CHURCH REQUESTS PARKING : USING CURB WOULD AID SENIORS.

Byline: R.A. Hutchinson Daily News Staff Writer

Faced with an aging congregation, officials at Westminster Presbyterian Church want to open the street outside the church to parking during Sunday services.

Dee Olsen, an administrative assistant for the church, said that about 30 percent of the nearly 1,000 people who attend Westminster are elderly and could benefit from more convenient parking along Lakeview Canyon Road. Many church members now park in the Westlake Medical Center lot.

``Basically, our congregation is growing and a lot of our members are seniors. This would help them,'' Olsen said. ``On holidays and special services, we really have overflow.''

City officials are evaluating the request, but note that a curve in the road near the church's driveway could create visibility problems. Mark Wessel, deputy city traffic engineer, said that is the main issued to be addressed.

``The street is on a curve there. The question will be whether the sight distance is adequate. There are several different ways to look at it,'' Wessel said.

Wessel is looking at traffic flow between 8 a.m. and noon Sundays, when the church would like parking allowed, and at alternatives to parking on Lakeview Canyon Road.

Olsen said the church already makes use of parking spaces at Westlake Medical Center, which is next to the church. But with the hospital slated for closure June 30 and the fate of its ownership in question, church officials want to be sure of adequate parking.

``It would be easier all around if we had some street parking,'' she said.

Councilman Jim Henderson, who is a member of the city's Safety Committee, said the panel briefly discussed the request about a month ago.

The group will meet at 7 this morning at City Hall, 4373 Park Terrace Drive, to review the parking question.

``It's only a safety issue. It isn't that we don't want them to park along the curb,'' he said. ``And by the end of the month, we'll know the fate of the hospital.''