Complaints Fail to Delay WP Board’s Decision on Temple Plans  

Neighbor complaints about the Hindu Temple of Tri-State’s facility and practices are not delaying the religious institution’s plans for a next round of construction, at least not yet.

Last week, the White Plains Planning Board unanimously voted to offer a favorable review of a proposed site plan amendment, adding a second floor to the partially constructed temple at 390 North St. and extending the footprint to the east for stairs and an elevator.

The Common Council will have the final say. The second floor had been previously approved in 2014 by the planning board as part of the temple’s larger plan before being rescinded the following year because of a lack of funding for what’s now been estimated by leadership to be an approximately $6 million undertaking.

“Happily, we’re back to say that they can now achieve that more elaborate plan,” said William Null, an attorney representing the temple. Donations continue to be accepted for construction.

Lackluster comments and questions from the board on Dec. 17 preceded board member P. Lynn Oliva’s recognition of the complaints she’d heard while talking with the Old Oak Ridge Neighborhood and those on Colonial Rd. directly behind the temple.

“I got an earful about, one, how there were major drainage problems on the property,” said Oliva.

According to Null, that concern should not be directly tied to the temple, now in use for religious activities the last year or so.

“There’s no way that water on this site … is the cause of any water that may be affecting properties by Colonial Rd.,” he maintained.

Null noted the parking lot has a retaining wall and explained how its new system is ready with additional capacity. Another main concern, relayed by Oliva and discussed during a recent meeting with neighbors, has to do with noise and excess light during the temple’s larger events.

“Don’t you live near the high school football field and soccer field?” Null recalled asking during that cordial meeting.

“When the stands cheer, do you think about going to them and asking them to do it more quietly? This is an occasional practice recognizing and celebrating a religious holiday, so when it’s happiness being expressed, it may get a little loud, but it’s not all day.”

The attorney also brought up different concessions made in response to the neighbors, one being additional landscaping for screening, and another being parking lot lights shutting off at 9:30 p.m. on a typical day.

Neighbors have noted that they’re not against practicing the religion, just pushing for the temple to be “good neighbors.”

The neighbors did not have an opportunity to publicly address the board at its meeting, but they took advantage of the public comment period, earlier this month, in front of the council and Mayor Thomas Roach.

A lot of the hard feelings stem from a lack of notice by the temple about wanting to revitalize its vision for a second floor, in addition to the construction spanning multiple years.

The neighbors continue to push for even more to be done related to screening, landscaping, lighting, drainage, event notification and parking monitoring. They don’t seem to be totally satisfied with the outcomes and are claiming the temple is falling short on some promises.

“The temple said they would have the (parking lot lights) turned off at 9:30 p.m.,” said Corinne Ryan, a neighbor, “However, this has not happened and furthermore, we don’t understand that arbitrary time as to why not 8:30 p.m.?”

With additional space, a lot of larger events are likely to happen indoors. But during the construction, estimated to last about 12 to 18 months, the temple would likely close its doors temporarily.

Once completed, the sanctuary space would be on the second floor. Right now, it’s on the first and only floor. The temple wants it to be closer to the sky and separated from the social space planned for the first floor.

The North St. temple is one of two in White Plains facing opposition. Over the years, many religious institutions have established their places of worship along the North St. corridor in the R1-30 (Residential One Family) Zoning District.

The Zoning Board of Appeals will next take at least two votes related to a proposed Buddhist temple at 1 Sycamore Lane, facing opposition from the Rosedale Neighborhood. The matter was pushed back another month to January after first being introduced back in September.

At the Dec. 17 meeting, the Planning Board was reintroduced to the proposed District Galleria mixed-use project and transformation at 100 Main St., where the old mall will be demolished and replaced with 3.6 million square feet inside six towers.

That footprint includes 3200 residential units, along with retail, restaurant, fitness center, grocery store and entertainment uses. New pedestrian plazas, streetscapes, outdoor event spaces, open spaces and public art are also planned.

More specifically, the panel could formalize an opinion on the draft environmental impact statement as soon as next month. The council deemed it “complete” and will now work to finalize the document, what’s necessary for the desired rezoning.

Of note, representatives of the applicant — Pacific Retail Capital Partners, Aareal Bank, SL Green Realty Corp and Cappelli Organization – made it known, at the meeting, how they intend to seek a city tax abatement, specifically a payment in lieu of taxes agreement.

The companies are also exploring the possibility of state dollars being used to subsidize additional affordable housing for the project. The developer’s attorney previously said it was premature to talk financing and abatements.

Examiner Media has reached out to state agencies about any other financial assistance or incentives being discussed for District Galleria but has not yet heard back. The $2.5 billion undertaking is projected to generate more than $20 million annually in property taxes, a majority of which would go to the local school district.