WATCH: Davis Place Parking Bill Takes Heat in Clayton

Officials agreed Tuesday to take a second look at Mohawk and West Biltmore drives before voting on a bill that would update parking restrictions in 's Davis Place neighborhood.

The decision came after three residents blasted the Clayton Board of Aldermen and in comments and expressed dismay that they didn't have more time to get input on the changes from neighbors.

(Read the proposed Davis Place parking changes by downloading a PDF of the Clayton Board of Aldermen's Tuesday agenda.)

Discussion has been underway for months about how to balance a with neighbors' request for the that the church owns.

Robert Kuehn said that he is "profoundly disappointed" with the church and that he fully expected the aldermen to rubber stamp the parking ordinance. He said that Davis Place residents favor on-street parking restrictions, many of which would be lifted under the ordinance.

"This is about bullying and this is about threats," Kuehn said.

Katherine Bauer addressed aldermen throughout the parking discussion.

"The changes that are being proposed are so far removed from anything that we've had," Bauer said. She said that she only learned of Tuesday's meeting just before it began and that the city never mailed her anything about the ordinance.

"I do not think there has been good input to the residents," she said.

Ward 3 aldermen Steve Lichtenfeld and Mark Winings told their counterparts that the ordinance follows a meeting of the church's governing body, which has agreed to postpone demolition of the three houses indefinitely as long as the city approves the parking ordinance.

Eric Schmidt, executive administrator with the church, attended Tuesday's meeting.

"Really a delay, from our standpoint, … is not feasible," he said. The church has been waiting for a year to resolve the situation, he said.

Under the proposed arrangement, the church plans to build a parking lot along Hanley Road rather than constructing one where the three buildings stand. The parking lot would require approval of the city's Architectural Review Board. It would not require review by the aldermen.

The ordinance would not prevent the church from taking down the buildings in the future.

Aldermen said the parking changes are meant to give emergency vehicles access to the neighborhood and facilitate the flow of traffic.

The number of public parking spaces would stay approximately the same as that available before temporary restrictions were put into place, Lichtenfeld said.

Ward 1 Alderman Judy Goodman said the bill appeared to represent a dramatic change in parking arrangements for some Davis Place residents who might be unaware of the bill.

Ward 2 Alderman Michelle Harris asked why the church would need parking on Saturday nights. She said she can't imagine not having parking available in front of her house on a Saturday night. Part of the bill would lift on-street parking restrictions for Saturdays.

Schmidt said the church hosts six to seven weddings each year, and he said those events happen on Saturdays. Additionally, he said , among other Clayton churches, is only held to parking restrictions Monday through Friday.

Ward 1 Alderman Andrea Maddox-Dallas said St. Michael is located on Wydown Boulevard, which is less residential than Davis Place.

Aldermen and are expected to vote on the parking measure at their Feb. 28 meeting.