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Why the flip-flop on past viewpoints?

Friday, December 26, 2008 6:07 AM EST

This letter is in response to your unsigned NIMBY editorial of Dec. 22. In your previous editorials relating to the development of open spaces in Chester County, you have consistently (and correctly) championed planning. I have read numerous articles and editorials in your paper in favor of regional planning, cluster zoning, local planning and planned communities. Your philosophy is sound. When given an opportunity, let's create a living environment that is in harmony with nature and the historical roots of the community. Let's not overburden the environment with too much on site sewage discharge and endless traffic.

Now, it seems, you've changed your tune. You are supporting proposals that will radically change the West Pikeland countryside.

Do you really believe a temple with a total of 35,000 square feet is going to be occupied by 50-200 members? That's more than 13 feet by 13 feet per worshipper with a full house.

So the builders of the temple obviously have much larger plans for the structure that they're not sharing with us. A modest building of 5,000 square feet (as per the original proposal) would be more doable. A mega structure of that size in semi-rural West Pikeland is no more appropriate here than the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County or Trump's Taj Mahal would be.

As for your flip-flop on defending the over- burdened rural ecology, I can only assume that you've surrendered completely to political correctness.

Joseph E. Groff
Chester Springs

Residents challenge proposal for temple

Monday, December 22, 2008 6:37 AM EST

By DANIELLE LYNCH, Staff Writer

WEST PIKELAND — Opponents of a proposed Hindu temple in Chester Springs say religious denomination has nothing to do with why they are against the plan.

"The proposed temple would not be in alliance with the land I've fought to preserve," said resident Larry O'Donnell. "We have no objection to the religious activity."

A plan for a new 26,000-square-foot temple and a 9,000-square-foot auxiliary support building has been proposed by Sriram Adhimoolam of Adhi Parasakthi Charitable, Medical, Educational and Cultural Society of North America. The 24.5-acre property is in the 1400 block of Route 401.

In 2002, the township's zoning hearing board granted the applicant a special exception to conduct religious-based activities on the property. The society is now seeking conditional-use and land-development approval to construct a new temple and auxiliary building.

O'Donnell and his wife, Sue, are being represented by attorney Fronefield Crawford. They testified about why they are against the temple at a conditional-use hearing Thursday night.

"Frankly we don't care about religious uses … as long as it (the temple) doesn't cause health and safety issues for the community," Larry O'Donnell said.

When Supervisors' Chairman Bob Shemonsky asked him to clarify what he meant by health and safety issues, O'Donnell said he was worried the temple would increase traffic and pollution.

During Sue O'Donnell's testimony,

She drew comparisons between the proposed Hindu temple and St. Elizabeth's Roman Catholic Church in neighboring Upper Uwchlan. She said the church is appropriate on its property off Route 100 but would not fit well at the proposed temple site in West Pikeland.

Sue O'Donnell said she'd oppose any 35,000-square-foot structure on the site off Route 401 — whether it was a church, synagogue, circus or Wal-Mart.

"We'd object to anything of that size," she said.

Richard Lipow, the attorney representing the applicant, said the O'Donnells' testimony about the church and temple was an irrelevant, unfair comparison.

"I view the comparison inevitable and almost anecdotal," said township Solicitor Guy Donatelli.

In addition to the size of the temple, Sue O'Donnell raised concerns about how many Hindus may migrate to the area to use the proposed facility.

At a previous hearing, Adhimoolam explained that unlike Christian worship, there is no scheduled time of religious gathering. He said the temple is open to members generally between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily and the length of visit is at the member's discretion.

"The most likely time for temple visits is during a Saturday or Sunday in late morning or early afternoon, and in 2001 ACMEC testified before the township's zoning hearing board that on average no more than five families visit the site on typical Saturdays or Sundays," the society's project statement says.

According to the project statement, the congregation has about 200 members in North America and about 20 members within a 50-mile radius of the site.

"The majority of the contributing members are not Pennsylvania residents, and many are over 1,000 miles away from it, some as far as the West Coast," the project statement says. "The 20 local members are expected to use the facility most."

Sue O'Donnell said the calculations of the temple's membership were ridiculous because it would be the only temple of its kind in North America.

She said she was concerned about the project for environmental reasons, including its impact on sewage, stormwater runoff, wetlands, steep slopes, tree buffer zone and historic preservation.

The appearance of the temple is protected under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Person's Act of 2000, according to Lipow. In addition, it's protected under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Two additional hearings have been tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 8 and 15.

To contact staff writer Danielle Lynch, send an e-mail to dlynch@dailylocal.com.

DNL Editorial -- Monday, December 22, 2008 7:52 AM EST

Faithism or placeism?

That was the central theme of the discussion at last week's conditional-use hearing regarding the proposed 26,000-square-foot Hindu temple and 9,000-square-foot auxiliary support building in Chester Springs. Residents have made it clear they'd prefer the building be constructed elsewhere and delivered testimony saying as much.

Most of the testimony centered on the fact that it wasn't the religious aspects of the temple that bothered them, but the fact that it was being built in West Pikeland, where it would stand out against the background of the township's rootsy, rural nature. Residents Larry and Sue O'Donnell testified that it was not the religious activity that bothered them, but the temple's proposed location — in the 1400 block of Route 401.

"Frankly we don't care about religious uses … as long as it (the temple) doesn't cause health and safety issues for the community," Larry O'Donnell said, citing increased traffic and pollution in the township as areas of concern. Sue O'Donnell added that she'd be opposed to any 35,000-square-foot structure on the site off Route 401 — whether it was a church, synagogue, circus or Wal-Mart.

We'd be inclined to agree with them, if we thought there was any merit to their claims. It's true that West Pikeland is one of the county's more scenic areas, and the temple will likely stand out among its barns wooden fences. But the fact of the matter is that the O'Donnells, and residents like them, are suffering from an acute case of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard)-ism

In other words, it's OK to build it, just please don't build it here. Sue O'Donnell basically said as much, when she drew comparisons between the proposed Hindu temple and St. Elizabeth's Roman Catholic Church, located in neighboring Upper Uwchlan. She said she believes the church is appropriate on its property located off Route 100, but would not fit well at the proposed temple site in West Pikeland.

Maybe because it's too close to her own home?

The idea that the temple would cause an increase in traffic to the area is laughable. Sriram Adhimoolam, a representative of Adhi Parasakthi Charitable, Medical, Educational and Cultural Society of North America (ACMEC), has previously testified that AMCEC's congregation in North America is about 200 members. About 20 of them reside within 50 miles of the site.

Unlike Christian worship, Adhimoolam has said, there is no scheduled time of religious gathering. The temple would be open to members generally between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day and the length of visit would be at the discretion of a member. Even if every member of the church visited the temple at the same exact time, an extremely unlikely scenario, the impact on the area surrounding the proposed temple would be minimal.

Would it seem out of place in West Pikeland? Possibly. But is that a reason not to build it? In our opinion, no.