Concern grows over mosque parking expansion

A proposed parking lot expansion of the Islamic Community Center of Des Plaines met with concern Thursday night from city officials and neighbors.

The mosque at 480 Potter Road, which opened in 2005, has seen its congregation swell far beyond its roughly 300 to 350 regular members.

That's because it attracts worshippers from throughout the region for mandatory Friday afternoon prayers, and during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when nightly prayers are held at the facility.

"If somebody is a Muslim, he can go to any place and he can pray," said Ghulam Farooqie, president of the Islamic Community Center. "We don't have any control (over) the people who want to come and pray there. It's an attractive building. We have a very nice imam (prayer leader). People love to hear him."

Therein lies the dilemma for neighbors as the overflow of vehicles from the mosque parking lot usually ends up lining neighborhood streets such as Good Avenue and Church Street.

"This is the condition that we're looking to relieve for the neighborhood," said Mike Conlan, Des Plaines director of community and economic development.

The city's community development committee Thursday night heard a proposal to add two parking lots creating 83 additional spaces north of the mosque. Vehicles would potentially exit the parking lots onto Good and Church.

Conlan said city code requires adequate screening for parking lots such as a 6-foot wooden opaque fence, with a 5-foot landscaping buffers along the perimeter, and controlled lighting.

Over the years, city officials encouraged mosque leaders to purchase properties nearby to expand the center's parking lot, which they have done.

"This is not a luxury for us to buy extra properties," Farooqie said. "We don't want to give a hard time to the neighbors. I want them to be comfortable. We want to be comfortable. As far as the congregation is concerned, it's not in our control. We cannot stop anybody from coming to the mosque."

Conlan said the city would require the center to hire an additional off-duty police officer to direct traffic on Good Avenue, which mosque leaders have agreed to do.

A few residents in the audience complained about not getting any advance notice of the mosque's intentions to expand its parking lot.

Pam Warford, who lives on Church Street, asked the committee to defer its vote until more neighbors have had a chance to weigh in.

"We used to be a quiet, full of trees, quaint country area," she said. "It's been changing quite dramatically. I just can't imagine this in our neighborhood."

Des Plaines' new 1st Ward Alderman Patti Haugeberg said she too has not had an opportunity to meet with area residents to get their feedback about the mosque's plans.

Conlan said a formal hearing will be conducted once plans move forward to the city's zoning board of appeals at which time all neighbors within 300 feet of the mosque property would be notified.

John Milstead, a resident of Church Street, questioned why all mosque traffic could not exit onto Potter Road.

Presently, there is only one entrance/exit on Potter Road and another one is expected to be built as part of the road's reconstruction.

"I don't know what the answer is, but this is not it," Milstead said. "It's not only on Fridays that it happens, you also have Ramadan and special meetings. There is nothing wrong with having houses of worship in neighborhoods. They are good neighbors."

Des Plaines 5th Ward Alderman Jim Brookman also voiced concerns about the mosque's continued growth.

"The footprint of this church has really taken over the neighborhood here," he said.