Buddhist Monastery One Step Closer to Approval

A proposed Buddhist temple and monastery has cleared its first hurdle: The Savage Planning Commission, which approved the measure unanimously on Thursday.

"This is all brand new. Just like churches, we have to start somewhere," said Andre Nguyen, a representative of the temple. "We really need this for our community. There are two other temples up north and people from down here go so far for worship." 

The organization hopes to convert a single family home in south Savage into the Tay Phuong Monastery and Temple. The house sits on a 29-acre site at the southwest corner of 150th Street and Scott County Road 27.

Plans include a modest-sized addition, which would be contiguous with the existing house, a small rambler. The addition would become a worship space for up to 70 people, while the house would provide living accommodations for two monks.

The congregation also plans to put in a 19-stall parking lot, but planning officials do not anticipate a noticable increase in traffic on 150th Street as a result. 

"This should be sufficient for now, but if their congregation does grow they should be able to expand quite a bit to the west," said Planning Manager Bryan Tucker. "At this point the applicant feels the building will serve their needs for some time."

Nguyen said that worship would generally be held on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to noon worship. He estimated that the congregation would have about 25 members initially. Eventually, plans may include construction of a completely new facility and a Four-Gratitude tower as well, which would house relics of the Buddha and ancestors' ashes.