Hindu temple moved farther from street

BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO — Representatives of the Hindu American Temple and Cultural Center were given the OK by the Planning Board on March 4 to amend a site plan for two buildings on Wooleytown Road.

The board approved the applicant’s plan in February 2008 and agreed to permit several changes to that plan earlier this month.

There will be two new buildings constructed on the 33-acre site: a 32,596- square-foot two-story temple and multi-purpose hall, and a 15,170-squarefoot two-story residence for priests.

Attorney Jonathan Heilbrunn, representing the applicant, said changes have been made that will allow the temple and the priests’ quarters to be placed back farther on the property and away from Wooleytown Road.

The changes in the locations of the buildings will also allow for more parking, bringing the total number to 298 spaces, the attorney said.

A condition of approval set previously by the board required a banked (non-paved) parking area which the applicant would be required to use if 80 percent of the parking lot was used.

Heilbrunn said that with the changes in place there would now be 298 paved spaces and an additional 96 spaces banked on the property.

Engineer Lorali Totten said the banked 96 spaces are not approved but are shown as reference. If the banked spaces are needed the applicant would once again have to appear before the board.

The priests’ quarters and the temple will be moved to allow tranquil conditions for worshippers, Totten explained. She also said the new design will allow for a more efficient parking setup.

Totten said that as a result of changing the plans around, additional best storm water management practices were able to be implemented.

“While the previous plan met all the storm water management regulations of the town and the state, this plan goes beyond that. The previous plan did not rely upon drywells to infiltrate the ground water so now we’re able to do more infiltration of ground water then was necessary before,” she explained.

Runoff from the roofs of the two buildings will be directed into drywells and be infiltrated back into the ground. Totten said the ground at the site is particularly suited for that process because it is sandy in nature.

Enhanced buffering is also provided along the property lines that are adjacent to residential uses. Areas that were to be left as open space will be reforested to provide a buffer. Totten also said that the plan calls for the removal of 418 trees, all of which would be replaced.

The temple was originally planned to be built 300 feet from Wooleytown Road, but is now planned for a location that is more than 800 feet away from the street. All of the structures will remain the same size, only the location will be changed.

Mayor Jonathan Hornik, who sits on the board, said he believed the updated sewer design was much better than the previously approved one and was glad to see the changes made.

The board’s professionals agreed with the mayor about the improvements on the plan.

After a concern raised by a neighbor, board member Syed Husain recommended that the audible alarm on the drainage pump station be changed, as well as taking the light from the area and moving it away from the resident’s home.

In a 9-0 vote the board approved the site plan changes for the temple and the priests’ quarters.