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WORTHINGTON — The Nobles County Planning Commission voted 7-3 Wednesday to recommend denying a conditional use permit to the Sirimingalar Dhamma Center, whose members had hoped to turn a rural acreage into a place of worship that would eventually include a temple.
Min Zaw, president of Sirimingalar Dhamma Center, Sean Naing, its secretary, and Su Su Pyo spoke on the Center’s behalf, talking about the needs of its 35 families.
“It’s time for us to have our own temple, our own monk, a place where we can gather together and keep our own religions alive,” Naing said.
Multiple people spoke out against the permit or wrote to the Commission with objections, citing increased traffic on township gravel roads that could become a safety issue and incur additional costs, an inadequate septic system that was supposed to be dealt with by a previous property owner as well as proximity to feedlots and other issues.
County Attorney Joe Sanow spoke with the Planning Commission about First Amendment-related issues that could come up should the permit be denied, suggesting that the Commission would need to make detailed findings as to what substantial government interest had prompted the denial and why no alternative allowing the group to worship on the site was possible.
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Two people on the Planning Commission had ideas for alternative sites for the Sirimingalar Dhamma Center and expressed hope that they could speak with its representatives at some point following the meeting.
The matter will go before the Nobles County Board of Commissioners for a final decision at its next meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
A more detailed story will be posted as it becomes available.
