Opposition To Hindu Temples In The West

[G.Subramaniam]

http://www.journalgroup.com/Canton/7026/hi...d-by-commission

Hindu temple plan OK’d by commission
Scott Spielman
Editor

The expansion of the Hindu Temple in Canton Township cleared a major hurdle on Monday.

The planning commission voted unanimously to approve the site plan for the temple on Cherry Hill Road, just east of Canton Center, despite reservations about the size of the project and the constraints of the property.

“It does look pretty squeezed in, but it meets all of our ordinances,” said Commissioner Katherine Bovitz. “I don’t know how we could vote against it.”

The issue came up in December and was tabled after residents from three surrounding subdivisions showed up to oppose the plan. Residents of the Kingston Estates, Pheasant Glenn and Glengarry Village subdivisions told commissioners that the proposed expansion was too large for the site, would negatively impact their property values and generated safety concerns. They also didn’t like the plan because it moved the structure further from the road—and closer to homes—and placed a parking lot on either side of it.

“We’re not opposed to the expansion; what we’re concerned about is the placement—where the building will be located,” said Jim Shepperd, a representative of the Glengarry Village Homeowner’s Association.

“This project is very unique, it’s very narrow,” he added. “It cuts very deep into the surrounding neighborhoods. We believe there’s a need to respect existing neighborhoods.”

Bryan Amann, an attorney representing the temple officials, suggested the item be tabled to give them time to work with residents.

That cooperation sparked several modifications to the plan that weren’t required by township ordinances, he said. The new plan called for increased storm water capacity, a limitation of the hours of operation, taller and steeper berms heavily forested with additional trees as well as a less intrusive lighting system that automatically drops to a ‘security’ level of lighting no later than an hour after the last scheduled activity ends.

A gate will be installed to the back parking lot to alleviate security concerns and they will have to install a 300-foot deceleration lane to the east and a 460-foot passing lane to the west.

“All of these improvements are expensive—they’ll cost hundreds of thousands of dollars—but we believe they’ll mitigate all of these issues,” Amann told the planning commission on Monday.

The developer will also work with an acoustic engineer to ensure that no noise from the temple leaks into the adjacent homes.

“We’re going to make a good faith effort,” Amann said. “This is something that will be very subjective. We’re tying to work to solve these issues so we won’t have problems going forward.”

He said the building could not be moved closer to the road for practical reasons. Wayne County dictates where the curb cut will be, and moving the structure closer to the road would adversely impact the traffic flow. It would also create a larger parking lot behind the structure and make for a longer walk for worshippers.

“This site, essentially, has a balanced layout,” Amann said. “The building needs to be located where, on the site, it works best.”

Residents still thought the 30,000 square foot structure was too large for the narrow strip of land.

“It’s a beautiful building, but it’s too large and too tall for the lot,” said Ramone Lara, president of the Kingston Estates Homeowner’s Association.

Commissioner Ron Lieberman agreed. He said he voted for approval because the project met township conditions. The original temple was constructed in 1988, prior to the subdivisions, he added.

“I believe this project does not meet the spirit of the law,” he said. “I’ll vote yes, but with concerns internally. I hope that the Hindu Temple does not move ahead with this project. The site is just too tight.”

Commissioner Greg Greene agreed.

“This is one of those situations where someone is going to be a little hurt if we approve this,” he said. “There are other property owners involved and their views are going to change. But I don’t believe we have any other choice but to vote for this project.”

The township planning commission is a recommending body. The board of trustees will cast the final approval on the project. Amann said he hoped to have it on the agenda for the March 11 meeting.