Board denies Masjid Al Noor request to extend temporary parking and gravel-turnaround variances

The Board of Adjustment on Sept. 23 denied a request by Masjid Al Noor (Waterloo Cedar Falls Islamic Center) to extend temporary variances that would allow a parking lot with 65 spaces — 25 fewer than the 90 required — and permit gravel in a truck-turnaround area at 2110 Sager Avenue. Planning staff told the board the site previously had temporary variances and that the board granted a temporary variance on Jan. 28, 2025, that expires Sept. 30, 2025. Staff said the applicants have met repeatedly with planning and engineering staff and are fundraising to complete a hard-surfacing project; staff recommended a one-year extension on the condition that gravel areas be removed within six months. Planning staff also reported the applicants submitted a construction quote of roughly $111,000 and have raised about $10,000 (less than 10% of the quoted cost). The staff report noted two phone calls opposing the request. Board members — including City Council member Dave Boesen (appearing online) and City Engineer Jamie Knudson, who spoke during the discussion — expressed concern that the group had years to complete the work (the transcript references an initial temporary approval dating to 2011) and that the fundraising progress and timeline were not sufficient to justify another extension. One board member said, “Raising a $100,000 in a matter of months seems not feasible.” After discussion a board member moved to deny both requests (parking-count variance and hard-surfacing/turnaround gravel variance), the motion was seconded and the board voted to deny the requests by voice vote. The denial restores enforcement of the underlying parking and surfacing requirements; planning staff noted denial could lead to citations if the property remains nonconforming and the applicant does not complete the required hard surfacing.