Planning Ahead: Zoning Board Anticipates Mosque Hearings

In anticipation of the Chughtai Foundation’s application to build a mosque on the site of the former Redwood Inn property on Mountain Top Road coming before the zoning board of adjustment, board members took initial steps Tuesday to prepare for the hearings.

The application is currently before the planning board, but an ordinance is scheduled for public hearing to change the township’s master plan and, in turn, require the applicant to seek a variance from the board of adjustment.

The  on the former Redwood Inn property on Mountain Top Road that would accommodate 500 people for special services twice a year, and 250 people for non-event worship service on Friday afternoons.

The plans had also originally included a daycare facility and elementary school, but representatives for the application said Monday that those elements have been removed.

The proposed master plan change would mandate that houses of worship and other businesses must be built off major thoroughfares, of which Mountain Top Road is not one. The ordinance concerning the change is scheduled for a public hearing and possible approval at Thursday's township council meeting.

Board of adjustment members discussed their availability for possible hearings in the coming months and set May 3, June 7, June 21 and June 28 as tentative hearing dates.

The hearing before the planning board forced its Monday meeting to be held at the in order to accommodate the large number of attendees. The application had originally been , but was postponed when the number of people in attendance at the meeting exceeded the capacity of the municipal building.

With this in mind, the zoning board directed the secretary to explore alternative venues that could accommodate the anticipated crowed, including the Somerset County Vocational & Technical Schools and the .

As of now, the application was introduced at , and the board has heard from only one witness.