The Jersey City Independent"

Jehovah’s Witness members, who worship at the historic Stanley Theater on JFK Boulevard, will no longer enjoy discounted parking at the Journal Square Ramp garage, after intervention by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The operator of the garage, which is owned by Harwood Properties, had been offering “special parking up to 10 hours” for $5 to church members on the weekends. The market-rate price is $8.

“Providing discounts only to members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses faith violates the federal Civil Rights Act, along with New Jersey state law and the city code of Jersey City,” foundation staff attorney Rebecca Kratz Markert wrote in a Sept. 4 letter to Harwood and Melvin Prince, the city’s Human Rights Commissioner.

After receiving the letter, the foundation says the garage operator actually increased the discount, offering a $4 rate to church members. But once Prince stepped in and contacted Harwood, the company took swift action. In an Oct. 21 letter, Scott Harwood wrote: “I have spoken to the parking operator for the Square Ramp Garage, which we own, and they advised me that as of this writing, they will no longer provide special discount [sic] for the Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

The foundation was quick to praise Prince’s efforts.

“He recognized the outlandish nature of this civil rights violation and even hand-delivered a copy of the foundation’s letter and the Commission’s own complaint to the property owner,” Markert says. “The foundation appreciates such commitment to the law.”

Photo of the Stanley by Wally Gobetz.