California Buddhist Temple Faces New Parking Restrictions Over Major Holiday

February 11, 2002

Source: Los Angeles Times

On February 11, 2002, the Los Angeles Times reported that "leaders at one of the largest Buddhist temples in the Vietnamese community on Sunday criticized a decision by Garden Grove [CA] officials to restrict parking for a popular service on the eve of the Lunar New Year... 'They've blocked too many streets for such an important day,' said the Rev. Thich Phap Chau of the Vietnam Temple, which attracts about 1,000 worshipers... 'People only come here for mass and they leave,' Chau said. 'It's just like going to church on Christmas. I'm not having a festival'... City Councilman Mark Leyes said the parking restrictions were necessary to protect the safety and peace of surrounding neighborhoods."