GARDEN GROVE : Forum to Examine Clash Over Temples
The issue of Buddhist temples in residential neighborhoods will be discussed at a community forum for the local Vietnamese American community Thursday at the Community Meeting Center.
Community policing, land-use ordinances and the city’s general plan also will be discussed during the 7 p.m. forum. One of the invited guests is Councilman Tony Lam of Westminster.
Over the past two months, members of the Vietnamese American community have complained that the city is cracking down on Buddhist temples in residential areas.
City officials have asked the Bat Nha Buddhist Temple on West Street to stop services after it was found to be operating without a permit. Temple officials sued the city, claiming that the city is violating the congregation’s constitutional rights by ordering the temple to close. The case is still pending.
Development Services Director David Kennon will talk about city regulations concerning churches and temples, which the city code allows within residential areas but only under strict conditions, including a requirement that the land should be at least one acre.
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