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Council approves Hindu Temple additions after neighborhood agreement
Summary
The White Plains Common Council approved a second amendment to the Himalayan Temple of Tri‑State site plan at 390 North Street after negotiations between the temple and the Old Oak Ridge neighborhood association addressed landscaping, drainage and a point of contact for neighbors.
The White Plains Common Council on March 3 approved a second amendment to the site plan for the Hindu Temple of Tri‑State at 390 North Street, allowing a second story and two two‑story additions on an existing foundation.
Councilman Michael Payne said the project, originally approved for two stories in 2014, reached an acceptable resolution after months of neighborhood engagement. “They heard the neighborhood and the neighbor's concerns, and they all got together,” Payne said, adding that attorneys and the neighborhood association helped the parties reach agreement.
The amendment drew repeated praise from council members for the outreach and the conditions negotiated with neighbors. Councilwoman Puja emphasized landscaping, drainage and a designated point of contact: “I will be voting in support … because of the additional trees and full landscaping plan that has been accepted, and to designate a point of contact information and concerns.”
Councilman Frye Pearson and Councilman Brash both thanked the neighborhood volunteers and temple representatives for working together. Council President Vicky Presser said the collaborative process reflected the kind of community dialogue the council hopes to encourage.
The council approved the amendment as part of the consent agenda (items 32–45). The action moves forward the temple’s construction plans with the conditions and landscaping commitments described at the meeting; council members asked for updates to be provided to the council on the project’s progress.
The amendment authorizes construction of the second floor and the two additions described in the application; the council record includes a full landscaping and drainage plan and a requirement that the project maintain a point of contact for neighborhood concerns.
