Council designates itself lead agency for environmental review of proposed Buddhist temple at 1 Sycamore Lane

The White Plains Common Council designated itself lead agency on Monday to conduct a coordinated environmental review for a proposed Buddhist temple at 1 Sycamore Lane, submitted by Droga Sang Foundation Corp.

Council members said they and neighborhood representatives have visited the site and that the property and surrounding neighborhood present notable environmental sensitivities. Councilman Frye Pearson thanked attorneys and neighborhood advocates for their work educating the council about issues at Sycamore Lane and stressed the council’s attentiveness to environmental concerns.

Councilman Payne described the property and neighborhood as “breathtaking” but noted the variances sought by the developer. He urged continued dialogue between the developer, neighborhood associations and residents and said he would be closely watching how the environmental impact statement evolves.

Council President Presser said designating the council as lead agency demonstrates that the council is taking its responsibility for careful review seriously. Councilwoman Puja said she had visited the site and supported the council’s designation, thanking community members who walked the site with councilors and asking for a thorough review.

The action places responsibility on the council to coordinate the environmental review process, consider public comments and ensure that any environmental impact statement addresses the issues raised by residents and the developer. Council President Presser previously announced that he would recuse himself from items 61 and 62 for reasons stated at Sycamore Lane; his recusal was noted when the consent agenda was adopted.