Buddhist Temple Public Outreach to Preserve Safe Access to Facilities

2020

Outreach, listening, sharing, understanding regulatory requirements, and collaboration—all contributed to a “peaceful” resolution of a what had literally become an embroiling conflict between a faith-based organization and a high-profile charter school system blocking a simple application by Huong Dao Temple before the Fort Worth Planning Commission and Fort Worth City Council.

Huong Dao Temple, the only Buddhist temple in Fort Worth, is located at 4717 E Rosedale St. It has a 25-year history of services to its Stop Six Neighborhood, the greater Dallas/ Fort Worth communities, the United States and citizens around the globe. Every year, Huong Dao Temple organizes free Health Care services, Feed the Homeless programs, and Meditation Retreats. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Temple organized major events to provide food, masks, and many other essential items to thousands of neighborhood families without public funding.  

The Temple has regular programs for more than 150 youth, ages seven and older. Besides learning basic Buddhism, the children are also trained in meditation skills to help them manage daily frustration and stress. There are also regular multi-day meditation retreat programs for older adults.

The Temple helps its Stop Six neighborhood in becoming more welcoming for families, seniors, and businesses, and has been acquiring properties within the area to eliminate high-traffic and dangerous activities that routinely happen late at night. 

Fort Worth city staff recommended approval of the Temple’s request to vacate Windowmere Street, which was described as an over-sized alley about 200 feet long. Unfortunately, the discussion became sidetracked IDEA School leaders had been purchasing property to build a new school for 1,500 students literally next door to the temple, refusing to acknowledge that heavy traffic and noises along the street would be disruptive and dangerous.

IDEA School did not initiate any “neighborly” calls or meetings with the Temple, and, in fact, its leadership did not return calls and refused to meet with the Temple’s leadership. They were not aware of IDEA School’s construction plans until they presented a map showing Windowmere at the Plan Commission hearing May 27, 2020.

The school vehemently opposed the vacation of Windowmere Street, demanding that it be one of its two entrances to its property and disrespecting the Temple’s property rights and freedom of religion.

Despite the existing language barrier between the temple’s leadership and community leaders in this area of southeast Fort Worth, Pavlik and Associates carefully developed and executed a community education plan that became the basis for strong community advocacy of the temple’s community service and its goals for growth.   Church leaders, pulled together and guided by Pavlik, used the “key messages” that together were shaped to build support for the closing of the street while still being respectful of the school. Flyers, phone calls, social media, and gatherings at the temple resulted in ten Black Baptist ministers speaking out for the street closure as requested by the Temple. Support for the Temple was ultimately unanimous before the Commission and City Council.