A Plea for Zoning Compromise on Church Plans

The residents of Village Courts have again been denied justice, fairness and the right to live out their remaining years in relative contentment with their friends. The Board of Zoning Adjustments, as expected, has upheld the original flawed decision of a zoning administrator to evict these people so that a new church and a three-story aboveground parking structure can be erected. The entire matter could be amicably resolved with very little disruption to the elderly residents and only a minimal change in church plans.

A new church could be constructed over a subterranean garage, admittedly at more cost to the church elders, but with little, if any, displacement of the residents. Since the human condition and not economic factors are at the core of Christianity, money and costs should not be solitary considerations. Perhaps two or three units would have to be demolished but the occupants of these could be moved into units already vacated. In this spirit of compromise, the church would have its new building without the ugly parking structure, the entire area would be relatively unchanged aesthetically, noise and pollution would be reduced and, most importantly, the residents would again be secure.

But this will not occur since the controlling interests, as usual, want it all their way without the benefit of compromise. Underlying all this, I suspect, there lurks in the background some new and more grandiose plan for the remaining buildings in this nearly one-square-block area.

Perhaps the city fathers will see the light and come to the rescue of the elderly evictees, but don’t bet your last buck on it!

RICHARD SEELEY

La Crescenta