Muslim Community Center Trying to Develop in Plainfield
Leaders of a successful Muslim community center in Bolingbrook, hope to open a similar facility in Plainfield. However, the village of Plainfield is worried about the impact the development will have on the town’s streets.
The Islamic Foundation of Southwest Suburbs (IFSWS) purchased an unused building on Route 126 last May, with the plan to convert it into a mosque for prayer in Plainfield. Since then, there have been multiple barriers stopping the progress of this development.
Residents of the area spoke out, mainly concerned with traffic and parking issues if the mosque is located there.
During the meeting discussing the proposal, Trustee Cally Larson noted that traffic is atrocious in that area, expressing she recently sat in traffic for 27 minutes on Route 126. She said, “I cannot fully support any type of additional traffic that is going to harm our residents and cause additional headaches for businesses.”
The village has been reviewing the proposal for weeks and the applicant has been adjusting the plan to satisfy the concerns of the neighborhood. Trustee Larry Newton believed, there is not one bit of evidence that the project would be against any existing village regulation or law.
The vote on the proposal was a 3-3 tie, essentially amounting to a vote against the development because there was no conclusive majority. Zaki Basarath, member of the IFSWS, told ABC, “We were 100-percent surprised.”
Some residents in the area were also surprised by the decision. The Herald News reported, Holly Long, a 10-year resident of Plainfield, sent an email to the board members after the decision that read, “It was clear that the representatives from the proposed community center had done everything that was requested of them, and it seemed that they had gone above and beyond.” Long continued, “They told us after the meeting that they came to the board before purchasing the land, and I feel the board has put them in an extremely difficult position of now owning land they cannot use.”
Long went on to explain she understands the traffic concerns however, she exclaimed “There has been a Montessori school there, there has been a church there, which would have similar, if any, impact on the traffic.”
The applicant will be making additional modifications to the proposal and the village will consider the group's request for a special use permit at the next meeting.
