Mosque wins zoning approval: 'My children are the future of Carmel'

CARMEL, Ind. — The city's Board of Zoning Appeals voted 3-2 late Monday night to approve a proposal to build a mosque in an area of Carmel that is predominately residential.

A healthy roar and clapping followed the announcement of the vote, more than five hours after the meeting started. An unprecedented crowd turned out for an opportunity to address the board, with 88 speaking in favor of the mosque and 88 opposing it.

The Al Salam Foundation asked for permission to build the mosque at 141st Street and Shelborne Road. City staff recommended approval, saying the plans meet zoning requirements and houses of worship are considered compatible with neighborhoods.

About 700 people packed the first floor at the 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall, filing in as a harpist quietly plucked away at tunes such as “Stairway to Heaven” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

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The occasion was both the first time Carmel had employed a harpist at a zoning meeting and the first it had to book the Palladium, the only city facility that could accommodate the heightened interest the mosque has drawn.

On several occasions, the board asked speakers to give up their slots if they were going to repeat what had already been said. They also asked people to raise their hands in opposition or support instead of speaking, but most wanted their chance to talk even as the clock turned closer to midnight.

Dozens of members of the congregation, wearing blue ribbons to show support, spoke in favor of the mosque. Many painted the picture they were everyday Americans, just like those living in the nearby neighborhoods, who want to be part of the fabric of the community.

Shadia Jalal of Carmel said the mosque will be a key part of that community.

“My family not only lives in Carmel but gives to Carmel,” she said. “We work, volunteer, coach, attend public schools and much more. My children are the future of Carmel. I am no activist, but I am a Muslim and a mom. … I choose to instill in my children my values. These happen to be Muslim values, but also universally good values of honesty, integrity, kindness, values that honor the Golden Rule of doing to others what you want to be done to you.”

Many said they would strive to be good neighbors, pointing out that the congregation is mainly professionals.

“A large part of the foreboding is due to fear of other,” said Ali Hasan of Carmel. "But we aren’t the other. We are Americans.”

Only a few speaking against the proposal brought up religion. Paul Knutson said he’s a Christian who lives just north of the site in Westfield.

“It’s not that I don’t like my neighbors. It’s not that I’m being hateful. I oppose the spread of Islam,” he said to a scattering of clapping, which the board quickly squashed.

Several have made the point the crowd in opposition to the mosque is ethnically diverse. Carmel is about 10 percent Asian American and many of those folks live in West Clay.

Many of those against the mosque specifically said they had no problem with Muslims or with the congregation building a mosque in a place they thought would be more appropriate, perhaps along a commercial corridor. But many, especially from Overbook Farms, Grannan Grove and Long Ridge Estates said the increased traffic, lighting and noise would hurt their property values. They want to see houses developed on the site if anything.

Gregg and Michelle Pellicone live next door and worry about the congregation's future expansion plans. They say the congregation hasn't been upfront about expansion plans and will move to add a gymnasium, athletic fields and a school.

“Opposition has never been about religion and to suggest so is insulting,” Michelle said. “This is about site suitability and transparency of plans.”

In the end, board members approved the mosque after asking several technical questions about whether the site could accommodate it. Leo Dierckman, Brad Grabow and Dennis Lockwood voted in favor while Alan Potasnik and James Hawkins voted no.

The congregation will raise funds before beginning construction. The timeline is unclear. There are no expansion plans at this point, congregation officials say. They would have to ask the board for permission to build anything beyond the mosque and parking lot.

The 35-foot-tall building will have a flattened bronze dome topped with a crescent moon and a 75-foot tall minaret. The majority of the 15-acre property will be green space, though there will be 102 parking spaces.

Leaders of Al Salam Foundation said they met for eight hours last week with a lawyer representing neighboring homeowners. At the hearing, the congregation said it would reduce the size of the building, shift parking away from homes, build a privacy fence along the western property line, add landscaping and lower light poles.

The first floor will be about 13,000 square feet, with the basement that size or smaller. Original plans called for 28,000 square feet on two levels.

The planning department compiled a list of 17 similar houses of worship that have received permission to build alongside neighborhoods. Six are larger than the mosque, including the 31,350-square-foot Greek Orthodox Church at 106th Street and Shelborne Road.

► Read more: Carmel staff recommends approval of mosque

The Al Salam congregation is a diverse group that has been holding prayers in a small office space south of 96th Street. Some of its members are immigrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and their American-born children, as well as converts to the faith. Their members are drawn mostly from Carmel, Westfield and Zionsville.

Congregation leaders say they've struggled for four years to find land in Carmel available for sale for their mosque. They had a purchase offer on a site near 146th Street with more room for development, but the deal fell through due to covenants restricting what could be built there.

Mayor Jim Brainard and community faith leaders view the proposal of a mosque as a milestone in the city's cultural diversity, another sign that Carmel is a welcoming and inclusive place. During the past decade, Carmel has added a Jewish synagogue, a Greek Orthodox Church and a Mormon temple.

Area homeowners have packed two earlier city meetings, largely to speak against the mosque's location. A record 400 people tried to attend the Jan. 22 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, about 100 more than the room could accommodate. The board delayed its decision until Monday in order to give everyone a chance to speak and booked the 1,600-seat Palladium, a first for a city zoning hearing.

The mosque has drawn interest from outside the community, too. In all, 1,034 people have written letters opposing the location and 1,031 have written letters in support, some from outside the state.

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IndyStar reporter Robert King contributed to this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich and at facebook.com/chris.sikich.