Council Rejects Complex With Huge Hindu Temple

City leaders on Tuesday turned down a proposed $50-million complex including what supporters say would have been the nation’s most lavish Hindu temple, a 20,000-square-foot structure of golden walls and spires visible from a nearby freeway.

At a tense, crowded public meeting, the Buena Park City Council voted to oppose zone changes necessary for the project to proceed. Council members cited overwhelming opposition from residents and concerns that the project would not fit in the city’s “entertainment corridor,” a stretch of Beach Boulevard that includes Knott’s Berry Farm and the Movieland Wax Museum.

“This might disrupt things up and down the street,” said Councilman Jerry Sigler.

At least 150 residents filled the City Council chambers to raise objections over traffic, parking and conflicts with the city’s Western image.

After the meeting, backers objected that they had been ambushed. City officials did not warn them that the council might vote on the issue, said Michael Sieverts, vice president of a real estate investment company that is helping a Los Angeles-based Hindu group with the project.

“This was just supposed to be a study session,” Sieverts said. “We didn’t even get a chance to offer a formal proposal.”