Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Site Plan Review Mosque topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Board continues hearing on mosque site plan as septic, parking and fire-access questions remain
Summary
The Sharon Planning Board continued a Minor Site Plan Review hearing for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Center (also referred to as the Nasir Ahmad Mosque) to July 23 after staff and the fire department flagged unresolved septic, parking and emergency-access issues.
The Town of Sharon Planning Board on July 9 continued the public hearing on a Minor Site Plan Review for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Center (addresses at 414 N. Main St., 414A N. Main St., and 4 Nasir Ahmad Road) to July 23, citing outstanding technical questions that must be resolved before final approvals.
At the virtual hearing, Pare Engineering representative Mark McCluskey presented stormwater and septic plans. "It's based on 128 worshippers per floor for a total of 256 worshippers," McCluskey said when describing the septic design assumptions; Assistant Town Engineer Sonal Pai asked that the design also include all staff and office workers. Chair Rob Maidman noted an apparent mismatch between parking supply and expected attendance, saying, "it sounds like 39 parking spaces will not be enough for the 258 participants." The transcript uses both "Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Center" and a reference in the motion to "Nasir Ahmad Mosque."
Deputy Fire Chief Dan Greenfield told the Board the fire department requires a 20-foot unobstructed clearance and warned that on-street parking on both sides of the street would impede apparatus access. Greenfield said the site's one-way in/one-way out constraints could cause congestion and restrict emergency access.
Board members and staff identified other outstanding items to resolve before final approval, including percolation (perk) tests, the stormwater review by DPW, turning-radius checks (Deputy Chief Greenfield will provide turning-radius data to the engineers), BOH sign-off on septic, and formal notifications to abutters; McCluskey said abutters had not yet been notified. Chair Maidman moved to continue the hearing to July 23; Peter Ford seconded and the Board voted 5-0-0 by roll call.
The continuation preserves the Board's ability to require further study and technical revisions. The Board emphasized that final approval will require sign-offs from DPW, Board of Health, Fire, and Conservation departments.
