Mosque Application Has Residents Concerned About Changing Character

It was concerns over the changing character of the neighborhood and increased traffic that brought hundreds of residents to a planning board meeting in January as an application was put on the table for a .

But Mayor Patricia Flannery said she was surprised that so many people turned out.

“Bridgewater residents have always come out to express their concerns regarding development and its impacts on the community, although this particular application has generated the most interest that I have seen,” she said.

The application from the Chughtai Foundation came before the planning board Jan. 24, but was postponed until the end of because the number of residents who came out to hear its introduction exceeded the capacity of the municipal complex. The foundation is looking to build a mosque with the inclusion of a daycare facility and elementary school on the about 14,750 square-foot property.

The preliminary plans state that the facility could accommodate up to 500 people for special services twice a year, and 250 people for non-event worship attendance on Friday afternoons.

The daycare facility is expected to accommodate 40 children, and the elementary school will have 235 students.

The application will now be heard at the Feb. 28 meeting at the performing arts center of the Somerset County Vocational & Technical Schools.

The biggest concern about the application for residents is its location.

“A very large number of Bridgewater residents are interested in this application because it is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and the temple will be of a regional constituency, thus the concerns regarding traffic,” Flannery said.

Flannery said there are no other mosques in Bridgewater, which does have one Hindu temple and one Sikh temple that is a different branch of the faith from what the mosque would represent. She said that if approved, this mosque may be the only one in the county, but she is not 100 percent sure on that.

Hannah Scansaroli, who attended the first planning board meeting and lives adjacent to the former Redwood Inn property, said she is glad so many people came out to speak.

“I thought that the meeting went well, and brought the community together,” she said. “It’s nice to see that there were so many people there.”

But Scansaroli said she and her neighbors are concerned that if approved, the mosque and school will change the “character” of the neighborhood because of the added number of people coming in and out of the area.

“Especially since it is going to be an elementary school and possible a nursery school, it could change the character of the neighborhood,” she said. “It is so residential right now.”

When she moved onto her 1.5-acre property six months ago, Scansaroli said, she was initially concerned about what might go on the former Redwood Inn property, particularly because it is right in her backyard.

“We were told it was approved for a place of about five homes,” she said. “But this is going to be a tall building, and will change the value of my home. Who wants to buy a house that backs up to a huge house of worship with more than 500 people in my backyard?”

“And I want to see if they can do a privacy fence,” she added.

Scansaroli said she is concerned about adding something into the area that would not be residential.

“People don’t want to see this area change, and a house of worship isn’t a commercial piece of property, but it’s going to commercialize it in some way,” she said.

The other biggest concern, Scansaroli said, is traffic from the mosque and the schools. This issue was also questioned at a recent board of education meeting when asked whether something should be done to inform the planning board of concerns over traffic that could affect Bridgewater school buses.

“Mountain Top is a very narrow road, and as it is, Bridgewater school buses, from my understanding, are not allowed to go up and down that,” Scansaroli said. “But there’s also talk about possibly widening the road, so that’s concerning.”

“And when I pull out of Running Brook Road, how much traffic is going to be coming out at us?” she asked. “I respect their religion, but there will be traffic in the area.”

Scansaroli said she and her neighbors are concerned because, with a school on the property, that can add heavy traffic five days a week.

“People come in on busloads, so we are attracting traffic from all over the state because there are not many mosques in this area,” she said.

As residents prepare for the Feb. 28 introduction of the application, the Running Brook Association, made up of residents living near the former Redwood Inn property, have retained an attorney to represent their interests.

Most importantly, Scansaroli said, she and her neighbors are concerned about how this structure, if approved, could change the area as a whole, not just with the increase in traffic and bodies.

“On the seal of Bridgewater, it says, ‘scenic,’” she said. “It will not be if approved for this unanticipated, intense, disabling to the local community application of the mosque and school, because of the lowering of property values, noise pollution, light pollution and the overall detriment to Bridgewater Township.”

“This decision is highly important and, if approved, is sure to haunt the individuals on the board for all eternity, as they will be remembered for this more than any good they complete during their term,” she added.