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Williams zoners say Sikhs can
turn cheese factory into place of worship
WSN Network
WILLIAMS
TOWNSHIP: A small group of practicing Sikhs plan to bring the
teachings of devotion, equality and social justice to Williams
Township by converting a former cheese factory near Interstate 78
into a gurdwara.
The local Zoning
Hearing Board gave Sikh Sadh Sangat Inc. approval last Wednesday to
change the defunct Crivellaro Cheese & Bakery building at
45 Hilton St.
into a Sikh place of worship in Williams Township in Northampton
County, Pennsylvania.
''This
institution will be a credit to the community and the diversity of
the community,'' Daniel Cohen, lawyer for Sangat Inc., told the
zoners. ''These are high-quality people who only want to be able to
practice their faith in peace and harmony.''
The majority of
the world's 23 million Sikhs live in the founding region of
Punjab.
In the
United States,
large followings exist in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York
City, said Devinder Chana, building manager for Sangat Inc.
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The local
Zoning Hearing Board gave Sikh Sadh Sangat Inc. approval last
Wednesday to change the defunct Crivellaro Cheese & Bakery
building at
45 Hilton
St.
into a gurdwara. |
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The group of
about 65 to 70 people currently worships in Tatamy's
Olde
Mill
Yoga &
Wellness
Center, and had planned to build a gurdwara in
Plainfield
Township.
But when the cheese factory became available after the owner died
and the bank put the building up for auction, Sangat Inc. felt it
was a more convenient location.
''There is good
access to the highway for people traveling between the
Lehigh
Valley
and New Jersey,'' said Chana, a 27-year resident of the region.
''It's very much the private and quiet location we're looking for.''
The Sikhs gather
primarily on Sunday, and Sangat Inc. plans to build the required 34
parking spaces to accommodate any vehicles. Zoners barred the group
from allowing anyone to park on
Hilton Street
because of heavy truck traffic.
Chana said the
existing building will remain relatively unchanged other than some
interior redecorating. He hopes worship, held in the native Punjabi
language, can begin by the beginning of July, as long as problems
with the sewer line connection at the site are resolved.
Another group of
Sikhs in the
Lehigh Valley,
numbering more than 200 families, worshipped in the basement of an A
to Z Auto Repair in Easton until the 2007 opening of a gurdwara in
Lower
Nazareth
Township.
Preet Bajwa, a
spokesman for that congregation, said at the time that more and more
Sikhs have moved to the region from
New York City
since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, partly because their practice of
wearing turbans made life in the city difficult.
10
June 2009
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