WATERLOO — Council unanimously approved a divisive rezoning proposal to turn a house into a Muslim prayer centre on Erbsville Road Monday night.

The issue drew a full house to council chambers. It took three hours to get through the list of 32 speakers but council made a decision within minutes.

"This is relatively straightforward," Coun. Jeff Henry said of the rezoning proposal.

"Conflict is not the easiest thing to deal with in a community but through conflict comes dialogue and through dialogue comes understanding."

The rezoning proposal has been divisive in the Laurelwood neighbourhood of Waterloo, so city staff was prepared on Monday. Extra security staff was at hand and an overflow area was set up in the lobby at Waterloo City Hall once council chambers filled up.

Mayor Dave Jaworsky spent most of the night policing people's words.

"The topic of religion, race and culture is not encapsulated in the planning act. It is not to be discussed tonight," he said at the start of the meeting.

He also reminded the public that any derogatory comments made toward the applicants, city staff or council would not be tolerated.

His pre-emptive warnings didn't quite work. Jaworksy had to tell several speakers to refrain from speaking about religion.

"Congratulations for keeping the elephant in the room quiet," Coun. Mark Whaley said to the mayor at the end of the three-hour long meeting.

The Muslim Association of Canada's local chapter wanted to rezone a single-family home and garage at 510 Erbsville Rd. from agricultural to institutional and green space. It has been met with fierce opposition for more than a year.

Opponents have cited noise, traffic and environmental concerns, but a staff report said a house that will accommodate 25 people at a time will not impact the neighbourhood. Staff also said the green space zoning will protect the natural area.

On Monday, more than 25 residents who spoke early on were in full support of the Muslim association's zoning proposal.

"Frankly I am concerned the main reason … has more to do with Islamophobia," Jason Neelis, a Laurelwood resident, said to council.

Jaworsky threatened to turn off the microphone if Neelis continued on the topic.

The mayor also threatened to turn off a PowerPoint presentation by Matt Lucid, an area resident, who wanted to point out some hateful comments on an opposing online petition. Lucid turned it off himself.

"If this was any other group there wouldn't be this many people here and it (zoning proposal) would pass easily," he said.

City staff said they have received more than 300 emails on the subject. Online petitions that support and oppose the rezoning have attracted hundreds of signatures each.

Lauraine Bauman, a Laurelwood resident, said she read the staff report and studies submitted by the Muslim association.

"It clearly meets all the planning requirements," she said. "This is a planning issue. Unfortunately it's become more than that."

Bauman said she was "appalled and embarrassed" at the intolerance she witnessed at a public meeting in March where bigoted comments were hurled at members of the Muslim association. She said she thinks council should stand up against intolerance.

"Please don't sit silent," she said, quoting an editorial in The Record from this past weekend.

Many residents tried to make comments without any mention of religion, but would get a stern warning from Jaworsky.

Rania Lawendy, a Muslim resident of Laurelwood, said that there was an element of xenophobia in the charged discussion around this zoning proposal. She was interrupted by the mayor mid-sentence.

"I know that the mayor, its not your fault, but you want everyone to stay on point…but I think it is a factor."

Other members of the Muslim association thanked council for considering their rezoning proposal, saying that it has been a long and challenging process.

Gufran Mahboob said there is only one mosque in Waterloo compared to three in Cambridge and three in Guelph so a prayer centre in Laurelwood will be well used.

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He said many opponents have questioned whether there is even a need for a prayer centre in Waterloo.

"There are over 150 Muslim families in that northwest area of Waterloo," he said.

"I personally would never presume to question anyone else … on their needs in their community."

Jaworsky apologized to the residents he had cut off during the meeting, saying it had to be done to stick to the planning issues at hand.

Ward Coun. Brian Bourke felt the same way, but he did acknowledge the "elephant" in the room.

"There have been a lot of hurtful things said in the last little while, and written, we know that exists out there, we're not naïve."

A resident opposed to the application told council that she believes the Muslim association will build a "humungous" building at the site.

"I fear the worst. The rezoning application is the first step," Xiangxiang Luo said.

While the association does have plans for a larger community centre at that site, a staff report said this application was only to rezone the property.

The Muslim association has said any future building will depend on finances.

Any future development plans will also require additional studies and approvals from council because a holding provision was put in place to prevent any building on site.

A resident representing a group in Laurelwood opposed to the proposal, known on Facebook as "residents opposing 510 Erbsville Rd rezoning," also spoke.

The group organized a public meeting earlier this year that was only for those opposed to the application. They did not invite the Muslim association.

Hope Yang said they gathered 500 signatures in a petition against the rezoning. She said the staff report was flawed because it failed to address the possibility of a future building.

"We will appeal this to the OMB (Ontario Municipal Board)," she told council.

Another area resident, Lucy Gao, said this specific spiritual use is "intensive" and is not a "common" spiritual use because the prayer centre will be used five times a day from dawn to nighttime.

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