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By Kent Larsen
Residents Question Traffic at Planned Harrison NY Temple
HARRISON, NEW YORK -- Residents of Harrison, New York are questioning the
amount of traffic that proposed Temple in their neighborhood will bring, and
are asking the Town Board for an independent study of traffic patterns in
and around the site and at other Temples around the country. A lawyer
representing the residents, Jeff Grant, will ask the board for the study at
the board's meeting tonight.
"We believe it's clear that the Planning Board did not reach a proper
conclusion regarding the traffic issues around the proposed temple," said
Grant, who represents about 20 residents. "The Town Board should retain an
independent expert to study the traffic patterns in and around this site and
other similar temple sites around the country in order to make a thorough
determination."
The Planning Board reached its decision on traffic two years ago, deciding
that a traffic study wasn't necessary until after the Temple was built, but
residents charge that a study after construction would be too late to make
changes. Town Board members say they have reviewed the case, but aren't
ready to reach a decision.
Ahead of tonight's meeting, the lawyer representing The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints says that the Planning Board's decision was
supported by an independent consultant and should be affirmed. Church lawyer
Jim Staudt called for the process of getting comments from the public to
conclude, with appropriate responses from the Church, and for the hearings
to end, "We want this hearing to be conducted in a fair manner, and we're
hoping that after over five years, the town will bring this process to a
fair conclusion," Staudt said.
The Church is asking the Harrison Town Board for a "special exception"
permit that covers how the Temple will be used. The permit is the final
requirement necessary for the Temple, following the already-obtained
approval of the Harrison Planning Board, and a still-in-dispute zoning
variance from the Harrison Zoning Board of Appeals. When the Zoning Board of
Appeals turned down the application, the went to acting state Supreme Court
Justice Peter Leavitt, who overruled the board, ordering it to grant the
variance. [In New York State, the Supreme Court is not the highest level in
the court system. It is a trial court, and its decisions can be appealed to
an appellate division, and then to the Court of Appeals, the state's highest
court.] In April, the town filed an appeal of Leavitt's decision, which has
not yet been heard.
Meanwhile, a report in the Westchester Journal News indicates that local
Church members remain quiet on the issue. The Jornal News talked to local
member Dorothy Bench, a resident of nearby Scarsdale, New York, who said
that she hasn't spoken at the meetings on behalf of the Temple because she
believes justice will prevail, "Some good things take time," she said.
Source:
Residents ask for Mormon temple traffic study
Westchester co NY Journal News 10Sep01 D1
By Karen Pasternack: The Journal News
See also:
Environmentalists Gain Support from Harrison NY Temple Dispute
Town Meeting Highlights Neighbor Feelings Over Harrison Temple
White Plains Temple Presentation Attracts Opponents
LDS Church Proceeds With Final Steps for White Plains NY Temple
Harrison NY Appeals Decision Favoring Temple
NEWSFLASH: Harrison Temple Gets Judge's Blessing
Proposed White Plains Temple Loses Zoning Decision
White Plains New York Controversy Makes Local News
LDS Leaders Request Fast For New York Temple
White Plains Temple Opposition Intensifies
Mormon News' Coverage of Zoning Challenges to LDS Building Projects
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