Orange County commissioners reject proposed 33,000 sq ft Hindu temple in Gotha

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A roughly 33,000-square-foot Hindu temple will not be coming to west Orange County after commissioners voted Tuesday to deny a special exception request that would've allowed the congregation to build the religious site in Gotha. 

The decision was a win for those against the proposal and a disappointing outcome for members of the BAPS Hindu congregation in Orlando. 

"We still need a home here in Orlando, and we're not going to give up just because of this one disappointment we had today," Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a volunteer and devotee, said.

The new temple would've been built near Hempel Avenue in Gotha and replace the current temple located near West Oak Ridge Road and South Orange Blossom Trail. 

In addition to its large space, it would've also had roughly 300 parking spaces and 800 seats, according to county documents. 

"From a square footage standpoint, we're actually going down in size. It's just … we're becoming more efficient with the space that we're in," Brahmbhatt said.

But the Orange County Board of Zoning Adjustment argued last July the temple would've been the biggest building in Gotha and that it didn't fit with the development pattern of the surrounding settlement area.

Many in the area echoed those concerns. 

"If we now have a 35,000-square-foot temple here, what’s next? The next one, 50,000? Doesn’t seem like a big leap to go from there, and I think that’s a real issue," a man opposing the proposal said at Tuesday's meeting. 

Ultimately, a majority of commissioners sided with the board's recommendation to deny the request. Now, the congregation will have to go back to the drawing board.

"I can sit here and frown and cry and be upset, but that's not our Hindu values," Brahmbhatt said. "Our values were always to look at the bright side in every situation, look for the good in people, and try to find the best from this scenario and move on and grow with it."