010 12:00 am
