Newly Approved Report Says Religious Buildings Cannot be in Residential Areas

After hearing two hours of public comments, the planning board unanimously approved a master plan re-examination report Tuesday that could, if ultimately adopted, alter the application process for a proposed on Mountain Top Road.

The report includes a recommended change calling for houses of worship, schools, open air clubs and country clubs to be located on major roads or county roadways rather than in residential areas. If voted into the township’s ordinances, it would require the Chughtai Foundation—whose application for a mosque is expected to be introduced at the Feb. 28 meeting—to seek a variance to build its religious structure on the seven-acre site of the former Redwood Inn property on Mountain Top Road.

Public discussion of the re-examination report evolved into a steady stream of comments on the mosque proposal as many of the more than 100 people who packed the municipal building court room voiced their views.

Lloyd Tubman, the applicant’s attorney, said the report was “generated by the hearing on Jan. 24 and the attention that drew. It is targeted at the Redwood Inn property. This is a very transparent attempt to derail an application that is fully conforming to an existing use.”

“It’s very clear this procedure is not about a master plan re-evaluation," Tubman added. "It’s about an immediate proposed use. This is not about churches, it is about this church.”

Residents voiced concerns about the impact the mosque and its daycare and school facilities would have on the safety and serenity of the neighborhood.

Resident Balaram Gupta called the property “totally ill-suited for any kind of worship place or day care of that magnitude. It’s really a residential area.”

Kelly Avenoso, of Bridgewater, described the “narrow, treacherous” roads that lead to the property.

“Use of that road for any intense facility would be misplaced," she said. "It’s just not the right location. It has to be the right-sized lot and the right location to be for everyone.”

And the increase in traffic, resident Mark Kolv said, would make the road unsafe.

“I would be here objecting if that was a Catholic church, a synagogue, any house of worship with the magnitude of what we are discussing here,” he said.

But residents made it clear that their objections were not based on any sort of intolerance for the religion.

“I do not feel this is a case of intolerance," said resident Nancy Gorrell. "They deserve a mosque somewhere, maybe in Bridgewater. I just do not believe that the Redwood Inn site is the land use that would be safe for our community. I worry what will happen if you put heavy use on that road."

“It is absolutely correct to look at the master plan,” resident Phillip Rinaldi added. “The Redwood Inn was a grandfathered mistake. Common sense tells us that the intensity of the use is an incompatible use.”

But supporters of the mosque urged the board not to approve the report and to allow the application to move forward.

“By not allowing this to move forward and take its due course, you are not going to allow subject matter experts to come in and advise you," said resident Shomil Malik. "Let this process move forward.”

Resident Syed Siddiq agreed, calling the report a “discriminatory law.”

“Why these laws are being changed in the middle of the game is an issue," he said. "If you adopt this law, the repercussions are very serious.”

Resident Tarek Abdelkader asked the board to think about what this report actually meant.

“Consider the message you could be sending as a board, that when we play by the rules and submit a 100 percent conforming application that we here in Bridgewater change the rules,” he said.

Resident Sarah Wallace expressed concern about limiting the ability of one group of people to practice its religion.

“My own community is telling me that I’m not welcome here,” she said.

The board approved the master plan re-examination report by a 7-0 vote. Board attorney Thomas Collins explained that the report is not a law or an ordinance, but a recommended change to the township’s ordinances, which will be sent to the township council.

From there, Collins said, it will have two readings, with a public hearing on the second reading before it is brought to a vote.

If ultimately adopted, Chughtai Foundation would be required to seek a variance from the Bridgewater Township Board of Adjustment to build its mosque.