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About 300 people attended the hearing, and about 100 had to be turned away outside. (Photo by Drew Daudelin)
The Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Carmel met Monday night to hear testimony on a controversial plan for a new mosque.
Out of 41 people who spoke, 40 were against the project. Most arguments revolved around three things – noise coming from the worship center, its proximity to nearby homes, and the increased traffic it would bring to the area.
City Councilor Ron Carter echoed those complaints, saying he hopes an alternate site can be found.
Carter also says the Al Salam Foundation, the group planning the mosque, won’t be able to fit their proposed center on the five acres of land being considered.
“Which as their video showed contains soccer fields, picnic areas, shelter houses, a dome and a minaret," Carter says. "Because they're settling on an inadequately sized parcel, they will not realize their stated goal of being a good neighbor to the community that surrounds them.”
The Al Salam Foundation says it’s conducting a traffic analysis, and will reveal that report when it’s done. And the group insists that noise won’t be an issue.
About 300 people attended the hearing, and about 100 had to be turned away. The board decided to accommodate those people by delaying its vote on the project. A meeting next month will allow for more testimony, and possibly a vote.
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