a special-use permit for Dragon Springs. Architecture According to its owners Dragon Springs is centered on a tall Buddhist temple built in the style of the Tang dynasty. Several other buildings in the compound are also built in the same wood heavy Tang dynasty style. There are also buildings constructed in a modern style. During construction in 2008, a 54-year-old man from Toronto, Janin Liu, died in a fall. He was a volunteer construction worker rather than an employee, so no investigation was initiated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). No autopsy was performed because of religious preferences of the family. Conflict with surrounding communities Dragon Springs is a point of contention within Deerpark and the surrounding communities. Falun Gong adherents living in the area have claimed that they have experienced discrimination from local residents and from the local government based on their race and religious beliefs. In 2014, the town of Deerpark took Dragon Springs Buddhist, Inc. to court over persistent illegal construction in the Dragon Springs compound. The organization has a history of breaking local laws and then paying the associated fines without complaint. In 2018, Dragon Springs Buddhist, Inc. was fined $7,500 since they failed to comply with a local construction law requiring the installation of a sprinkler system for wooden building over four stories tall. They were also issued with a stop work order for the illegal eighth floor of the permitted seven-floor wood building. In 2019, Falun Gong filed for permits to expand the site, wishing to add a 920-seat concert hall, a new parking garage, a wastewater treatment plant and a conversion of meditation space into residential space large enough to bring the total residential capacity to 500 people. These plans met with opposition from the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, and other environmental non-profits and citizens groups regarding the wastewater treatment facility and the elimination of local wetlands, impacting local waterways such as the Basher Kill and Neversink River. Local residents opposed the expansion because it would increase traffic and reduce the rural character of the area, in addition to the negative environmental effects. The public hearing meeting lasted over 3 hours, with a substantial number of speakers expressing their views on the proposed action. After visiting in 2019, Junker noted that "the secrecy of Dragon Springs was obvious and a source of tension for the town." Junker added that Dragon Springs's website says