Marietta mosque to remove part of deck

Al-Hedaya Islamic Center in Marietta is removing about half of a rear deck to comply with a court order before a Wednesday deadline.

The Islamic Center began demolition on the deck this weekend. “The rain was so hard, we couldn’t complete it,” said A.J. Rehmani. Work is expected to continue today to return the deck to its original footprint of about 30-by-30 feet, he said.

City officials will examine the demolition work Wednesday before the 11 a.m. court hearing. At that time, the city will inform the judge whether the mosque is in compliance with the court order to return the deck to its original size and remove walls and windows that were added, said city spokesman Matthew Daily.

The mosque added the deck in violation of zoning regulations that require the building at 968 Powder Springs St. to maintain its original footprint. The former single-family residence is a legal non-conforming use because it now is a place of assembly.