Muslim Center Voted Down, Plainfield Board Tables Rec Center Proposal

PLAINFIELD, IL — A vote on a religious group's plan to open a Muslim community center ended in a 3-3 tie — essentially a "no" vote — and village officials again postponed action on the Plainfield Park District's plans to build a rec center at Gregory B. Bott Park on Monday.

On a motion from trustee Cally Larson, the recreation center proposal was tabled until after a traffic study is completed. Located at 24550 W. Renwick Road, the park district's rec center would be a 38,000-square-foot facility with a multi-court gymnasium, preschool classrooms and multi-purpose room on the first floor and multi-lane walking/jogging track, health and fitness exercise area and restrooms on the second floor.

Trustees Bill Lamb and Larry Newton voted against tabling the vote.

Two weeks ago, residents expressed concerns about traffic, potential flooding and the design of the facility, which is slated for construction in early 2018. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Muslim Community Center voted down

After Monday's meeting, the Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs' plans for a Plainfield Community Center at the former site of a church once again finds itself in limbo. The group is looking to relocate from a Route 59 storefront to a former church/Montessori school at 23616 W. Main St.

On Monday, trustees Larson, Margie Bonuchi and Brian Wojowski voted against accepting the plan commission's findings of fact in the case and directing the village attorney to draft an ordinance granting the group a special use permit. Trustees Newton and Lamb voted yes, along with Mayor Mike Collins. But with trustee Ed O'Rourke abstaining from voting, the 3-3 tie amounted to a no vote, attorney Jim Harvey said.

Larson cited traffic issues raised by residents as the reason for her opposition to the Muslim center. "I cannot support this," she said, drawing applause from some in the audience.

Newton argued that the Islamic group has "bent over backwards" to accommodate residents' concerns. Director of Planning Jonathan Proulx told the board that applicant Zaki Basalath has agreed to voluntarily cut the building's maximum occupancy from 150 to 114 people due to insufficient parking, with the possibility of eventually adding more parking on the two-acre property.

Basalath has also agreed to put in additional trees and landscaping to lessen the impact headlights in the parking lot would have on residents to the north of the property. Some residents took issue with the center's early morning call to prayer, which takes place 30 minutes before sunrise. Proulx said traffic concerns would be further mitigated by restricting parking on nearby Ash Street (no street parking) and Maple Court (street parking for residents and their guests only).

The vote leaves applicant Basalath largely in the same position he was two weeks ago, after trustees discussed cutting the maximum occupancy. A motion to table the discussion failed for lack of a second, and trustees failed to make another motion, meaning no action was taken.

Basalath told Patch he is slated to meet with village staff on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the next steps to get the proposal back on the village board agenda.

Photo of the former church purchased by the Islamic Foundation of the Southwest Suburbs/Image via GoFundMe