Bartlett aldermen reject special-use permit for proposed mosque at Broadway five‑way site

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to deny Resolution O1‑25, an application for a special‑use permit to allow a church use (submitted by the Bartlett Muslim Society) on an 8.244‑acre parcel on the east side of Broadway Road near the Ellendale five‑way intersection.

The request would have allowed an initial 5,000‑square‑foot facility with conceptual expansion to 15,000 square feet and a 52‑space parking plan. Supporters told the board the mosque would serve hundreds of local Muslim families now driving 20–30 minutes to worship sites elsewhere in the Memphis area. “We are trying to establish our own prayer place in this area in the city of Bartlett,” said Mohammed Ullah, a congregation member who identified his address for the record. Several other residents and business owners—Mohammed Ullah, Shuja Ahmed, Casey Lanham, David Burns and Rahman Qureshi—spoke in favor, saying a local facility would allow worshipers to fulfill congregational prayers and reduce long commutes.

Opponents said the parcel is not suitable for nonresidential development because of chronic…