The Planning Board recommended approval last night of the county's first free-standing mosque, cheering area Muslims who now worship in a rented office suite in Columbia.
"We need a mosque in this area," said 15-year-old Aatis Hayat, a member of the Dar-Al-Taqwa congregation. "We're trying to establish a community."
But critics of the project, who say the mosque would harm the rural character of their community and cause traffic and other problems, said they plan to continue fighting despite last night's decision.
"We'll continue to follow it," said James Sagmiller, who gave the board a letter signed by eight neighbors opposed to the project. "It's an uphill situation right now."
The case now goes to the Board of Appeals, which will hold its own hearing and rule on the special exception sought for the proposed mosque on Clarksville Pike just east of Manor Lane.
Dar-Al-Taqwa's proposal calls for daily Muslim assemblies, Sunday religious classes and Friday prayer services inside an existing house on the 6.8-acre property. A second phase would involve building a 9,800-square-foot mosque, multipurpose center and a 34-foot-high minaret. The mosque would serve about 120 people.
The congregation appeared before the Planning Board in November but was asked to return last night with more specific details about the $1 million project.
Since then, the congregation has reduced the size of its proposed mosque from 20,000 square feet to 9,800 square feet. It also reduced the total number of proposed parking spaces by 28 to 137. Congregation leaders said the project's reduced size is a reflection of more accurate estimates of the group's current size and projected growth.
If the Board of Appeals approves the project, Dar-Al-Taqwa would be able to hold group activities and save hundreds of dollars, members said. "That's the difference between renting and buying a house," said Mohamed Elmenshawy, an architect and congregation member.
Since August 1992, the congregation has worshiped at the Wilde Lake Village Center. Because of limited space, the mosque rents a portion of Wilde Lake Middle School to hold Saturday religious classes for more than 60 youngsters.
lTC "We need our own place," said Maqsooda Hayat, an Owen Brown resident who teaches kindergarteners during the Saturday classes.
But opponents of the project said the mosque would destroy the neighborhood's rural character, cause traffic jams and pollute nearby wells and septic tank systems.
"This is not consistent with our rural residential neighborhood," said Mr. Sagmiller, who lives adjacent to the site of the proposed mosque. "We value this rural land. That's why we were drawn there."
Dar-Al-Taqwa has met twice with residents to ease their concerns, agreeing to erect buildings that are harmonious with the rest of the neighborhood and to use trees and other vegetation along the perimeters of the proposed mosque to shield residents from bright lights and noise.