Bartlett annexes Hindu temple
A Hindu temple in unincorporated DuPage County was annexed into Bartlett Tuesday with unanimous approval from the village board.
The northwest corner of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Hindu temple property, located near the intersection of Army Trail Road and Route 59, is contiguous to the village. In total, the property amounts to more than 38 acres, which includes about 16 acres that have already been developed.
“It is indeed good to welcome the BAPS family officially to the village,” said Village President Michael Airdo after the board approved the annexation, along with a rezoning ordinance and various plans for the property’s six development phases.
Later phases include the construction of a family activity center and creation of a new commercial shopping center on Army Trail Road. However, no principal structures can be built on the property until BAPS is hooked into the village’s water and sewer system.
It is still unknown when those extensions will be installed or how much they will cost. For now, BAPS will focus on finishing the first two phases of development — which include constructing a new parking area, sports courts, a playground and gazebos — and working on the first half of the third phase, which involves designing another parking area over the property’s existing septic field.
In June, BAPS lawyer Janet Johnson said the desire by temple members for annexation was not only to get connected to Bartlett’s water supply, but also “just to become a part of the community that they feel that they’re a part of.”