Neighborhood Opposed to Ashland Temple Connecting to Framingham Sewer System

The small neighborhood of Bellmore Rd. and surrounding streets is opposed to a request by the Sri Lakshmi Temple in Ashland to connect to the Framingham sewer system.

Selectmen are scheduled to hear the request from the Hindu temple tonight. It is on the agenda for the Selectmen's meeting scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in the .

Resident of Bellmore Road are frustrated that neither the temple nor the Town of Framingham has answered their questions about the sewer request and a possible 14,000 expansion plans of the temple, said Joan Haines, a Bellmore Rd resident.

Haines said only Selectman Dennis Giombetti has listen to the neighborhood's concerns. Residents of Bellmore Rd., Rock Rd, Fairview Rd. and Fay Rd. would be affected by the proposed project, said Haines, who notified and encouraged Town Meeting members to attend tonight's meeting.

As the temple is located in Ashland, it does not need to go before the Framingham Planning of Zoning Board. It does need the approval of the Framingham Selectmen to connect to the sewer system.

Haines said the temple went before the Framingham Conservation Commission earlier this year, but she said that Commission was unresponsive to residents' concerns.

Those concerns include:

* Blasting of rock and its effect

* Lack of full disclosure."As neighbors we do not feel that the Temple is being completely upfront with their plans for this sewer project and with its future plans," said Haines.

* Access issues: Bellmore Rd. is being used as an access road for this project. Haines questioned whether the small neighborhood road, with more than a dozen children, would be the access road for maintenance after installation of sewer and pumps.

* Responsibility and maintenance of this new sewer line.Who is responsible for the upkeep and or issues that this project could cause now and in the future, said Haines.

* Cutting of trees

* Flooding and water runoff issues

* Future expansion plans of the temple. Haines said residents have heard, if they are granted access to the Framingham sewer, the temple plans to add a 14,000 sq. foot expansion.

"The temple is located in Ashland and they should hook up to Ashland sewer and not Framingham," said Haines. "The Hindu temple has been a great neighbor, and we would like to keep it that way."

The Sri Lakshmi Temple was built on Waverly Road (Route 135) in Ashland in the mid-1980s. It has a lot for about 100 cars, but Haines said several times a year more than 1,000 people attend the temple. She said cars park all over the neighborhood and the temple offers a shuttle bus from Keefe Tech to the Temple for its members.

The Temple has already requested bids for contract work to connect to the Framingham sewer system, as this link on its website shows: http://www.srilakshmi.org/Contents/frmTempleConstruction.aspx

According to a 2010 Temple Expansion Committee Report: "The committee also worked hard to close the deal on Reed Street to finalize our sewer hookup plans to the Town of Framingham. In spite of a huge amount of effort expended, it has not been successful yet due to hurdles posed by the attorney of the donor of Reed Street. A few other routes were also considered, however they have not yielded any results yet. Eventually, a new route to take the sewer lines to the manhole on Waverly street near Waverly Estate in Framingham was found and a plan has been submitted to the town. We hope to get the approval for it soon."

Also on the temple's Web site: was an 18-page document showing schematics of a proposed upgrade to the site: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/26024558/NEHTI_Expansion_Phase_I_docs/Phase%20I_Final_arch_18apr2011.pdf

According to the temple's expansion committee report: "With the growth of the devotee community and their growing religious, cultural and educational needs, we have outgrown our existing infrastructural facilities. We need extra space for educational, cultural, and religious activities. So, it is high time that we create new class rooms, kitchens, function halls for temple programs and private religious functions. The NEHTI board has been planning for these new expansions over the last few years and has decided to execute the expansion in two phases."

Editor's Note: In the idea of full disclosure, I live on Fay Road. I was unaware of the issue or the meeting scheduled for tonight, until contacted by Bellmore residents yesterday.