REDWOOD CITY, CA, September 1, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The city council in Redwood City, California will vote next month to decide if a Planned Parenthood abortion facility can open. At issue is the question of whether or not the facility has the required parking spaces for patients and staff to meet city regulations.
“Planned Parenthood must obey the local zoning requirements just like any other business,” said Terry Thompson, a member of the California Right to Life Board of Directors. “Make no mistake, Planned Parenthood is a business! They make millions every year from abortions and, to add insult to injury, they take millions in tax money from citizens who are adamantly opposed to abortion.”
“This is a critically important issue,” he said.
In May, Planned Parenthood Mar Monte received a conditional use permit from Redwood City officials to open a “health center” at 2890 El Camino Real. As part of the approval process, the city required that the clinic have at least 27 parking spaces within 300 yards of the proposed clinic. The site, however, accommodates only 18 parking spots.
Short the required parking spaces, Planned Parenthood reached an understanding with a nearby Enterprise Rent-A-Car to make up the difference. Enterprise, however, tried to pull out of the agreement because “Planned Parenthood wanted a longer-term agreement than it could provide.” Enterprise has denied that local pro-life activists’ warning they would picket the company if it provided the nine spaces influenced its decision.
Local pro-life advocate Ross Foti has promised that any business that helps the abortion facility come up with the city-required spaces will find protesters with graphic pictures of aborted children on its premises.
“If only 5% of the people who call themselves Christians would get off their couches and take a public stand against abortion and Planned Parenthood the way Foti has, we would not have any abortion clinics in the country!” Thompson said. “He deserves the grateful thanks of all of us.”
Planned Parenthood said that it has renewed the agreement with Enterprise for the parking spaces, though it has yet to provide further details to Redwood City officials in advance of city council’s next meeting on September 12 or 19. Planned Parenthood said it would open elsewhere if the city council votes down the opening of its clinic.
Redwood City Zoning Administrator Blake Lyon says that the city council will vote whether Planned Parenthood will be able to open when it holds its next meeting.
“The City Council has to decide if they’re comfortable moving forward without a (parking) resolution,” he said.
Contact information:
Redwood City city council
https://www.redwoodcity.org
Enterprise in Redwood City
(650) 261-9308