FLUSHING, NEW YORK, March 29, 2004: There is a stretch of Flushing, Queens, where Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and Hindus worship within blocks of one another without a hint of sectarian strife. When it comes to parking spaces, though, it is not so peaceful. Every Sunday, a flood of cars descends on the neighborhood. City law requires houses of worship to provide parking spaces for their parishioners if they have seating fixed to the floor, but many of the churches use folding chairs and are thus not covered by that rule. For years, residents have complained about that situation–and the loud noise, the crowds and the cars that often block their driveways. Korean Christian Churches, Hindu temples, mosques and Buddhist sanctuaries all exist in close proximity, in what may be the most religiously diverse neighborhood on earth, says this New York Times article. “The parking is not just out of control, it’s unbelievable,” said Tyler Cassell, the president of the North Flushing Civic Association. “They park on corners, they double-park, they block driveways.” Now the city wants to tighten the folding-chair loophole. All new houses of worship will have to provide parking spaces based on their largest rooms’ maximum capacity, according to a proposed law under review by the city’s community boards. Despite opposition from some religious groups and neighbors who feel the law will be to easy to get around, City Councilman Tony Avella, one of the authors of the proposed law, called it a necessary first step. One Flushing resident did a study of a six-block area near his home. Using maps from the city’s Finance Department, he noted that in 1990, the area had seven tax lots owned by community facilities. Today, he said, there are 48, almost all of them churches.
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