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Resident urges council to "slow this process" over possible mosque; staff says no application on file
Summary
A La Porte resident used public comment to press the council for a detailed review of a reportedly proposed mosque, citing security and cultural-integration concerns; city staff later told council there was no formal application or site plan on file for the site circulating on social media.
John Calloway, a La Porte resident who spoke during public comment, urged the council to slow any approval process and demanded transparency about what an incoming religious institution would teach and how it would engage the community. "I respectfully asked the council to slow this process down, conduct a thorough review, provide opportunities for meaningful public input," Calloway said, stating he wanted assurances that any group would uphold "religious liberty for all people" while addressing security and cultural-integration concerns.
Calloway advanced several contested assertions about Islam and cited international examples when explaining why he believed residents had a right to ask questions before approving a project. Later in the meeting, city staff clarified the factual record: staff reported they had "not seen any permanent application, any site plans, anything" from an organization that would validate social-media reports about a mosque on the site in question. The staff member said the city had received no formal submittal tied to the location discussed in public comment and pledged to notify council if a formal application is filed.
