Politics & Government
City & Mosque Agree to New Location, $2M from Taxpayers to Al Madany
The city will work with mosque officials to find a spot other than Fillow Street, where neighbors were concerned about the proposed size.
The Norwalk Common Council on Tuesday approved a $2 million settlement with the organizers of a proposed mosque to pay the group $2 million and help it find a location other than Fillow Street for a mosque in Norwalk, according to various reports.
The settlement includes these payments from the city to the group proposing the Al Madany Islamic Center, the Hour reported:
- $925,000 to settle the lawsuit Al Madany filed in 2012 and for which a preliminary settlement was reached earlier this month.
- $585,000 to buy the property, an amount deemed to be its fair value after an appraisal of the property.
- $307,500 for Al Madany’s legal costs, to be paid within 30 days.
- Up to $215,000 for various development costs when a new site is found.
The city also agreed to work with Al Madany for two years in a good-faith effort to find another site, according to the report.
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The group had sued the city in 2012 after the original 27,000-square-foot facility was rejected by the Norwalk Zoning Commission. The preliminary settlement had provided for a 21,800-square-foot facility, although some nearby residents still objected, the Hour reported.
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