By Leann Schenke

DOVER — As of Aug. 16, patrons of Simaron Pizza & Steak Shop are no longer able to park in a lot next to the eatery owned by Second Baptist Church.

Simaron owner Emound Yousefkhanian said Friday his patrons had been using the lot since the restaurant opened on West Loockerman Street 17 years ago.

The area is to the right of Simaron, between it and the church. Per Kent County records, the lot is the church’s property.

Mr. Yousefkhanian said that beginning Aug. 16, the Rev. John Bagley of Second Baptist began blocking the lot’s entrance, first with his car and then with signs stating that the lot is only for church use. The signs explicitly read that the parking area is now closed to Simaron’s customers.

By the end of that week, the lot had been further blocked off with chains.

The church could not be reached for comment as of Tuesday afternoon, following multiple calls and visits to the facility.

Mr. Yousefkhanian said he would need to get his property resurveyed, but he believes his property line may extend past the building wall to include part of the entrance to the lot.

He said a pole that currently is holding the chains that restrict the entrance to the lot might also be located within his property.

Through the 17 years Simaron has been open at that location, the owner has paid for upkeep of the parking lot, including paving and line painting, Mr. Yousefkhanian said. He’s also maintained a fence in the back of the property.

The restaurant owner also noted that Simaron is not open Sundays, out of respect for the congregation’s parking needs.

The lot immediately behind Simaron is Mr. Yousefkhanian’s property, per county records. There is a lane to the left of the restaurant (when viewed from the street) that provides access to that area, but it is primarily used for delivery drivers picking up food rather than to access the parking spaces behind the building.

Regardless of the work he said he has done on the lot, Mr. Yousefkhanian is not interested in suing the church for its use.

He said an ideal outcome to the dispute could be a fire lane installed along the right side of Simaron, where there are currently parking spots. That way, he said he could have further access to the back of the building and the spaces there.