By Les Greenberg

Re “My Critic Should Have Known – I Don’t Expect an Apology”

I repeatedly ask Ken Smith, a senior official at the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, for two simple items of information that he is unable or unwilling to provide:

• “If you think that the church has a problem [with the Farragut Drive Parking Restrictions], state what it is?
•  “And what have you done to solve it?”

If the church has a valid beef, Mr. Smith could readily provide the information.

After discussing the church’s vast efforts with regard to the Grace Diner, Mr. Smith admits, “[M]ost of the diners do not own cars. The vast majority of them walk, bike or take a bus to enjoy their weekly meal.” That means the Farragut Parking Restrictions have absolutely no impact on the church’s Grace Diner program.

Mr. Smith, the Traffic Engineer twice recently turned down the church’s requests to review the Farragut Parking Restrictions. In late 2013, this same City Council grandfathered the Farragut Parking Restrictions. The Procedures and Regulations for Residential Permit Parking Districts do not provide the church with a right of appeal to the City Council.

What influence are you asserting on Councilperson Andy Weissman for him to push the church’s meritless position before the City Council? By the way, did the church pay the mandatory $888 filing fee for its appeal to the City Council? Did Councilperson Weissman give the church a pass?

I don’t think you want to get into issues of Grace Diner, which www.bizapedia.com lists as a “California Profit Corporation.” One obvious question is, “Why was Grace Diner incorporated just last year when the program has existed for at least five years?”

Again, focus. What is the church’s beef with the Farragut Parking Restrictions?

Mr. Greenberg may be contacted at plgreen@att.net