Fullerton : Sikhs Denied Permit to Turn Home Into Temple

City planners have unanimously rejected a proposal by the Sikh Society of Southern California to convert a two-story home into a Sikh temple.

The society, whose proposal raised objections by residents living near the site at 1400 W. Orangethorpe Ave., was denied a conditional use permit at the commission’s Wednesday meeting. The permit was required because the area is zoned for single-family homes.

Associate planner Bob Linnell said the commissioners “did not think it was the proper use for that particular property.” The house, owned by Buyngsam and Rosa Kwon, was built in 1915 and is listed in the city register as a “significant property” because of its architectural importance.

Linnell said the commissioners believed that converting the house into a temple “would be destroying the environment and its historic setting.”

The commissioners also objected to the increased traffic and congestion that a church would create, but not to the kind of church that was proposed, Linnell said. The Sikh religious organization originated in India.

Most of the opposition by residents in the area came in the form of a petition signed by 374 residents, Linnell said. However, about 15 of the residents voiced their concerns about traffic and the landmark status of the house during a public hearing on the matter.