Diamond Way Buddhist Centers USA has announced that approval has been granted for the expansion of their Northeast Retreat Center, called Karma Dondrub Ling, in Middleburgh, New York. The Middleburgh Town and Village Planning Board approved the expansion plan after reviewing the application and hearing concerns from local residents. The new center will sit on 17.5 hectares, with construction expected to take 5–15 years.
When the project is complete, the planned center will include a meditation retreat building, a bath house, and a lecture hall. There will also be numerous infrastructure upgrades and a stupa.
According to the property owners, the retreat center will only be open to up to 60–80 members and town residents can expect 20–30 members to be on the property during weekends and holidays.
Citizens of Middleburgh voiced opinions of the expansion at a public hearing. Residents who did not attend the hearing made their voices heard via letters. They, along with some planning board members, expressed reservations around the building project, with one resident voicing concerns about zoning, stating that the area was set aside for low-density agricultural use, and that expanding the retreat center was inconsistent with that classification. The resident also expressed concern about increased water usage and sewer requirements.
Another resident, whose property is next to the retreat center, stated that he was fond of its location. Meanwhile, a third resident wrote in a letter that they disapproved of the changes, despite being an advocate for religious freedom. They expressed concern about issues such as parking, traffic, and a potential influx of visitors, and said that there had been problems in the past with people walking the grounds of the retreat center and trespassing on nearby properties. Finally, they pointed out that there was potential for environmental impacts, such as deforestation and light pollution.
As a result of the public feedback, the building plan approval included several stipulations around both driveway and entrance improvements. This will involve making the driveway wider and adding additional support so that it can accommodate truck access. Additionally, garbage cans will not be allowed near the entrance of the property.
Representatives of Diamond Way Buddhism have stated that a dumpster is always available during summer events, when there are more people on the property. However, they said they did not expect more garbage to be generated by the property after the expansion. They also stated that the purpose of the expansion was not to draw new members. Rather, they were hoping to improve the grounds and living conditions for current members, who often visit from Albany, Boston, and New York City.
To meet the needs of their members the owners of the site said they were hoping to build an additional bathroom in addition to the larger retreat space. Currently, most visitors have to sleep in tents during summer events. Visitors must also abide by a cleaning protocol to ensure that litter is not left anywhere on the grounds.
During discussions, members of the planning board pointed out that a retreat center was an allowable usage of the property. Additionally, they received assurances from Diamond Way Buddhism representatives that the newly built retreat center would be a single-floor structure and that the stupa would not exceed five meters.
A farmer who lives near the property, Duane Mercer, stated that the owners had been good neighbors and had caused no problems since they moved in. (The Mountain Eagle)
Planning board member Angelica Diller had this to say about the expansion: “Change is difficult and the board has to be cognizant of the concerns from the public and be responsive to how people feel. I’m from downstate, I get it. We need to play nice in the sandbox.” (The Mountain Eagle)
The Diamond Way traces its lineage through the 1,000-year-old Karma Kagyu transmission of Tibetan Buddhism. Their root teacher is the Danish-born Lama Ole Nydahl, a student of His Holiness 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje. The organization has more than 630 centers worldwide.
Learn More
Buddhist Retreat Expansion Approved in Middleburgh (The Mountain Eagle)
Diamond Way Retreat Center Project (Diamond Way Buddhism in North America)
Diamond Way Buddhism
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