Islamic Center looks to expand

The Long Island Muslim Society’s Islamic Center is at 475 East Meadow Ave.

Christina Daly/Herald

Just before 2 p.m. last Friday, a security guard guided vehicles leaving the Long Island Muslim Society’s parking lot onto East Meadow Avenue.

Christina Daly/Herald

Less than a half-hour later, the street was mostly empty.

Christina Daly/Herald

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A proposal before the Town of Hempstead Board of Appeals to grant a special exception to expand the Long Island Muslim Society’s house of worship on East Meadow Avenue has raised concerns among residents that it will exacerbate existing traffic problems on the busy two-lane road.

The religious and educational nonprofit organization has been in the community since 1993, beginning as a single house and expanding in 2009 to a 2,485-square-foot, one-story Islamic Center. The organization wants to add a second floor to its building to give its female members a larger place to pray.

The building would rise from its current 20 feet to 30 feet after construction. While the height is within town code, Board of Appeals secretary Richard Regina said that renovations of a religious institution require a special exception from the town. The organization also must receive an area variance, because it would not have enough parking spaces to accommodate its maximum capacity. An expanded LIMS building would require 141 spots, Regina said. It has 47 now.

At a community meeting on April 22 to discuss the proposed expansion, LIMS officials claimed that, even with an expansion — which, they said, is not intended to increase membership — there are enough existing parking spots to accommodate their congregants. Residents disagreed, however, and expressed skepticism that a more prominent building would not draw more members.

The Islamic Center hosts five daily prayers, each of which, officials say, attracts between 10 and 35 congregants. But at its Jummah prayer every Friday afternoon, the holiest day of the week in Islam (the Arabic word for Friday translates in English to “congregation”), 140 or so worshipers meet at the building, at 475 East Meadow Ave.

At that time, from roughly 1 to 2:30 p.m., residents say that East Meadow Avenue — and many connecting residential side streets — become overly congested, and nearly inaccessible. Heightening the problem, they said, is the popularity of the street, which connects Newbridge Road to Hempstead Turnpike and is lined with dozens of businesses, a post office, two parks, three East Meadow Fire Department stations and many homes.