The Pasadena City Council recently considered permitting churches to have a safe parking program. 17 people spoke in favor of the Planning Commission’s recommendation that safe parking be a permitted use on all religious land with a minor conditional use permit. Pastor Manning led a spirited chant in favor of this proposal. No one spoke in opposition.  But the Council decided to ignore the public and the Planning Commission’s recommendation and limit safe parking to non-residential areas.

This policy excluded Pasadena Church (which is interested in safe parking) and other churches located in residential areas. Because this policy will be reconsidered in six months, we are circulating a petition that would allow safe parking on all church land subject to a minor conditional use permit, but would limit safe parking to three congregations city-wide subject to review by the Council after one year. This seems like a reasonable compromise. To send a letter to the City Council in support of safe parking on religious land, click here.

We consider the current policy to be a partial victory because now half of the parking lot at Trinity Lutheran Church is allowed to have safe parking because it’s zoned commercially, while the other half can’t have safe parking because it’s zoned residentially.  Clearly, we need to fix this half-baked policy!

Please write to the City Council at

vgordo@cityofpasadena.net,jerivas@cityofpasadena.net, jlyon@cityofpasadena.net, justinjones@cityofpasadena.net, thampton@cityofpasadena.net,smadison@cityofpasadena.net,fwilliams@city ofpasadena.net, gmasuda@cityofpasadena.net,correspondence@cityofpasadena.net 

To Mayor Gordo and the Pasadena City Council

Allow Safe Parking as a Permitted Use for Religious Institutions

I am concerned about our unhoused neighbors living on the street and in their vehicles. For this reason, I am asking you to revisit your decision to limit safe parking only to congregations in non-residential areas. I support the Planning Commission’s recommendation that safe parking be permitted on all religious land, with a minor conditional use permit. This would ensure that neighbors will have a voice in deciding whether they want safe parking in their neighborhood.

Safe Parking is a program that allows people in their vehicles to sleep in designated parking spots, with supportive services, security and case management to help them become housed. Safe parkers often have jobs and pose no threat to residential neighborhoods.

Trinity Lutheran Church has had a Safe Parking pilot program for over two years, with no serious negative incidents. The city’s current policy allows this church to have safe parking on one half of its parking lot, which is zoned commercial, but not on the other half, which is zoned residentially. It also prevents Pasadena Church from having a safe parking program even though it currently has a meal program for unhoused people and is located across the street from Friends Indeed.

I urge you to allow only three congregations to have safe parking and evaluate the results after a year. This seems like a reasonable compromise that will benefit greatly our unhoused neighbors, many of whom are elderly and need a safe place to park.