Residents and faith leaders urge Lakeville Council to approve Al Hadi Mosque application

Dozens of residents and community leaders urged the Lakeville City Council to approve the conditional-use application for the proposed Al Hadi Mosque during the public-comment period. Shahin Nadeem, a Lakeville resident, described the mosque as "a peaceful and quiet place where families can gather to pray, teach our children and good values, strengthen our faith, and continue serving the community we love" and asked the council to approve the application. Several faith leaders and long‑time residents, including Nathan Lyke of Saint John's Lutheran Church and Laurie Bridal, told the council the mosque followed the city process and earned a planning-commission recommendation for approval.

Speakers also addressed specifics: Rizwan Zafar, who identified parking-enforcement experience, said he has studied circulation near the proposed site and volunteered to coordinate traffic management using trained volunteers and reflective vests to mitigate crowding. Opponents and some neighbors raised questions about location, architecture and traffic. Joan Baldwin asked whether the mosque's design would "fit in with the surroundings" and whether property owners near an existing mosque saw negative effects on home values; Elaine Addison suggested a temporary moratorium to allow further investigation. Mayor responded that the planning commission had reviewed the project and found it met relevant standards. The mayor prioritized Lakeville resident comments for the record and thanked people for presenting viewpoints.