Community Gathers to Talk Temple Plans at Ross School

Much of the neighborhood response to the construction plans Tian Ann Temple representatives presented on Tuesday night was as welcoming as the temple members' efforts to foster harmony, through kind words and a well-stocked setup of snacks and drinks.

Some residents, though, remained steadfast in their concerns about how the new, enlarged temple and its 75 parking spaces, on Hayward Street across from , will effect ongoing parking and traffic concerns.

Both neighborhood issues and residents' own welcoming words were noted by members of the temple, who said they would follow up as construction moves forward. The new building will increase the capacity on site from 150 people to 295 and is expected to be complete by next May.

Mayor Joseph Sullivan opened the discussion on Tuesday, standing in for District 3 Councilor Tom Bowes, absent because of a loss in his family. Sullivan stressed that the temple "needs to be sensitive to the neighborhood" and said he understands there are concerns about the size and scope of the project.

Still, the mayor said, "From what I've heard in the neighborhood, they are good neighbors."

The meeting was called at Ross after temple representatives went before the Planning Board earlier this year for approval of some grading changes and also offered insight into their overall plans. Tian Ann Temple, as a religious nonprofit, is not bound by most permitting requirements, though Braintree's building inspector Russell Forsberg has oversight of the project.

An original design for the new building, involving a walkway from one side of the L-shaped structure to the other, was discarded when temple officials discovered it would be cost prohibitive. The plans now show the side connected by another walled section.

There will be trees planted around the parking lot behind the building and also a garden in front of the ceremonial entrance on Hayward Street. Drivers coming into the temple will turn off Hayward down a paved path that leads around back.

"You're all welcome to come in and take a stroll through the garden," temple president Edward Lau said.

Neighbor John Korzec said in the years he has lived next door to the Tian Ann Temple, there's been "nothing but positive, wonderful energy coming from there."

"As sad as I was to see all the trees go," he said, "and the parking lot coming, it's progress."

Tian Ann Temple, unlike many Eastern temples, Lau said, focuses on more than just worshipping Buddha. It is primarily a center for education, and recently graduated a class of students who had been with the temple since it opened in the late 1990s, when they were babies.

But the meeting was not completely harmonious. Residents who live on Connell Street said they have been frustrated for some time with people parking on their street, making it difficult to turn out, and also with people turning around in their driveways.

Construction noise has also been an issue, with contractors banging around on Saturday and Sunday despite the temple having told them not to work the weekend.

Lau said the noise issue has been addressed, and that he will communicate more with his members about the parking and traffic as well. On the busiest days, particularly for weekend classes, Lau said the temple rents parking space at Ross, with the money going to the school.

"We will certainly be much more sensitive in the future," Lau said.

Planning Board Chair Robert Harnais, responding to concerns about the lack of communication about the large-scale project, told those gathered Tuesday that in fact Tian Ann went "above and beyond" what was required of them.

"They've been more than willing to address every issue I've brought to them," Harnais said.

The former home of Donna O'Sullivan, built in 1840, will remain a part of the property, Lau said. Right now, he said, "everything is on schedule." Foundation work is about 80 percent complete and should be done by the end of this month.

After that, the temple will request a building permit, which Sullivan said may be attached with a stipulation about better communication for any future expansion plans. Construction of the walls, roof and windows is expected to be complete by Christmas, with a goal of mid-May for finishing altogether and a timeline of August 2012 for being fully operational.