Lilburn planners deny rezoning for mosque

By Shane Blatt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Muslim congregation in Lilburn was dealt another setback on Monday night in its yearlong pursuit to build a large mosque in a local neighborhood, when the Lilburn planning commission, citing faulty site plans, denied a rezoning request.

The commission unanimously rejected a rezoning proposal by Dar-E-Abbas that would have led to a 20,000-square-foot mosque on four acres at U.S. 29 and Hood Road.

"This board does not change zoning on the flip of a coin," Commissioner Mike Hart told more than 70 residents at city hall. "We have to change zoning understanding that the project will work, and this site plan doesn't communicate that this project will work."

The commission took issue with everything from buffers and parking to the potential for noise and water runoff. Still, the planners' 4-0 decision was just a recommendation.

Next Monday, the Lilburn City Council is expected to make a final decision regarding the mosque at the Gwinnett County courthouse in Lawrenceville.

Approval of the rezoning would end a yearlong legal dispute between Lilburn and the congregation. Litigation will continue as long as the city denies the application, attorney Doug Dillard, who represents the congregation, said after the meeting.

"All of the discussion about compliance with traffic and hydraulics and buffers and setbacks can be dealt with in the permitting stage," Dillard said. "The bottom line is, by denying it, they are still taking away the constitutional right that this congregation has to worship in free and peaceful assembly and that's wrong, and I'm very disappointed in the planning commission."

Last year, the congregation, which owns and worships on 1.4 acres, wanted to buy an additional 6.5 acres for an expanded mosque, gymnasium and cemetery to accommodate the area's growing Muslim population.

Lilburn leaders denied the application, prompting a federal religious discrimination lawsuit against the city.

The revised plan scales back the site to four acres and excludes the gym and cemetery. The cemetery issue was settled in September, when the city amended its zoning laws on cemeteries in certain residential areas. That made it possible for Dar-E-Abbas to build one less than a half-mile away on Harbins Road.

Lilburn residents such as Angel Alonso were pleased with Monday night's decision.

"I think they did the right thing in denying this plan," Alonso said. "It's not about religion. It's about zoning."