VALLEY VILLAGE : Temple Gets Permit to Build Addition
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A city zoning official has approved a plan to permit the Temple Shaarey Zedek in Valley Village to almost double its size, a ruling that neighbors say they plan to appeal.
Under the approved conditional use permit, the Orthodox Jewish temple at 12800 Chandler Blvd. is authorized to make a 10,000-square-foot addition to its existing structure. The facility will increase the sanctuary’s capacity from 300 to 499 people.
Zoning administrator Bert Sincosky also granted the temple permission to hold 52 special events each year in addition to its regular religious services.
Local residents have complained for several years that the temple has been a poor neighbor. In his report, Sincosky noted that when he visited the temple property, he was “astonished to see” workers illegally building an 8-by-20-foot storage structure, a violation that he halted. Sincosky concluded, however, that an expanded structure “will solve many of the past noise-disturbance problems” by allowing the temple to conduct most of its activities indoors.
Neighbor Suzanne Lazurus said she and others plan to ask the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals to overturn Sincosky’s ruling.
“They are horrible neighbors,” Lazurus said.
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