The McKinney Islamic Association is reconsidering its proposal for a new mosque after more than 60 residents spoke out against the project at the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting this month.
The organization had requested the city rezone a parcel of land at the southeast corner of Virginia Parkway and Crutcher Crossing to allow the construction of a five-acre mosque. The Islamic Association acquired the site in 2022.
Commission members voted unanimously to recommend the city council deny the request after residents expressed concerns, including the mosque's size and a lack of parking.
The proposal was set to go before the city council on Aug. 6, but McKinney Islamic Association President Samad Syed said he wants to table the project for another two months to discuss more details about the difference in costs, impact of the building, a traffic analysis and architecture if they are to go with the original zoning requirements.
Syed said he was surprised to see how many people opposed the project after meeting with the Homeowner’s Association the day before the planning and zoning commission meeting.
“There were about four to seven people at that meeting,” he said, “so we did not expect this huge opposition to the mosque that we are trying to build for rezoning.”
The proposed zoning aligns with requirements for parking, screening and permitted uses but differs in the building size requirements.
Rick Brown, the architect for the project, said if the rezoning is approved, it would remove the 15,000-square-foot maximum for individual buildings and allow the construction of a 37,000-square-foot building.
The new mosque would include a worship space, meeting space, educational space, prayer halls, a gymnasium and a 300-space parking lot, Brown said.
He said the association expects the mosque to serve about 3,000 people, but daily prayer services, which are held five times a day, would only have between 10 and 40 people in attendance. Larger services held on Fridays would have around 500 to 600 people.
Syed said he hopes people understand the proposal isn’t about wanting a larger building but ensuring they can serve the growing community.
“We want to talk to the neighbors [and] educate them on what goes into the building because I think there's a lot of misinformation that there are 3,000 people going to show up five times a day, which is not true,” Syed said.
Community concerns
At the zoning commission meeting earlier this month, residents from the nearby Stone Brooke Crossing neighborhood voiced concerns over insufficient parking, the size of the building and how it will impact the area. Some people were also worried over religious differences, but others argued religion was unrelated to their opposition.
Resident Mark McKenzie told the commission he’s worried about the “safety and security” of students who may be walking or running around the area during prayer services.
“If you go and try to get through another area that has a mosque, you can see the traffic is horrendous,” Mackenzie said. “And it's easy to say that the traffic is not going to be that bad now, but obviously, they want to grow.”
Doug Salisbury said he’s concerned about added traffic and how neighboring communities might see the religious building.
“I myself was a former HOA board member, but it's predominantly Christian based,” Salisbury said. “So, I think a lot of the community residents would find this, I don't want to say an eyesore, but an eyesore.”
Commission member Charles Wattley said although the Muslim population is growing in the area, he has concerns with the planning.
“With a religious institution, you're always looking to grow,” he said. But without a site plan or traffic study to better understand the impacts the new mosque would bring, Wattley said, he wouldn’t advise changing the type of zoning.
‘Part of the neighborhood’
Rev. Mally Baum, a senior pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in McKinney, was the only supporter outside of the organization. The church is near the current mosque’s location, and Baum said they’ve been “very conscientious neighbors.”
"To my neighbors who are concerned about having specifically a mosque there, I would say if your concern is because you're frightened about the unknown or the unfamiliar, I can promise you your lives will be enriched by the addition of these gracious and conscientious citizens and neighbors," she said.
Mousa Abu Daabes, founder of the McKinney Islamic Association and resident of McKinney for more than 30 years, said he’s seen the growth of Muslim families in the area and emphasized a bigger building is needed.
“McKinney [is growing] faster than any other cities around in Texas,” Abu Daabes said. “And so is the Muslim community.”
Syed said the mosque currently serves more than 800 people and 20 different communities, including families from Guyana, South Africa, Nigeria, Pakistan, Egypt and more.
If the rezoning is not approved, the organization could instead request to build multiple 15,000-square-foot buildings on the lot. Syed said he hopes the association can break ground on the new location next year.
“I would encourage people to learn a little bit more about the project,” he said. “We are excited to be part of the neighborhood and we want to be good neighbors.”
Penelope Rivera is KERA’s news intern. Got a tip? Email Penelope at privera@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Copyright 2024 KERA