DETROIT
"Medical
emergencies don't
take time off."
West Bloomfield Warms
To Lubavitch Project
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
T
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20
FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1991
BETWEEN 12 & 13 Mile Rd.
553-7111
he West Bloomfield
Township Planning
Commission gave a
reserved, straw-vote of con-
fidence to the Lubavitch
Foundation's Synagogue
Campus of Living Judaism
on Tuesday.
The informal poll of com-
missioners was meant to
give direction to Lubavitch
and township planners to
work out details of the 40-
acre project west of the Jew-
ish Community Campus at
Maple and Drake roads.
The two sides will work on
more detailed plans for the
synagogue-rabbinical semi-
nary complex and address
commissioners' concerns
about housing, and parking
and traffic for public events
at the synagogue and retreat
site, before returning to the
planning commission in the
next few months for another
working session or formal
public hearing to gain initial
approval for the project.
The meeting Tuesday eve-
ning was the third in two
years between the township
commission and the
Lubavitch Foundation. Both
Rabbi Yitzchok , Kagan,
Lubavitch Foundation assis-
tant director, and Barry
Stulberg, project consultant,
were pleased by the commis-
sioners' reaction.
The five planning commis-
sioners present for the
discussion were unanimous
in support of the synagogue
concept for the site. Com-
missioner John Hartwig
wanted additional informa-
tion about parking and
traffic for non-: holiday
events, such as weddings.
Mr. Stulberg explained that
parking would not be a prob-
lem on Jewish holidays be-
cause members of the Or-
thodox congregation would
walk from their homes to the
synagogue.
Commissioner Anne Jar-
don disagreed that a rab-
binical college and museum
were ancillary uses for the
synagogue; and, therefore,
appropriate as a permittable
special use in single-family
zoning. She used the same
argument against the
duplex housing Lubavitch is
requesting to house up to 10
married students and 10
faculty families.
The plan also calls for
small, single-family-look
dormitories for up to 50 sin-
gle rabbinical students.
Mr. Stulberg suggested
that the overall concept was
consistent with adjacent de-
velopments: the Jewish
Community Campus,
Aldingbrooke apartments,
Ford, Hospital and a day care
center. The project has
received letters of support
from all these projects, and
meeting chairman Peter
Pekkala noted the turnout of
35 Lubavitch supporters,
and no opponents, at the
working session.
The working session is
used as guidance for project
developers and township
planners to work toward ap-
proval for a project. If the
project gains formal plann-
ing commission approval, it
must still be endorsed by the
township board of trustees.
Rabbi Kagan was pleased
by the comments of Trustee
Gordon Allardyce, who sits
on the planning commission.
Mr. Allardyce told the
meeting that he believed the
project meets the zoning or-
dinance's permitted special
uses. "I'm concerned about
the housing and traffic," he
said, "but I'm sure we will
work this out."
During his presentation,
Mr. Stulberg emphasized the
small size of all buildings in
the project. The largest, the
synagogue, will be 10,000
square feet. The Lubavitch
Foundation wants to plant
6,500 trees next year on the
northern portion of the site.
The foundation has no plans
for the area at this time, but
wants to make sure that
planting the trees now will
not prevent future develop-
ment of the area.
Last year, the township's
woodlands board ordered the
foundation to replace 1,500
saplings that were bulldozed
when the foundation created
an access path through site
without township permis-
sion.
Israel Accused
Of Taking Water
Geneva (JTA) — Israel was
accused at a United Nations
agency's meeting here of
seizing water resources to
the detriment of the Arab
populations of the ad-
ministered territories and
neighboring countries.
The U.N. Economic and
Social Council, at its se-
mi-annual session in Geneva,
discussed a report on Israeli
practices in the territories.
The report was prepared
by the Economic and Social
Commission.