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City considers limiting parking near Charlotte abortion clinic

By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com
By Gina Esposito, wsoctv.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly 1,000 passionate activists blocked Latrobe Drive for a protest last weekend.

The event took place in front of A Preferred Woman's Health of Charlotte, a health center that does abortions.

The event was mostly peaceful, but video captured one activist yelling “they're murderers” to patients at the clinic.

People who were at the event said emergency vehicles and patients had a difficult time getting through the street because of the large crowd.

On Monday, Mayor Jennifer Roberts said she's received public safety concerns about Latrobe Drive. She recommended that council vote in a future meeting on a pilot project, which would not allow parking, stopping or standing on Latrobe Drive.

“If it’s not parking, or not stopping or standing, whatever will work the best for the safety for the people accessing businesses along that road," Roberts said.

That suggestion was met with some criticism. The Charlotte Department of Transportation did a study this year that found no-parking signs weren't needed on Latrobe Drive.

Council member Ed Driggs said he struggled to see her point.

Activists in front of the clinic are nothing new, but this year more has been done to address the concerns about patient safety and making sure people are still allowed to have their voices heard.

In June, the Community Relations Committee met with pro-choice and pro-life activists to go over the rules. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police also stopped by two times a day to check volume levels and listen to complaints.

Calla Hales is the administrator of A Preferred Woman's Health of Charlotte. She said the people in front of the building need to be more aware of the ordinance. She does think more restrictions could help.

"I'm hoping that a parking restriction would help,” she said. “That would definitely keep areas clear in the front of the clinic.”

"It's not a safety issue,” activist Daniel Parks, who is the director of Cities for Life, said. “It’s an agenda that seeks to have it forced on our group."

On Thursday, Channel 9 learned Robert's suggestion will go to the Community Safety Committee in October.

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