PARKING ISSUE BLOCKS TEMPLE 71 SPACES TOO FEW FOR MEMBERS' CARS, NEIGHBORS SAY.

Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer

TARZANA - A Jewish Orthodox congregation is embroiled in a bitter dispute with neighbors over parking spaces - a two-year conflict that has stalled Temple Beith David's dream of converting an old post office into a synagogue.

The congregation bought the post office in 2002 and got city approval last fall for its plan to develop the new temple with just 71 parking spaces although city guidelines normally would require more than twice as many: 150.

Members convinced the South Valley Planning Commission that, because their religious beliefs prohibit them from driving on the Sabbath, they could get by with the 31 spaces on the site and 40 more leased from a nearby office for Friday evening and Saturday morning services.

But neighbors and local business groups argue that members do indeed drive to synagogue - they say they hired a private investigator who proved it - and that traffic from the 200-family congregation would add even more cars to a community already short on street parking.

``We've worked for so long with them, and they know of all these problems, and they knew what they were supposed to do, and they haven't done it,'' said Leonard Shaffer, president of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council, which has appealed the commission's ruling. ``They just don't seem to want to conform to the law.''

Beith David members, who currently worship in rented space in a Reseda Boulevard office building, say they are only asking prospective neighbors to be reasonable.

``People say why not sell and take the profit and go somewhere else? It's a house of worship, not a house of business,'' said Parviz Hakimi, treasurer of Beith David. ``I wish they would look in their own hearts and understand what we are trying to do.'' The City Council's Planning and Land Use Committee will consider the appeal Wednesday at City Hall.

Like developers of schools, sports complexes and other cultural institutions looking to move into increasingly dense residential areas, religious groups often find wary neighbors unhappy about potential increases in traffic, parking shortages and noise.

Residents in stretches of North Hills, West Hills, Hancock Park and East Los Angeles have challenged religious facilities, saying they would destroy the quiet character of their neighborhoods.

Every project is scrutinized, but debates over religious facilities can become more sensitive as congregants feel their right to worship is under attack.

Cities officials, too, are sensitive. A 2000 federal law called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act prohibits land-use laws and decisions that unreasonably limit religious facilities in an area.

With an untested new law, there's been some debate of whether churches have to comply with land-use regulations, said Cecilia V. Estolano, a Los Angeles Assistant City Attorney.

``Do they have to play by the same rules as everyone else, or do they get a pass?'' said Estolano. ``Certainly you can't deny it just for religious use. Neither should you allow a use if its impacts can't be mitigated.''

Even with the federal law, land-use attorney Ben Reznik said he sees a trend against religious institutions.

``A lot of what I would call educational and cultural uses that one would think belong in neighborhoods, that would make neighborhoods complete, are the very uses the neighbors fight,'' said Reznik, who represents Beith David.

``I keep trying to remind neighborhood councils and others I speak with that communities can't just be houses and strip centers.''

But others say residents have a right to preserve their residential neighborhoods and their quality of life.

Councilman Dennis Zine has told members of Beith David that he would support the project only with adequate parking.

``What do you do when have a city as populated as Los Angeles?'' Zine said. ``How do we make it all work in our society that is so congested, so cramped for space so everyone can live and worship?''

Kerry Cavanaugh, [phone]

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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