This home serves as a Buddhist temple for a Chandler congregation, but has been forced to close for up to three months by the city (Photo by Matt Pavelek/For the Tribune).

Tribune writer Ari Cohn has a troubling story about Chandler coming down extremely hard on a home-based Buddhist temple. A couple of nearby residents apparently don’t like any worshiping going on next door. But most of the neighbors seemed to be primarily concerned about a lack of parking on the street if too many people turned out at once to visit the three Buddhist nuns who hold service here.

The response of Chandler code enforcement: bar any visitors for up to three months and issue a large number of citations for how the nuns are using the house.

Using the zoning code to shut down a business for three months would cripple that business; most never would recover. Does anyone think Chandler would consider taking such drastic action against any business because of a complaint that it didn’t offer enough parking for its customers? Not likely in this economy.

I also have to wonder if Chandler code enforcement has ever swooped down on a popular Bible study session or a Christian revival meeting? Those take place in homes every day.

The federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act
is supposed to protect churches and religious centers from excessive government zoning regulations. Perhaps some intervention was needed here, but Chandler’s response was far too heavy-handed.

Unfortunately, the complaining neighbors probably have gotten what they really want, as temple spokesman Dao Chuan told Cohn that the group is searching for a new location. Meanwhile, the temple has arranged for Sunday parking at a nearby public school, and is asking the City Council to approve a special permit so it can open its front door again (the city planning and commission already has given the request an unanimous endorsement).

What a hassle.