Southington Religious Organization Plans Major Building Project

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A prominent religious organization in town is planning a major demolition/refurb of its headquarters, with a key meeting with town officials coming Thursday.

The Connecticut Sikh Association, located at 1610 West St., is planning to transform its two-building temple and headquarters into one, single-story facility.

To do that, it must first knock down a two-story, unconnected structure on site and then build a 7,750-square-foot expansion to the single-story building left over, according to plans submitted to the town.

On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission will conduct public hearings and, possibly, vote on the plans. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at the John J. Weichsel Municipal Center, 196 N. Main St., Southington.

The association, which oversees CT Gurdwara Nanak Darbar in Southington, represents the southern Asian religion of Sikhism, which is a monotheistic faith prominent in India and some surrounding nations in that part of the world.

Southington is home to a large Sikh population and those following that faith represent a major component of the community there.

The applicant is looking to get a religious exemption for the special permit, according to documents submitted to the town.

Robert Blanchette, of Borghesi Building & Engineering, Co. Inc., is the listed applicant for the zoning permits, with the Torrington firm responsible for the designs of the new addition.

For the agenda for the Oct. 17 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For all of the documents associated with the application for 1610 West St., click on this link.

For more information on the Connecticut Sikh Association in Southington, click on this link.