5 days ago
Hindi temple complex/residential development in Elgin get thumbs down from commission
A proposal to build a Hindi temple complex and residential development will go to the Elgin City Council without the endorsement of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission.
Project plans submitted by Umiya Mataji Sastha Chicago Midwest call for the construction of a 231,372-square-foot temple, a 63,422-square-foot community center and a 56,042-square-foot recreation center on 34.4 acres at 840 Galt Blvd., off Lake Street/Route 20 and about 250 feet away from the Oak Ridge and Sherwood Oaks subdivisions.
The development would also include a four-story, 81-unit apartment building, 38 townhomes, 1,284 parking spaces and a 2,797-square-foot gazebo, Elgin senior planner Damir Latinovic said. The temple's dome would be 125 feet high and topped with a 25-foot flagpole.
In order to be built, the site's zoning would need to be changed and 19 code variances approved. The requested changes have the backing of city staff.
The size of the project is 'just a little too large-scale for me,' said Commisioner Jordan Wildermuth, one of four to vote against recommending council approval.
'While I feel the idea meets the use, the magnitude is concerning to me,' Wildermuth said. 'I would support a scaled-down version, but I don't feel it meets the comprehensive plan standards.'
Also voting against it were commissioners Nancy Abuali, Beto Valez and Brian Cox. Commissioner Karin Jones voted in favor of it.
The property, located on the north side of Route 20 and west of Hilliard Drive, was subdivided into 15 lots in 1988 but was never developed, Latinovic said. It is zoned for general industrial use.
Currently there's only one way into and out of the site, an entrance at Lambert Lane controlled by by a traffic signal and shared by the people who live at Oak Ridge and Sherwood Oaks subdivisions.
Neighboring property owners were vocal in their opposition to the development, citing the size of the project, the scale of the temple and traffic increase it would generate.
Temple representatives say about 800 people are expected to attend daily prayers and as many as 4,000 might come out for special events, like its New Year celebration.
That volume of traffic would only add problems to an area already grappling with crashes, speeding and unsafe road conditions, neighbors said.
'This has nothing to do with racism or hate of any type as has been implied by some speakers,' Castle Creek homeowner Michele Bach told the commission. 'I fully support this religion. I support the peaceful intentions of this religion. There is no peace in traveling Route 20.'
Route 20 is a 'death trap,' Bach said, with traffic going much faster than the posted 50 mph speed limit. The addition of more traffic signals along the road will not make the Route 20/Lambert Lane intersection any safer, she said.
There are plans for protected green lights, but it's not going to help at the intersection of Route 20 and Lambert Lane, Bach said. 'It will not be safe,' she said.
Latinovic said Umiya Mataji Sastha commissioned a traffic study in 2022, which found the 'surrounding roadway can absorb the additional traffic and will continue to function within acceptable and designed ranges' if the temple were to be built there.
Another big concern for neighboring property owners was the project's scale. The temple would be almost as tall as the Tower building in downtown Elgin and would be the size of two box stores, opponents said.
Alan Cruzan, an Oak Ridge homeowner, said the 19 code adjustments being sought were the equivalent of 'putting 10 pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack. We are asking for a whole lot of variances to do that. That's what I'm opposed to,' he said.
However, Peter Bazos, the lawyer representing the temple, said the request for rezoning meets all of the city's requirements, noting that it falls under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.
'This act requires communities to have a compelling reason to say no to a religious application. I don't believe you have heard any (compelling) reasons,' Bazos said.
Opponents repeatedly said their criticism had nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with traffic and size concerns.
Twinkal Patel spoke in favor of the development, saying she understood the opposition but wanted those in attendance to understand why temple supporters were behind the project.
'I … want you guys to understand this is basically like a home for us. It's basically a place where we come together,' she said.
Even if Umiya Mataji Sastha wins council approval, temple officials must go to court to amend a 1966 consent decree created to protect the neighborhood from manufacturing uses and ensure transition yards are provided to buffer the Sherwood Oaks subdivision from the future uses on the adjoining property, Latinovic said.
'The consent decree remains in effect,' Latinovic said, and takes precedence over the city's zoning regulations.
