It was standing room only in Bloomfield Township at a city meeting Monday night over parking at a local mosque.
The Board of Trustees for Bloomfield Township approved the additional parking.
The Muslim Unity Center will be expanding to have a total of 294 parking spaces.
There will be restrictions and no future expansion of the facility, building or parking will be approved by Bloomfield Township. There will also be another motion regarding neighborhood parking in May.
City leaders heard public comments from both sides of the issue.
Standing shoulder-to-shoulder residents from Bloomfield Township who either worship at the Muslim Unity Center or people who live near it, gathered at the meeting.
Their concern is whether the center, which has an activity center, fitness equipment and more, should be allowed to expand.
Those in favor said it will alleviate issues in the neighborhood – issues including long lines of traffic and cars parking on neighborhood streets.
But others said the center is growing too much and it should move. They said the growth is violating township laws and special use ordinances, since the facility is used for more than just worship.
Along with the additional parking, there will be added landscaping included in the new proposal to add appeal to the surrounding neighborhood and block parking views.
