A few strikes against Jewish institutions hoping to relocate to West Bloomfield have raised suspicions over motives. KIMBERLY .LIFTON Staff Writer ith a gavel in hand, newly appointed Super- visor Sandra Draur sits in the center of the dais with the West Bloom- field Township Board of Trustees, waiting for 1111, the evening meeting to begin. She's been in office for three months, the third supervisor in two years. Work- ing since 7 a.m., she looks tired. A slim woman, she's shed nearly 20 pounds and dropped two clothing sizes since taking the helm. Working for a cause, Draur's commit- ment to slow, managed growth thrusts her into the middle of a political brouhaha. Developers are pointing fingers at the trustees, calling them anti- development. Slow growth, they say, is a smoke screen in a township so tightly regulated that building is next to im- possible. Developers are not alone. Jewish groups are frustrated, suggesting recent board actions preventing Congregation B'nai Moshe and the Lubavitch Foundation from building in West Bloomfield are The map below shows how West Bloomfield will look if Jewish institutions with plans to move there are approved by the West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees. B'nai Moshe, B'nai David and the Campus of Living Judaism, or Lubavitch Town, are still in the planning stages. :kok_ tfc NG i Congregation B'nai Israel WALNUT LAKE ROAD Pleasant Cake WALNUT LAKE ROAD • 0 a o 0 Temple Israel 0 a 0 CC 0 < 111 I— W _I I: W 0 0 < . ,/ Jewish Community Center < I • Temple Kol-Ami 0 < 0 a r mOunl n l CC W Y < 0/ E , io sruand • II, B'nai David MAPLE ROAD + CAMPUS OF LIVING JUDAISM 40 ACRES B'nai d a Moshe I N I - FARMI NGTON ROA D I MAPLE ROAD 24 FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1990 adverse to their interests and show bias. Jewish Federation Apartments, Con- West Bloomfield's 51,000 residents in- gregation B'nai David and Temple Shir clude an estimated 15,000 Jews. Shalom, which leases space in a West "It's a sticky wicket issue," says Jewish Bloomfield building and would like to Welfare Federation President Mark purchase land in the area — have similar Schlussel. "It is sensitive. The Jewish plans to build and are closely watching community has reason to be concerned as every town hall move. They may need to go there has been a pattern of activity in elsewhere. West Bloomfield which should be careful- Already there are 23 religious facilities ly monitored. in the township, each holding tax exempt "I would hope we could give these elect- status. Among them are Temple Israel, ed officials the benefit of the doubt," Temple Kol Ami, Congregation B'nai Schlussel says. "I believe the community Israel, Bais Chabad, Shomrey Emunah- should continue to work closely with Ohel Moed, Shir Shalom and Beth Abra- these public officials if questions arise." ham Hillel Moses. Also located within the Before taking office, Draur's politicking township limits is the Jewish Community was a one-issue affair —managed growth. Campus, with the Jewish Community "I'm in overdrive," Draur says. "But Center housing many offices for Jewish I'm not complaining. I believe in West institutions, the Holocaust Memorial Bloomfield. I live here. I want what is Center, senior housing, day camp and nursery school. best for the town." She founded the Organizations United Recently turned away by the board was To Save The Township to manage the a Chaldean Catholic church and a Pres- rapid growth she believed was turning byterian church with housing. Expected the once-rural community into a de- to be submitted to the township are site veloper's haven. Under the OUST in- plans for a Chaldean community center, fluence, the township has been on a rezon- B'nai David and Lubavitch. B'nai ing roll for the past year and has been Moshe's site plan, approved conceptually turning away many plans for commercial by township planners, has been repeated- ly turned down by the board. Now the development during the past few years. Since OUST was formed in 1988, no courts will decide its fate. permits have been granted for commer- Against the advice of his congregation, cial projects; six permits were approved B'nai Moshe's Rabbi Allen Meyerowitz has for office use. Records show that in the been more than vocal about his sen- last 10 years, the township has issued timents. At a Jan. 29 township board nearly 7,600 building permits. Of those, 1 meeting, he said: percent, or 77 permits, were issued to de- "It is clear they just don't like Jews." velopers for commercial and office use. Although congregation spokespersons West Bloomfield is two-thirds de- say they do not agree with their leader, veloped. And if its slow-growth leaders the comment put township officials on have their way, any more building will be guard and prompted a movement to raise residential — no matter what the cost. consciousness and seek more Jewish in- Legal fees over pending lawsuits by de- volvement in local politics. velopers, ultimately paid for by the tax- Robert Roth, former B'nai Moshe presi- payers, are skyrocketing. Township offi- dent, said the synagogue has become a cials could not provide specific figures. victim of "territorial pettiness." "We got caught in this conundrum," Roth says. "They are extremely anti- development. I can't say it is anti-Semitic. WHILE STRIVING TO MAINTAIN ITS That would be speculation and there is no residential environment, the township is proof. And making accusations that arL relaying negative messages to B'nai Moshe not based on evidence doesn't get us and the Lubavitch Foundation. anywhere." Town hall records show that throughout Three other Jewish organizations — the Negative message to Jews