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Opponents To Challenge Approval For New Greenwich Synagogue

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - On Tuesday, the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission granted approval for a planned new synagogue in a residential area of Cos Cob and opponents plan to challenge the decision in court.

Those opponents are mainly neighbors of the planned site.

"It's going to be out of context with the rest of the neighborhood. It's not going to fit in," Mario Coppola, the attorney for them, told WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau.

Opponents To Challenge Approval For New Greenwich Synagogue

They said it will be too big a structure.

"My clients have genuine concern about this large institutional use, in their neighborhood, being constructed, eventually being able to be way too big for the neighborhood," he said.

Greenwich Reform Synagogue President Robert Birnbaum stressed that plans are still being drafted and he knows residents have concerns and fears.

"As our design is developed, those concerns will be addressed and hopefully those fears will be dissipated," he told Schneidau, adding that he hopes to include neighbors in the design process.

He said with neighbors' input, "we'll all end up in a much happier place."

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