Des Plaines mosque's growing pains felt by neighbors
About a half-hour before the call to prayer sounds for Friday afternoon service at the Islamic Community Center of Des Plaines, cars begin to fill up the center's parking lot and often spill out into neighboring streets.
The congregation has grown over 25 years from a small collective of faithful who gathered in the basement of a single-family home for prayers to frequently drawing nearly 700 worshippers from area suburbs to the mosque at 480 Potter Road.
Yet, what has been a blessing for the Muslim community has become a nuisance for neighbors, who have cars parking on their streets when the lot is full.
Elizabeth Papanastasopoulos, whose home on Church Street is just north of the mosque property, said the center's expansion plans are ruining the aesthetics of the neighborhood where she has lived for more than 20 years.
"They have cut down all the trees from Potter (Road) to Good (Avenue) on a lot that they own," she said. "I understand about progress and I understand about freedom of religion. What I have a problem with is they want to grow and they want to build more parking lots, and they want to build more buildings and take everything over. That I cannot deal with."
Papanastasopoulos said mosque representatives have asked her multiple times in the last 15 years about selling her house, which she has no intention of doing.
It's an all too common clash of property rights versus religious freedom that often rears its head when houses of worship attempt to build or expand within existing neighborhoods.
Despite a negative recommendation from the Des Plaines zoning board, the city council gave the center permission for 23 additional parking spaces on the northwest side of the property.
Mosque officials are grateful, but say they need more. They want to build 46 additional spaces on the southwest side of the property on an undeveloped lot they bought years ago specifically to expand parking. But after more than a year of discussions, neighbors are still opposed to the city allowing cars to enter and exit that parking lot onto Good Avenue or Ironwood Drive.
Good Avenue resident Tim Harris thinks the mosque should either build underground parking or a garage.
"Next year it's going to be 30 spots requested, and then 50, and then 100," Harris said. "What about what I'm entitled to as an American citizen? It's a constant daily infringement on our rights. Please give us a break - (we) do not want to look at or become part of a parking lot when we look down our street."
Residents' objections have not exhibited any racial undertones, but some city officials are surprised this has generated so much controversy.
"There have been other churches that have had additional parking (expansions)," Des Plaines Mayor Marty Moylan said. "I don't remember any controversy as far as I've been on the council. We've listened to residents' objections and we aired all of their concerns. The council thought (the 23 spaces) was viable and we approved it."
Moylan said parking in the area became even more scarce with construction on Potter Road, which has been ongoing for the past year but has stalled due to a construction workers' strike.
Mosque leaders say it's not only their membership, but Muslims who work in the area who drop in during their lunch hour to perform obligatory Friday prayers with the congregation, held in two sessions to accommodate the crowds.
Islamic Community Center President Ghulam Farooqie said the mosque would never turn away worshippers, irrespective of membership, because every Muslim is obligated to perform Friday prayer in congregation as dictated by the faith.
But what has irked neighbors is those worshippers parking along adjoining streets such as Good Avenue, where the city has restricted parking on Friday afternoons, and Church Street, at times blocking driveways and mailboxes.
"We don't get mail on Fridays because of the cars blocking the street," Papanastasopoulos said. "The issue is not keeping people from praying. The issue is respect for the neighborhood."
After several residents complained, the streets were kept clear during last Friday's service. Following the sermon and prayer, mosque leaders urged members to be mindful of where they park.
"Do not park on the street. Do not block the driveways," said Farooqie. "Please behave so we can keep our neighbors happy because this is a part of us (our religion). We are not allowed to disturb our neighbors."
Farooqie added the proposal for 46 additional spaces on the southwest side has been modified to block off the proposed exit on Good Avenue and now will add a lawn to buffer residents from the parking lot.
City officials are concerned about fire department access with the only entrance to the mosque being off Potter Road. Yet, leaders seem eager to find a solution and may be open to concessions.
"We should continue to support the mosque because they are a big part of our community and a growing part of our community," Moylan said. "They are not going away. They could use more parking and more relief, and we should consider it when they make that proposal."
Meanwhile, mosque officials are working on a deal with Advocate Lutheran General Hospital to use part of its day care parking lot and have permission from the management of Park Colony Condominiums to use 30 parking spaces during Friday prayers.
Yet, parking is not the only issue bothering neighbors.
Papanastasopoulos is concerned that neither the police nor mosque elders have addressed the issue of unsupervised kids playing basketball, cricket, soccer and football on the mosque property well into the night.
"I want students to be praying and not joining gangs," she said. "But there is no one from the mosque watching these kids. I have been complaining about this for years and nobody has been doing anything about it."
Farooqie said they have moved the basketball hoop that used to be near the homes on the north side closer to the south end of the property.
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