The Lakeville Planning Commission on Nov. 6 voted to recommend City Council approve a conditional use permit for the Muslim American Society of Minnesota to operate a masjid in an existing building in the OR Office-Residential Transition District, subject to six planning stipulations and findings of fact dated Nov. 6, 2025.

Muneeb Ahmed, speaking on behalf of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota and the Lakeville Muslim community, told the commission the proposed Lakeville Masjid would serve local families and provide space for prayer, education and community service. "We are here to request approval for conditional use permit for Lakeville Masjid, a place for worship that will serve local families," Ahmed said.

Planning staff (Miss Jensen) described the site as a two-story building of just over 5,200 square feet with 75 on-site parking spaces. Staff corrected figures in the staff report during the hearing: the men’s prayer room would accommodate 92 rug spaces and the women’s prayer room 51 rug spaces, producing a total gathering capacity for prayer rooms of 143. Using the ordinance standard of one parking space per three seats/places in the main congregation areas, staff said the parking requirement for the site is 48 spaces; 75 spaces are provided on the property.

Staff noted the site also has a partial shared-parking arrangement with the adjacent ice-rink facility (staff said 31 spaces are available for the rinks under a city easement) but that no formal overflow-parking agreement currently exists with neighboring institutions. Jeff Rich, senior pastor at Grace Community Bible Church, said his congregation had allowed one occasion of parking use in the past but had not entered a formal, ongoing agreement and asked staff to correct wording in the record that implied a standing arrangement.

Multiple residents and community members spoke in support of the CUP, saying a local masjid would reduce travel time for worship, help youth programming and strengthen community connections. A nearby property owner asked the commission to delay the vote because the homeowner said they received mailed notice only a few days earlier and wanted more time for neighborhood review. Planning staff explained legal notice procedures: state law requires publication and mailed notice to property owners within 350 feet; Lakeville mails to 500 feet and published the notice in the official newspaper; staff said the postcards were typically mailed about two weeks before the hearing (mailing date cited as Oct. 23 and newspaper publication Oct. 24 in staff remarks).

Commissioners asked operational questions about parking on Fridays and during holidays. The applicant said Friday services can be scheduled in multiple sessions to manage demand and that for the two annual Eid holidays the community typically rents a larger venue (for example an arena) rather than using the site. The applicant said volunteer parking attendants, not off-duty police, would manage on-site parking and that if parking is full attendees would be asked to return for a later service period. Planning staff said a traffic study was not warranted for this proposal.

A motion to recommend approval was made by Commissioner Swenson, seconded and approved by roll call. The item will be forwarded to the Nov. 17 City Council meeting for final action.

Details: Staff recommended six stipulations listed in the Oct. 30 planning memo and attached findings of fact dated Nov. 6, 2025. Staff corrected occupancy counts during the hearing; the parking requirement was calculated using the corrected congregation capacity.