The parking battle that’s been brewing around Logan Circle between double-parking church-goers and neighboring residents appears ready to come to a head. The city government has set this Sunday, April 23, as the date on which parking enforcement is to begin, and area churches are planning to hold a rally in protest on that day at 2 p.m. in Logan Circle.

This week’s Common Denominator was able to speak with some area ministers and get their thoughts on the matter. The Rev. Steve Tucker, of New Commandment Baptist Church, noted, “It is not fair for the city or newcomers to conspire to force our worship communities out of the District of Columbia into neighboring jurisdictions – and our houses of worship will not go without a fight.” The Rev. Graylan Hagler, pastor of Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ added, “Since many of our religious institutions have been operating for years, and some for a century or more, and many have had to improvise for years when it comes to parishioners parking in an urban environment, why has the [city] administration chosen to enforce already existing regulations at this time and not before?”

As DCist has noted before, this is not a fight the churches can or should win. Double parking is very avoidable and very dangerous, and if the parishioners were truly concerned about the state of the District, they would be happy to follow its laws. Nonetheless, they are pressing hard on city officials to give the churches a one year grace period in which to craft a “strategic approach” to parking shortages. Their advocacy efforts have even impacted the mayoral race — at a recent forum, none of the candidates were willing to definitively state an opinion on the situation.

DCist urges the city to stick to its guns. Rules are rules. Feel free to express your own opinions on the matter by writing to DPW Director William Howland and DDOT Director Michelle Pourciau.