Establishment of Middle Land Chan
Middle Land Chan Buddhist Monastery, opened in April 2008 was founded by the Venerable Grand Master Wei Chueh. Middle Land Chan was ultimately established in Pomona, CA, near Mount Baldy, the Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and other institutions, with the stated purpose of “bring[ing] the Buddha's compassion and wisdom to Pomona, California, and surrounding areas in Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.” The Middle Land Chan Monastery was established by the Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan - the main temple of the founder Grand Master Wei Chueh.
However, Pomona was not the originally intended location of Middle Land Chan. They initially planned to establish Middle Land Chan in the San Gabriel Valley, but the city denied the plans for the Zen Center citing the possibility of the temple attracting tourists and creating excess traffic as reasons not to establish the Zen Center. A lawsuit was filed for compensation for the years of planning and preparatory actions that the Chung Tai Chan Monastery took to establish the monastery in Walnut, CA. A settlement was eventually reached, and the Middle Land Chan Monastery was eventually established in Pomona.
Information from:
Middle Land Chan Press Releases
LA Times Article about Middle Land Chan Establishment