Nov 19, 2009 6:09 am US/Eastern
L.I. Residents Oppose Expansion Of Islamic Center
WESTBURY, N.Y. (CBS) ―
Judith Parrish said she welcomed the Long Island Islamic Center when it opened right behind her home 25 years ago, but that now she is leading an effort to keep it from expanding.
She's gathered dozens of signatures on a petition to stop a new 3-story addition.
"There are laws on the books to protect the residents of the neighborhood," Parrish said.
The opponents said their chief complaint was that during prayers, the Islamic Center attracts too many cars and they worry a bigger mosque will mean a bigger parking problem.
Parrish took photos of mosque visitors' cars blocking her street and driveway. Islamic Center leaders said their expansion plan fixes that by more than doubling the number of on site spaces from 36 to about 100.
"It will be a solution. Not a complete solution, but definitely it will make a big dent in the parking," said Habeeb Ahmed, Islamic Center chairman.
"Parking is very bad," Parrish said. When asked why she would oppose a plan that adds more parking to the mosque, she answered: "First of all, they have not met the requirement to meet sufficient parking spaces."
The 100-space plan falls short of village zoning requirements for a building of this size. The Center is trying to get a variance to get around that.
Not so fast said neighbor Betty Hylton, who was angry that as many as five houses, all owned by the Islamic Center, would be torn down to make room. "We don't know where it could spread, where it comes to the homes that are surrounding the mosque. I feel that their plan is to take all those homes," she said.
"I just want them to look a little bit beyond the present situation and see how this will work out for everybody in the long run," said Habeeb.
It is now up to the Westbury Zoning Board of Appeals to decide if Nassau County's largest Islamic Center gets larger.
The zoning board was expected to vote on the the plan at a hearing on January 25.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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