GARDEN GROVE : Business, Church Parking Ordinance Gets Initial OK

The City Council has tentatively approved an ordinance that sets parking standards for churches, restaurants, schools, recreational facilities, gas stations and adult-oriented businesses.

The ordinance, based on last year’s parking study by a city consultant, imposes stricter parking requirements for a host of other land uses and is intended to clarify some of the confusion over current city parking regulations, officials said.

But in voting unanimously for the ordinance Tuesday, council members said further studies should be conducted to determine if parking requirements for movie houses that show adult films could be tightened even more.

Under the ordinance, theaters showing adult movies will be required to provide one parking spot for every three seats, and five spaces for employees.

Churches and other places of worship, on the other hand, would have to provide one parking space for every two persons. Under current city regulations, churches are required to provide one parking spot for every three pews, benches or some type of fixed seats.

No one from the public spoke before the vote. The council will consider the ordinance for final approval on March 21.

A consultant, O’Rourke Engineering, was hired in October to conduct the study, and the Carlsbad-based firm will be tapped again to review the parking standards for adult movie houses, officials said.

In September, the council enacted an ordinance that temporarily halted consideration of use permit applications for businesses that require extensive parking, such as restaurants. At the same time, the council ordered the parking study.

City Planner Paul Wernquist said the moratorium will be lifted once the council adopts the parking ordinance.