Islamic Center to address stormwater concerns at May meeting

The Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center came before the Monroe Village Planning Board at the April 8 meeting, as part of its ongoing efforts to seek approval for construction of a new mosque and expanded parking capacity.

The Center, located on Orange Turnpike near the intersection with Reynolds Road, first purchased the property in 2015 and submitted an application for demolition in 2020, according to a representative for the project. The planning board reviewed the application in December 2023, and a public hearing was held at that time, during which Monroe village residents voiced concerns about the historic nature of the building to be demolished, location of the mosque, and prayer times. However, new zoning laws required the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center to go before the Zoning Board of Appeals, which extended the application process.

Speaking before the planning board at the April 8 meeting, Frank Phillips, attorney for the proposed Islamic Center project, said the Center has adjusted the site plan to address issues raised regarding drainage, traffic, and prayer times. Monroe Village Planning Board engineering consultant Dave Higgins responded by saying the revised plan does not address all the concerns of the board, with stormwater pollution prevention being the primary issue.

The engineer for the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center shared that the Center had agreed to address the planning board’s concerns and said that testing couldn’t be done for stormwater prevention due to the cold weather. He added that now that the weather is warmer the testing could be done in time to meet the deadline for the May meeting.

During the meeting, to be held on May 28 at Monroe Town Hall to accommodate the anticipated crowd, the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center will have the opportunity to present their site plan with the variances that need approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals, as well as an alternative plan without those variances.

Office expansion

The Monroe Village Planning Board also reviewed a proposed project to expand an existing two-story building currently housing retail and office space on Route17M. The representative for the applicant explained that the proposed plan called for the expansion of the back of the building and would be for office space only. The representative claimed that the current parking lot is underutilized, and that the proposed project, which would reduce the number of spaces, would not impact parking for retail shoppers and office workers, as the peak demand for retail parking and office parking do not overlap.

The planning board engineer commented that the project could lead to issues of vehicle maneuverability and its proximity to a drive-through pharmacy could hinder access to the building. The engineer also commented on the need for ADA accessibility both in the parking lot and within the building design.

The board requested the applicant submit a new narrative with a more thorough plan showing limited overlap in parking demand for retail and office use.

Restaurant space

During the meeting, the Monroe Village Planning Board held a public hearing for Jalisco Mexican Restaurant’s plans to install a patio and a freestanding trellis. Following discussion on construction concerns and other questions about the site plan, the applicant agreed to submit a revised plan in time for the May meeting. In addition, the board agreed to keep the public hearing open.