Temple's proposed expansion concerns nearby residents

SOUTHWEST ORANGE COUNTY Johnie Williams has lived in his home, which now neighbors the Buena Vista Commons development, for 35 years. 

In all his time there, he has felt safe. He has never worried about someone breaking in.

But an animal hospital built recently near his house was burglarized in the past month.

“That makes you concerned about the probability of what now is coming into the neighborhood,” he said.

He, along with his neighbors, is concerned about office and commercial-type buildings sprouting up in their neighborhood, fearing their safety, privacy and quality of life will be compromised. 

Residents living near Buena Vista Commons gathered Oct. 26, at Bay Meadows Elementary School to meet with developers of a proposed expansion to the Maa Durga Sri Sai Baba Temple. 

The expansion to the temple will be a 3,000-square-foot building, which will house two priests and include administrative office space. Extra parking and retention areas are the remaining portions of the project. 

This means the property must be rezoned from RCE (Rural Country Estate) to PD (Planned Development). The property will be joined with the existing Buena Vista Commons PD for an addition of 1.8 acres. 

Connie Owens of Tri3 Civil Engineering Design Studio presented planned development boundaries at the meeting. 

“It’s a little odd-shaped because it has to include the parcels that the land owner owns,” Owens said. 

Access to the building will be through Maple Street, which will be improved, Owens said.  

Neighbors said the addition of parking-lot lights could shine into their houses, as they have experienced with other neighboring businesses. 

“For security, there should be lighting,” Owens said. “Of course, it would be maintained so it doesn’t overspill into the residential areas.”

Residents also were concerned about noise from temple events, but Owens said all events happen inside the temple. 

The county designated the future land use of the property as professional office years before this project began.

Residents said Buena Vista Commons started out small but now includes several businesses. They fear there will be future plans for developing the area — and the temple — beyond what was planned. 

“Will there be any additional buildings once this will be approved?” asked Noman Syed. 

“We would have to come back to zoning to ask for additional buildings,” Owens said.

Privacy is a major concern for Syed, who lives directly behind where the proposed building will be built. The building is not yet designed but could be one or two stories. 

“If you are going to put in a two-story building, I will not have my privacy,” Syed said.

He requested developers move the building to another portion of the lot, which surprised the developers, who thought he would feel more privacy next to a building rather than a parking lot.

Williams, the resident who lives behind the animal hospital, believes the increase of commercial-type buildings will affect his home’s property value. 

At 66, Williams hoped he would be able to sell his home and downsize. Now, he feels the office spaces surrounding his home have affected his property value. 

“They are destroying my investment and my property,” he said. “I can’t sell it as I thought at one time.”

District 1 Orange County Commissioner S. Scott Boyd told the community he wanted to hold another meeting once the project goes through the Development Review Committee. At that point, the development plan would be complete, and the community would have a better visual of the plans for the property. He would be able to address their concerns before the plan is executed. 

“I can bring it back out here and let the community take a look at it one more time,” Boyd said. 

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Contact Jennifer Nesslar at [email protected].