Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Town board approves variances and site plan steps for proposed Islamic Center in Shirley
Summary
After a public hearing with extensive public comment, the Town of Brookhaven board granted required variances and accepted staff recommendations to advance a proposed Islamic Center and community facility in Shirley. The applicant will return with final paperwork and comply with conditions set by the board.
Supervisor Dan Panico opened a Planning Board public hearing on a proposed Islamic Center on an 87,500-square-foot parcel at the northwest corner of William Floyd Parkway and Tudor Road in Shirley. Planning staff reported the site is zoned residential and that the applicant proposes a mosque with substantial parking; staff said the plan provides 124 stalls where 87 are required by code.
Representatives for the applicant described the project as a nonprofit community and worship center that would include prayer space, offices, a library, and a multi-level indoor gymnasium roughly the size of a high-school basketball court. Engineer Tahir Qureshi told the board the proposed building footprint is about 100 by 110 feet and the project cost is approximately $5 million. The applicant said the site plan also includes two driveways for ingress and egress and a 124-space parking field.
Dozens of residents and community representatives—both supporters and opponents—spoke to the board. Supporters, including speakers from the mosque and families who use its services, described outreach, education programs, and demand for more space; several said the center provides services such as community programs and youth activities. Opponents raised traffic and parking concerns for nearby residential streets and asked the board to respect previously granted yard setbacks. Town planning staff and the town attorney explained how front/side/rear yards are defined for corner lots and said the project as presented meets code in the current orientation.
Town staff and the applicant answered questions about use of the gymnasium, whether it might be converted to prayer space in the future, and how the parking plan and buffering would be managed. The applicant said the basketball court is at a lower basement level and physically separated from the main prayer hall, which staff said limits the need for additional parking related to the gym.
The board moved and approved a negative CEQA declaration and later moved to approve staff recommendations 1–6 and the variances listed as covenants and conditions of approval. The board directed that final engineering and landscaping plans be reviewed before building permits are issued, and that any needed clarifications on setbacks be reflected in recorded covenants.
The board recorded the approvals as motions on the record; members voted in the affirmative and the motions carried. Conditions attached to the approvals include preservation of required parking and required sign/landscape details to be finalized with planning staff.
Ending: The applicant will complete final engineering and record the covenants required by the board before permits are issued. Planning staff said it will continue to work with the applicant on final details required under the town code.
