Mosque expansion earns first positive vote from Rolling Meadows aldermen
A Rolling Meadows-based mosque's renewed attempt to earn support for a proposed relocation and expansion yielded a positive tally Tuesday from the city's aldermen.
More than two years after the Islamic Society of the Northwest Suburbs' plans to move to an 8-acre site at 1200 Hicks Road were rejected by a previous city council, on Tuesday night the council - composed of some newly elected and appointed members - endorsed the plans in a preliminary first reading vote.
Aldermen voted 5-1 in support of the mosque's request to change city zoning code with a text amendment that would allow religious uses as a special use in the manufacturing district, where the current and proposed mosque sites are.
They also voted 4-2 in favor of that special use, which would allow the mosque to open its proposed prayer hall and Sunday school inside a renovated one-story, 47,534-square-foot brick industrial building on Hicks.
The final second reading vote is scheduled for Aug. 28.
Alderman Nick Budmats, who joined the council about a year ago and represents Ward 2, where the mosque is, said he heard opinions about the mosque relocation from many across the city, calling some of the comments "intolerant" of religious beliefs.
While Budmats said he is interested in preserving the city's manufacturing base, he noted the commercial area of his ward already includes the mosque at its current location at 3950 Industrial Ave. and Shorewood Bible Church and Harvest Bible Chapel nearby.
"At no time were we asked to uphold the right to manufacture a product freely or preserve the manufacturing district of the city, or even the tax base," Budmats said. "We have to uphold the ideals of the Constitution."
Alderman John D'Astice, who voted "no" in both tallies, said he heard three Rolling Meadows businesses have interest in purchasing the Hicks site for the right price. The mosque purchased the 8 acres for $1.9 million, but after the last council's denial on a 4-3 vote in April 2016 it listed half the property for sale for $2.4 million.
After getting no serious offers, mosque officials say, they brought back their proposal to the city.
"I believe making a text amendment like this is going to open the Pandora's box," D'Astice said. "If the city says 'yes' to one, there's no way you can say 'no' to any others and not face a potential lawsuit that's already been talked about in hushed voices."
Alderman Laura Majikes voted for the text amendment but not the special use, saying the manufacturing district should be open to all places of worship and not just one in particular.
Alderman Mike Cannon was absent from the meeting but has publicly declared his opposition to the plans.
Mayor Len Prejna doesn't get to cast a vote and didn't make any comments Tuesday night, but he voted for the expansion in 2016 when he was Ward 2 alderman.