DuPage likely to OK Islamic learning center

After months of wrangling over parking, noise and lights at a proposed Islamic educational center near Naperville, the DuPage County Board is expected to give the project a thumbs up today.

Initially denied by the county's zoning board of appeals, the county board's development committee unanimously approved the proposal last month after several conditions were put in place.

Some neighbors who live near the proposed Irshad Learning Center at 25W030 75th St. near Naperville still worry the facility will create noise and traffic problems, but others have signed off the compromises.

"Most of the dispute seemed to be centered on the amount of parking, lighting and noise," said board member and development committee Chairman Tony Michelassi. "But I'm hopeful we've done enough."

Officials from the center agreed to move parking to the front of the property, provide landscaping buffers and restricted hours of operation. They said the center will be used generally twice a week, except during the month of Ramadan when it will likely be used daily.

Board member John Zediker also helped sculpt the various conditions to help appease neighbors and allow Irshad officials to operate the center. He said the biggest hurdle was parking.

"The petitioner kind of had parking wrapped around and behind the building," he said. "We wanted to minimize those problems and push it as close to 75th Street as we could, so we settled on the front of the building."

The center will have specific hours of operation, though a caretaker will be allowed to live on the premises. The center will have a maximum occupancy of 100 worshippers as well.

The center will operate in what used to be a day care facility. The group currently utilizes space in nearby Woodridge to operate the learning center.