A private charitable organization has a temporary approval to start the North McLeen Boleward office building in a Hindu temple of Elgin City Council, about traffic and parking problems despite the concerns raised by a neighboring Tyler Taurrs Condo Association.
Sri Gururarara Seva Samiti of Illinois, known as SGSS, has 362 N. Bought a 7,000 -square -foot building at McLeen Blawd. In June 2023, to build a temple for its members, which will be used for prayer and food in religious worship of a spiritual leader and social reformist Shri Narayan.
The SGSS is planning a widespread renovation for the inside, but will remain out as out, Mark Mileot, Director of Community Development of Elgin, told the council at this week’s meeting.
He said that the temple would have a priest and a bedroom for two big gathering sites, one for religious ceremonies and the other will be used as a dining hall for traditional food. He said that special programs and four funds will be held throughout the year.
Dawn Rage, whose company manages the Tyler Towers condominium, said that 72 owners signed a petition, objecting to the reuse of the building in the form of a temple.
He said that traffic taler is a concern for residents already crowded McLeen Bolewards. The road is like a “racetrack”, with already existing traffic, it is difficult for the condo residents to get out of their premises, the raj said, who requested a traffic study to determine the impact of vehicles going from the temple.
In addition, SGSS does not have enough parking to accommodate the number of people expected to participate in temple activities, Rage said.
Mylott said that the property has 64 parking locations, which should be sufficient. Religious ceremonies usually present around 100, which will be used between 30 and 35 parking sites, they said. He said that weekend services usually consist of around 125 people, which translate between 40 and 45 parking sites.
While the funderizers can draw more than 320 people, SGSS has an agreement with the owner of an adjacent property, which is on an essential basis to use its 32-space parking, the Mileot said. He said that it will give more than the number of parking places required under the SGSS city ordinance.
Anger disagreed that the tenants of adjacent property would need those parking sites as they provide consultation during special programs in the temple. He said that it is wrong for the city to make exceptions to your ordinance to benefit the use of property.
“I am fully supporting a temple or any religious organization that will be helpful for the city of Elgin,” Rage said. “There are many other places that can adjust it.”
Mileot said that the city employees believe that when the adjacent property is added to the mixture, there is enough parking space.
“We believe this is an ideal example of what we have encouraged through zoning ordinance of shared parking locations, so there is no need to make more surface parking,” he said.
The council approved the plans on the condition that SGSS receives a written agreement that ensures that additional parking is available. A final vote will be taken in a few weeks.
If the SGSS cannot compromise, “there are options through which we will work,” Mylott said.
SGSS launched its congregation in 2006 with 25 people in Lemont. According to city documents, it was a private organization for 18 years before organizing its first public event in Vasant 2019.
Gloria Cassus is a freelance reporter for Currier-News.