Women's center move creating furor
Abortion clinic move surprises foes
By MICHAEL P. MAYKO
[Taken from Connecticut Post March, 20 2002]

BRIDGEPORT -- A downtown abortion clinic, targeted for years by pro-life demonstrators, is moving to upper Main Street.

The move by the Summit Women's Medical Center, partially paid for by the city, spurred several area clergy members and pro-life supporters to plan a prayer service for 7:15 a.m. today outside the new site at 3787 Main St.

"All people of all faiths who oppose abortion should come out," said the Rev. James Miller of Gospel Light Community Church on Charles Street. "Prayer is a very powerful tool in situations."

The move caught Mayor Joseph P. Ganim and City Council President John Fabrizi and council member Josephine Covino -- who represent the district where Summit is moving -- by surprise.

"To put this controversial clinic in one of the city's most heavily populated commercial areas that is filled with vehicular traffic is absolutely unacceptable," Fabrizi said. "It makes you wonder what is going through the minds of the administrators who run the day-to-day operations of the city."

"It's a terrible, terrible insult to the Catholics," said Covino, who was angered that the clinic would move so close to the Catholic Center, at nearby Jewett Avenue. "Why would they want to do that? I know abortion is everyone's choice but the relocation of Summit to this area is not the wisest decision that has ever been made."

"I can assure you the Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport will be outraged," added Joseph McAleer, a spokesman for the Diocese.

But Ganim said he would encourage the center to find another spot.

"Where they are going is a permitted use of the land," Ganim said. "The city has and continues to have no authority over that. What I am going to do is interject myself into the process and attempt to encourage them to seek a better location."

But, Jennifer Jaff, a Hartford lawyer who represented Summit in a recent suit brought by pro-life advocates, doubts her client will change the location again.

"The city has been involved in every step of Summit's relocation," Jaff said. "So they have known about this since way before the contract to purchase the new location was executed."

She said not once during any of the discussions with the city did anyone "express concerns about public safety at the new location There is no way they are going to move."

While Jaff conceded that Ganim may not have known of Summit's new site, that "is not Summit's responsibility The city attorney certainly knew.

"We always welcome dialogue with the mayor's office and other members of the community for the safety of women seeking access for health care," Jaff said. But she added that raising issues now after Summit purchased the site "is extremely harmful to Summit's goal of being a strong and contributing member of the Bridgeport community."

Ganim said it was his understanding that Summit was looking for "a location off the beaten path" and not one where there "is high pedestrian and vehicular traffic" like the Main Street site.

The mayor said he thought the center was relocating to Stratford.

The city seized the Middle Street building that has housed Summit as part of the future Congress Street courthouse project. The city agreed to pay $300,000 to help Summit relocate, as required by law.

But Jaff said the city "is not by a long shot paying 100 percent of costs."

She said the site is currently being renovated. Although Jaff declined to comment on a moving date, other sources said Summit intends to move to the site by this summer.

Joseph Gresko, a spokesman for the city, said the Main Street site was picked because it contained secure parking and did not require zoning approval, since it already housed a medical facility.

"The city proposed other sites, including a funeral home near Kennedy Stadium, but that would have required a zone change," Gresko said.

Gresko said Summit had been looking to relocate to an area with a secured private parking lot because of incidents between Summit escorts and pro-life demonstrators.

But Fabrizi expressed concern that the narrow sidewalks and the aggressive incidents outside the clinic could pose a public safety hazard.

Marilyn Carroll, a spokeswoman for the Calvary Pro Life group, which attempts to offer abortion alternatives to women entering the clinic, said the new location will make her job more difficult.

"It means we'll have to be trying to talk from the sidewalk to the women in the parking lot," she said. "We'll still be out there, but it will be more difficult for us."

"Our police department has been made aware of the situation," Gresko said.

Both Fabrizi and Covino were angry that city officials did not tell them that Summit was moving into their district.

"I would love to see the reaction of the neighbors and the businesses in that area when they get wind of this," Covino said.

Fabrizi believes the city is going have to do something to protect the consumers, businesses and residents in that area, not just in terms of safety but also protect the market value of their property.

Michael P. Mayko, who covers legal issues, can be reached at 330-6286.