A number of residents have contacted our office about the Dar Alnoor Mosque Expansion. Many are in support of the project, while others express opposition. However, the vast majority have been sharing questions and concerns, wanting to ensure that the project proceeds in a way that mitigates the impacts that come with any development. Over the last year, the applicant has been working with the community members, civic associations and the Planning Department to accomplish that goal.
We have been alerted to some misinformation around what the project is and is not. The fact sheet below is meant to provide accurate information about the proposal as it currently stands. You can also review planning records online. This project will come before the Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. Registration for virtual public comment during the hearing has closed, but you can still share your thoughts with the Board via email: bocs@pwcgov.org, or use this link to locate contact information for individual Supervisors.
General Information:
- Zoning: A-1, Agricultural.
- Comprehensive Plan: SRL, Semi-rural Residential Low.
- 13 acres.
Existing Site:
- Existing religious institution and community center operating under original 1995 Provisional Use Permit and subsequent Non-conforming Use Verification (NCU2019-00130).
- Current Occupancy: 742.
- Building: approximately 12,000 sq. ft.
Proposed Expansion:
- Expansions of existing religious institution to include private school with day care, community center, medical clinic, administrative offices, banquet hall, and other related facilities with a religious institution.
- Proposed Building: 88,300 sq. ft. and will accommodate 1,782 prayer rugs.
- Private school with Day Care limited to 200 students / children.
Landscaping:
- Approximately 40% of the site will be preserved as open space.
- 20 ft. Highway Corridor Overlay Buffer along Hoadly Road Frontage.
- 50 ft. Landscape Buffer along majority of property line (except one portion adjacent to the hourse farm where it reduces to 30 ft.) This exceeds County requirement of 30 ft.
- Privacy fence along rear of property, per the request of adjacent homeowner.
Building and Facility:
- Dar Alnoor agreed to substantial conformance to building elevations.
- Maximum building height (exclusive of dome): 60 feet.
- Minaret Maximum height: 80 ft. (this height matches the approved spire for the church next door)
Community Design:
- Replacing existing 5 ft. sidewalk between entrances with 10 ft. asphalt trail.
- Outdoor speakers must be portable and cannot be audible beyond limits of the property.
- The minaret will not contain speakers, and will not broadcast a call to prayer.
Parking:
- County requires parking at a ratio of 1 parking space per 3 “seats.”
- Expansions increases the parking supply to 781 spaces.
- This is at a 2.2:1 ratio and 187 spaces above the County’s requirement.
Transportation:
- Existing trips (502 seats): 721 Friday Peak Hour & 1,764 Friday Average Daily (please note the maximum occupancy is 742 and 502 was used as the average prayer rugs)
- Friday peak is from 11am to 2pm (only 4 hours per day) which is outside of the peak morning and evening rush hour times.
- Proposed Friday Daily: 6,253 trips.
- Proposed Friday Peak Hour: 2,559 trips.
- Proposed Mon – Thurs (School & other Mosque Activities): increase of 170 AM Peak Hour trips and 31 PM Peak Hour. Please note as conditioned the school cannot be open on Fridays and this the school traffic is minimal.
Traffic Signal:
- Traffic signal is warranted today, without expansion of Dar Alnoor.
- Only accounts for Monday – Thursday trips because Police will turn off traffic signal on Fridays.
- Proposed Dar Alnoor trips estimated to account for 6% of the total Hoadly Road AM Peak Hour trips.
- Proposed Dar Alnoor 13-hour (non-Friday) average trips: 3.32% of total Hoadly Road volumes.
- $51,000 contribution to traffic signal represents 6% of an $850,000 signal.
Traffic and Parking Management:
- Drafted a Traffic and Parking Management Plan (“TPMP”) to mitigate impacts of larger events and Friday prayer services.
- TPMP will be reviewed annually by PWCDOT and the Police Department.
- Dar Alnoor must coordinate with Police and PWCDOT prior to large-scale events.
- Will provide minimum of 6 police officers during Friday Prayer services and larger events, unless Police deem 6 is unnecessary.
- During larger events, at least two police officers must be located at each of the site entrances.