"A local Muslim group is petitioning Charlottesville’s Board of Zoning Appeals to make an exception to City zoning codes for the construction of a new mosque.

The mosque is slated to be built on Pine Street near Forest Hills Park. A City ordinance states that nonresidential buildings like the proposed mosque must be at least 50 feet back from the side and rear of the borders of their land. The Islamic Society of Central Virginia, the group behind the efforts to build the mosque, is asking the City to waive its restrictions for religious reasons.

According to Muslim faith, mosques must face Mecca—but the proposed building cannot face Mecca on that site without violating the setback rule.

“Only one or two corners would encroach on the 50 feet [requirement],” says Abdullah Al-Osaimi, the group’s president. “The other areas would be up to 70 or 80 feet back.” He notes that the orientation of the group’s current building, located on 10 and 1/2 Street, is wrong.

If the petition fails, however, the mosque’s builders plan to make the building smaller in order to fulfill the City’s ordinances and still have it face Mecca. Doing so, according to data provided by Al-Osaimi, would shrink the mosque’s available floor space to 2,910 square feet from 5,220 square feet, a difference of more than 40 percent.

The City’s Board of Zoning Appeals is still on the fence about the waiver request, according to Board Chairman Kevin O’Halloran. The board’s decision—and the mosque’s fate—will be announced at the board’s next meeting on May 18." (David T. Roisen, C-Ville Weekly, May 2, 2003)