Objections to mosque aired: Neighbors say traffic, not religion, is issue

Neighbors of a proposed Bellevue mosque renewed their objections to the plan Thursday night, despite efforts to ease concerns by shrinking the size of the proposed building.

More than 70 people packed a meeting room at Bellevue City Hall to hear about the plans. A number voiced continued opposition to it, while none publicly welcomed it.

"We, the neighbors, don't want it. And it seems that you don't get it," Bryan Weingarten told representatives of the Muslim organization seeking to build the 18,000-square-foot facility on 4.4 acres in a residential neighborhood.

Members of the proposed mosque are simply looking for a place to worship and have altered the plans to address concerns about traffic, noise and other matters, said Jawad Khaki, president of the Ithna-Asheri Muslim Association of the Northwest, or IMAN.

"I commit myself and my community to be the best neighbors that you will ever find," he said.

Similar objections have dogged plans for a Buddhist meditation center near Woodinville. The group seeking to build the center has applied for permits from the county, but the county hasn't granted permission yet.

In 2000, the Shiite Muslim group proposed building a 30,000-square-foot mosque on the Bellevue property at 1200 173rd Ave. N.E., with 151 parking spaces, and minarets and a dome topping the building. That plan sparked an outcry from neighbors. In the latest proposal, the parking spaces have been reduced to 88, and the dome and minarets are gone.

The mosque could draw 30 to 60 people on Fridays, the busiest day of worship, and could attract around 100 at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Khaki said. "I have not seen any sign of growth in our congregation," he added.

But residents reiterated concerns that the facility would draw traffic and that if the number of worshippers grew, people would park on nearby streets.

More traffic also would result if a developer built the number of homes allowed on that property, said Eskandar Mohazzabfar, an IMAN member.

No one voiced opposition on the grounds that they didn't want Muslims worshipping there. But several neighbors expressed fears that loudspeakers at the mosque might be used to call people to prayer, something Khaki promised would not happen.

The group has applied to the city for a conditional-use permit, which is required before the mosque can be built. The city can limit such aspects of the project as traffic, building capacity and noise.

Warren Cornwall: 206-464-2311 or wcornwall@seattletimes.com