Sayreville planning board carries mosque site-plan vote after hours of public comment on traffic, soil and parking

The Sayreville Planning Board on May 7 carried a decision on the site-plan application from Masjid Sadar Community Center for 212–216 Ernston Road to its June 4 meeting after more than three hours of public comment focused on parking, traffic, soil testing and neighborhood impacts.

The board heard evidence that the applicant has submitted soil borings, an environmental impact statement and traffic analyses; the applicant's attorney, Lawrence Sachs, said "the applicant does rest." Nazimul Saheb, director and imam of Masjid Sadar Community Center, told the board the center "will work to ensure that our center is a positive addition to the community promoting harmony and understanding."

Why it matters: neighbors and the applicant presented sharply different emphases — residents pressed for more testing and limits to protect property and traffic safety, while the applicant and its consultants maintained required studies have been submitted and proposed conditions and mitigations. The board said it will not vote until it has reviewed the full set of conditions in writing.

Most residents who spoke cited traffic and parking as the central issues. Elizabeth Pinello, a longtime resident near the site, said the proposed three‑story structure "will greatly affect my quality of life" and described worries about noise, shadows and increased street parking. Several residents cited Ernston…