Tucked into the residential district of West Jolly Road, a white Buddha statue welcomes visitors to the temple hiding inside what seems from the street to be a plain, yellow house.

Inside, members of the Vietnamese community gather in the small kitchen and dining room to share meals, stories and culture.

Downstairs, an expansive, empty room is covered with soft, cream carpet designed to allow prayer and meditation in front of the red and gold candlelit shrine to Buddha.

But after an unexpected letter from Lansing city officials arrived at their doorstep last week, temple frequenters might have to find a new place to share their religion.

The letter from Lansing zoning administrator Susan Stachowiak said that the temple is in violation of a city ordinance. A Special Land Use permit must be granted by the Lansing City Council before a church is allowed in the residential district where the temple is located. The temple was never granted a permit.

For more on this story, please see Friday's edition of The State News.