February 26, 2021
Here’s a change that might surprise people. The governing body of a county in Virginia has voted and voted unanimously to allow a mosque to expand after hearing more than six hours of public comment comment that mostly favored the expansion.
The vote was by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors on February 4. This is a county that less than a decade ago fought against a growing Hispanic community. It is located in the distant suburbs of Washington, DC, and has been becoming more liberal since it faced much criticism for its efforts to drive Hispanics out of the county.
Nearly 100 county residents participated in public comment time. The Prince William Times reported that the majority spoke in favor of the expansion and about the need to accommodate the growing congregation of the Dar al Noor mosque and its contributions to the community at-large.
Around 20 people spoke against the expansion, citing concerns about traffic along the road in front of the mosque and not any fears of terrorism.
The special use permit allows the mosque to expand its footprint from 12,000 to 88,276 square feet and add about 450 new spaces to its parking lot.
The expansion will add a new prayer hall, administrative offices, a multi-purpose banquet hall, a youth and senior center, meeting rooms, play areas, child-care and a private school with associated administrative offices, auditorium and a medical clinic. The building will be 60 feet tall with an 80-foot minaret.
The board’s discussion largely revolved around how best to mitigate traffic concerns. Part of the solution is to install a new traffic light. The mosque agreed to pay a portion of the cost of the light.