Mosque Proposed in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan
The group proposing the project, the Hidaya Muslim Community, provided preliminary site plans for feedback purposes to the Ypsilanti Township Planning Commission at its April 28 meeting, mlive.com website reported.
Township Planning Director Joe Lawson said Hidaya's architect and leaders were given suggestions for changes and revised plans will be back before the commission soon, though the proposal won't be on the agenda for the first May meeting.
The mosque would be built on a parcel around 500 feet east of Golfside on the north side of Ellsworth. Plans call for a building large enough to hold 800 worshippers that would be busiest in the afternoon on Friday, which is the traditional Muslim day of worship. The building would also include a community center and gymnasium.
Lawson said the proposed site layout meets all the township's design requirements, though there's an issue with the sanitary sewer lead's location. The township is also awaiting results of a traffic impact study by the Washtenaw County Road Commission.
"If we can get those issues resolved, then I don't see anything else standing in the way," Lawson said, adding that the mosque's officials said there's a growing population in that area that they are looking to serve.
