Siget Residents Lose 50 Parking Spots
The Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross states that the private property became unusable for its original purpose due to long-term parking by vehicles unrelated to the parish.
The Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross states that the private property became unusable for its original purpose due to long-term parking by vehicles unrelated to the parish.
Residents of Zagreb's Siget neighborhood faced a new problem on Thursday when about fifty parking spots disappeared overnight. Fencing began to be installed on the area north of the Church of the Holy Cross at Trg svetog Križa, sparking a wave of discontent among residents who had used the space for free parking for years.
The parking lot was fenced off by the parish itself, and the Parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross justified the move with a detailed statement. They emphasized that the land was always intended as part of the church-monastery complex.
"A gate is being installed at the parish parking lot and the way the parking lot is used is being regulated to protect the monastery's property and ensure the normal functioning of the parish. This is a parking lot owned by the church/monastery and was always intended as part of the church-monastery complex," the statement, as reported by Večernji list, reads.
The parish explains that the parking lot is part of the documentation necessary for the use of the church and is intended for the faithful, people with disabilities, and visitors to liturgical celebrations. The problem arose because the parking lot was increasingly occupied by cars unrelated to parish activities.
"For many years, the parking lot was open and accessible, but due to the increasing number of cars and the more frequent long-term parking of vehicles not connected to parish activities, the parish was put in a situation where it could no longer use its own space for the purposes for which the parking lot was built," the parish said.
Parking in Siget is generally paid, and according to publicly available information, Trg sv. Križa falls within parking zone 15. However, neither the city district nor the local committee were sure whether that included the area north of the church that is now closed.
Some residents believe the closure is unfair because they pay for parking, while others point out that the area was never part of the paid parking system and was one of the few free options in the neighborhood.
Nebojša Aleksić, president of the Novi Zagreb-zapad City District Council, briefly commented on the situation for Večernji list. "The parish priest told us to get back to us with additional details; we'll be wiser then," Aleksić said.
At the end of the statement, the parish asked for understanding, emphasizing that the installation of the gate and fence "is not directed against the faithful, neighbors, or any person, but represents a measure to regulate the use of private church space." They also announced an agreement on the permanent use of the parking lot.
