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Waterford Design Review Board approves Congregation Beth El site plans, raises parking and lighting questions
Summary
The Design Review Board approved site plans for Congregation Beth El’s proposed single-story religious facility at an address listed inconsistently in materials (33 Kenyon Road / 33 Canyon Road). Board members questioned parking capacity, HVAC placement and exterior lighting; designers said overflow parking and attic HVAC were planned. The vote carried unanimously.
The Waterford Design Review Board voted to approve site plans for Congregation Beth El’s proposed single‑story religious facility after reviewing building design, landscaping, parking and lighting on April 7, 2024.
Architect Dave Atkinson of Atomistic described a modest, residential‑scale building with a vaulted sanctuary that could seat about "100–120 people," offices for a rabbi and staff, a conference room and a commercial kitchen. Atkinson said the exterior will use a neutral palette — a thin stone veneer wainscot, vinyl siding and fiberglass columns — and that "the congregation does not really want to call attention to themselves." He estimated the building footprint at under 4,000 square feet.
Landscape architect Henry said the plan emphasizes native plantings, informal grouped buffers around front and rear parking, and seed mixes that will reduce mowing needs and provide habitat in the stormwater basin. He explained the team avoided single-species hedgerows and selected durable species (for example, red‑twig dogwood) for areas that will receive snow and salt during winter.
Board members pressed the applicant on practical details. A member noted plans show roughly 38 marked parking spaces while the sanctuary capacity is about 100–120 people; Joey asked where attendees would park for larger events. The project team said there is an adjacent gravel area and an open field beyond the gravel that could serve as overflow for occasional larger gatherings and that such events are expected only a few times a year.
On mechanicals, Atkinson said HVAC will be located in the attic area with one or two small compressors likely sited at the rear or an end of the building. On lighting, the team presented a photometric plan calling for LED parking luminaires at 3,000 Kelvin, photocell/timer controls and concrete bases rising about 2 inches above finished grade; Atkinson and staff noted some plan legend symbols did not match and said they would correct the drawings.
The agenda listed the project as PL 26‑8, "request of Congregation Beth El, owner and applicant for site plan approval to locate a religious establishment at property located at 33 Kenyon Road, the R‑20 zone," but the plan set cover also references "33 Canyon Road". The board and presenters did not resolve that inconsistency in materials during the meeting; the address is noted here as listed in the packet.
A motion "to accept the plans as presented" was made and seconded; the board voted in favor. The transcript does not identify who moved or seconded. Members thanked the presenters and confirmed follow‑up corrections to plan legends and lighting symbols.
The board later approved corrected minutes for its Feb. 24, 2026 meeting and adjourned.
