The Corcoran Planning Commission heard a contested conditional-use permit (CUP) and site-plan application from the New Mahaven Temple for a place of worship at 8750 Trailhaven Road and split on a recommendation to the City Council.

Planning staff described the request as a place of worship in the rural residential district for a 5.65-acre property. Staff said the applicants propose to convert an existing pole barn to the principal structure and expand it, provide a paved parking lot with 21 stalls (the zoning calculation required 19 stalls), screening landscaping and eight wall-mounted lights. The staff report concluded the proposal meets the code standards for a CUP and site plan subject to conditions such as final lighting cutoffs, full screening of refuse storage, and landscaping and buffer requirements.

Several nearby residents urged denial at the public hearing, citing traffic and safety at the Trailhaven/County Road 10 intersection, nighttime light intrusion, weekend noise, potential long-term expansion and loss of rural character. Winslow Kirkpatrick, who said his property is north of the site across County Road 10, told commissioners he was "shocked to see the road safety study did not find any concerns" and raised fears about light and noise, parking overflow and potential reduced property values.

Mandy Anderson, a nearby resident, said her family purchased in the rural residential area to avoid commercial uses and asked the commission to deny rezoning to commercial. (Staff clarified the proposal is not a rezoning; it is a CUP that would allow a place of worship to operate on property that remains zoned rural residential.) Several other residents expressed similar concerns about precedent and safety.

Applicant Kirti Agrawal, president of New Mahaven Temple and a Corcoran resident, told the commission the congregation has historically been small — about 10 to 12 families for more than five years — and that the 21-stall plan anticipates modest future growth. He said the nonprofit has met with staff and neighbors and is willing to revise plans where reasonable.

Staff explained the city code requires paved parking for year-round uses in this zoning district; gravel lots are allowed only for certain non-year-round uses. Staff also confirmed the CUP runs with the land (it does not include a sunset), though conditions can limit aspects of the permitted use and enforcement provisions can be applied if conditions are violated. Staff noted that an interim-use permit would be required for an expiration clause, and changing that policy would require a code amendment.

Commissioners debated pedestrian and traffic safety on Trailhaven Road, visual impacts of a paved parking lot in a rural area, the property's existing nonconforming setbacks, noise and lighting mitigation, and whether the proposal would be compatible with the rural-residential character. One commissioner moved to recommend denial citing safety and neighborhood character; a second supported the motion. The motion did not carry on a 2–1 split. Because the Planning Commission did not reach a majority decision to forward a recommendation for approval or denial, the matter will be sent to City Council for a final decision. Several commissioners asked that, if Council approves the CUP, council consider limiting regular attendance numbers and setting provisions for property upkeep so the residence is maintained if the property is used for a long-term nonresidential use.

If Council takes final action, conditions staff recommended (and commissioners discussed) that would be typical include final lighting cutoffs, full screening of any refuse, a specified limit on regular weekly attendance (staff suggested matching regular attendance expectations to the parking provided), limits on occasional larger events and a maintenance requirement for the residential structure so it does not fall into disrepair if used administratively.