Will Menlo church pay millions for parking garage? Will Menlo church pay millions for parking garage? (October 06, 2004)

The buzz around town is that the 5,000-member Menlo Park Presbyterian Church has offered to give $5 million toward a downtown parking garage if one is built on the neighboring Plaza 3.

Bill Frimel, the church's business manager, said the $5 million figure is "purely a rumor." But he added that officials from the Church of Pioneers Foundation, which owns buildings on University Drive that Menlo Park Presbyterian rents for student and children's services, have talked to city officials about contributing to a garage if it's built on Plaza 3.

"The thinking is that the church members would use it for night and weekend programs when that would not conflict with the business community," said Mr. Frimel, a foundation board member. "Nothing has been finalized or negotiated at this point."

As the church has grown, parking has become increasingly tight, leading churchgoers to head for surrounding streets and sparking neighborhood complaints, particularly on Sunday mornings.

The foundation also works with religious organizations in the Belle Haven neighborhood to provide low-income housing, Mr. Frimel added.

-- Rebecca Wallace

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