Lowell monks steadfast on controversial temple plans

Temple-steering-committee members met with Sun staff yesterday in Lowell. From left are Samkhann Kheoun, Sam Meas, Maya Men and Sambath Soum. SUN/David H. Brow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgasDeNxbJA

12/29/2011
By Jennifer Myers, jmyers@lowellsun.com
Lowell Sun (Lowell, Massachusetts, USA)

LOWELL -- The goal is to build a 20,000-square-foot Buddhist temple and Cambodian cultural and educational center on a 12-acre parcel in the city's Pawtucketville neighborhood -- the largest such complex on the East Coast.

It will take money. It will take time. It will take communication and compromise with a contingent of neighbors who, thus far, have stood in opposition to the Community of Khmer Buddhist Monks' project.

Yesterday morning, four members of the steering committee -- Samkhann Khoeun, Sam Meas, Maya Men and Sambath Soum -- met with Sun Editor James Campanini and a Sun reporter to discuss the project's purpose and challenges.

"The center we are planning to build will hold religious services and be a place where people from all faiths can come to meditate, receive formal religious teaching from monks and learn about Cambodian culture," said Meas.

"It will be the first time we will have a center to educate our young about Cambodian culture and tradition."

Khoeun added the proposed temple will be built in the Cambodian architectural style similar to that demonstrated by the famed Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia, but constructed in a modern American style.

"We want to help make Lowell a destination city," he said. "The center will be a tourist attraction."

The group will kick off a three-year capital campaign in April to coincide with the Cambodian New Year.

Khoeun said they will reach out to 84,000 CKBM members from the U.S. to Canada and Australia, and are requesting a donation of $100 each.

The entire project will be funded through private donations, he said.

The CKBM entered into a purchase and sales agreement with Richard Boyle on Aug. 1 to purchase the parcel nestled between Old Ferry Road and Townsend Avenue.

That was when the controversy began.

The group built a temporary temple and campsite, which drew attention from the city because it was done without permits. Neighbors complained about noise from early-morning services and voiced concerns that illegal propane tanks posed a fire hazard.

The CKBM have since hired former City Councilor and developer Alan Kazanjian to bring the site up to code. They also brought Lowell attorneys Arthur Sullivan and Steve Panagiotakos on board. 

In retrospect, members of the steering committee, who were not involved from the outset, agree things could have been handled better.

"This is the first time the Cambodian-American community had come together to make a purchase of such a piece of land and with the excitement, they forgot that there are rules and regulations in this country," said Meas, adding that moving forward "we will get all of the proper permits."

Neighbors have expressed concern about building on the parcel, which is in a flood plain, stating any disturbance to the land will exacerbate flooding in the area, which was devastated by the spring floods of 2006 and 2007.

Khoeun said the group has been advised, given the land conditions, the temple will have to be built five feet off the ground and are prepared to work with the city's Conservation Commission on any restrictions required of the project.

"In Cambodia, the houses are built on stilts so we are used to this," he said. "We do not intend to have any negative impact. We want to design this in a way that will compliment the existing environment."

Khoeun said plans for the project will be finalized in the next two to three months. D.P. Evers Architecture of Rehoboth, a firm that includes Cambodian-American designers familiar with the culture, has been hired to design the project.

Khoeun and Meas both said they believe the new temple and cultural center will bring the city's Cambodian-American community, somewhat divided by years of legal battles between the "upstairs" and "downstairs" factions of the Trairatanaram Temple in North Chelmsford, together.

"It give us an opportunity not to dwell on past conflicts and move forward together," said Khoeun.

"We are optimistic we can run this organization professionally and resolve some of the conflicts," said Meas. "We have a lot of young professionals onboard to provide proper accounting, auditing and reporting. We will document every penny coming in and going out."

In the immediate future, the CKBM will be back before the Conservation Commission on Jan. 11 seeking approval to place a trailer on the site where the monks can live during the winter.