Residents speak out for, against Islamic Center upgrades

Monroe residents voiced their opinions on the proposed building to replace the current Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center on Orange Turnpike, during the May 28 Monroe Village Planning Board meeting. To accommodate the anticipated larger crowd, the meeting was held in Monroe Town Hall.

Ryan Nasher, the project engineer, provided an overview of the proposed plan for a 20,400-square-foot building and noted that changes were made to the plans to address concerns regarding traffic, landscaping, and lighting. He explained that the mosque has been at its current location since 2015 and the new building is necessary to meet the growing congregation as well as educational needs of the community.

The design Nasher presented places the building behind the parking lot, which is currently prohibited under Monroe Village zoning codes. Nasher commented that while the design would requiring variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, he believes it would have less of an impact on the community and environment.

“Our goal is to really match the residential look and the neighborhood and make this congregation to practice peacefully,” said Nasher.

Residents with concerns

During the public hearing for the project, residents from nearby dwellings took to the podium to share their concerns about the impact of the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center on their home values and quality of life. One such resident, Angela Oparaiwu, commented on the proximity of the center and asked if this is where a religious organization should be. She pointed to examples of other religious buildings and their distance from neighboring properties and commented on the lack of privacy between the center and nearby homes.

“I don’t have issue with anybody, but this is not fair,” said Oparaiwu, who commented that, under current circumstances, the inside of her house is visible from the center and that lighting from the center shines into her home.

Another resident, Rebecca Mynio, echoed Oparaiwu’s sentiments about privacy, noting that her family purchased their home because, she assumed, it would remain secluded.

“My husband and I were careful to purchase a property surrounded by mature trees and a large, almost one-acre lot. We don’t like lights and noise, even the light pollution from Town Hall bothers us all night long. What we do like is privacy,” said Mynio.

Mynio also expressed her worry that the new center would create more drainage issues and commented on some of the actions of the mosque, claiming that trees on the property were cut down without permits. This was later denied by the center’s leadership.

Ursula and Robert Schimmel, who identified themselves as neighbors of Mynio, said they fully support her statements. They also commented on current flooding issues and agreed with Mynio’s concerns about drainage issues.

“If they redirect everything, and it starts to drain into our property or floods our basement, we’re going to have a big problem,” said Ursula Schimmel.

The Schimmels, like the other residents who spoke, emphasized that they did not object to the Islamic Center because of its religious affiliation.

“I am not against any religion. I respect religion,” said Robert Schimmel. “I moved into a residential area of peace and quiet and that has been turned upside down.”

Along with concerns about privacy, lighting and flooding, residents from neighboring properties pointed to the potential issues caused by an increase in traffic that could result from a larger center.

Residents in favor

Several members of the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic community came out in support of the proposed plan to revitalize the Islamic Center. Among the congregants to speak was Mohammad Hasan Miah, who has been serving as president of the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center for the last 14 years.

Miah, who counted himself as a founding member of the center, provided an overview of the history of the congregation and why they chose their current location for their mosque. He commented that the new building was being designed with the neighbors in mind and with the intention of mitigating current issues.

“Our architect and civil engineer have put together a beautiful design for the building that will not only serve the culture and social needs of the community but will also add valuation to the properties in the neighborhood,” said Miah.

Many who spoke in support of the new Islamic Center shared the importance of the mosque to their sense of community.

Neem Rabbani spoke about how she has been a member of the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center since she moved to the area when she was 10 years old. She commented that she loved the area so much she returned to it as an adult. Reflecting on her time growing up in the Monroe-Woodbury community, Rabbani said she witnessed other religious communities be able to celebrate their holidays and wanted the same for her community.

“Why should this community have to travel 30 minutes to Middletown or to Rockland County to experience that same joy?”

Commenting on concerns expressed by fellow residents, Mubeen Ashraf, who identified himself as resident of the area since 2004, noted that areas change and people learn to adapt, at the same time he recognized the neighbors’ issues and shared he would also be bothered by them.

“I wouldn’t want to walk into my bedroom and see a headlight shining right into my window. I wouldn’t like that for myself, neither would I like that for my neighbor,” said Ashraf, who expressed the center’s willingness to work with nearby property owners.

Among those who spoke in support of the new building for the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center were children who rely on the center for religious education and connection with other Muslim children.

“We need this for our future to learn about our religion,” said one such child, Malik Ahmed. Commenting on the beauty of other houses of worship, Ahmed said the current Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center was old and not in good condition and a new building was needed to support his and future generations.

Next steps

Following the public comment period, Nasher and other representatives of the project addressed concerns raised. Commenting on the traffic concerns, Nasher shared that the study was done during Friday prayers, a peak time for the congregation. He added that the planning board had reviewed those studies.

The attorney representing the mosque on the project shared that the Zoning Board of Appeals wanted to see if the project was given a negative declaration under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act before it considered granting a variance for the design. While the planning board engineer commented that he saw nothing out of the ordinary that would prevent the board from giving the project a negative declaration, Planning Board Chairman Jeff Boucher explained that the board couldn’t issue one because a resolution wasn’t drafted by their attorney.

The planning board went ahead and approved a motion to authorize their attorney to draft a resolution giving a negative declaration which will need to be voted on at a separate meeting.

The planning board reminded the public that a negative SEQRA declaration is not a vote of approval for the project. It also emphasized that if the ZBA did not grant the required variances, the center could not move forward with its current site plan.