Renderings for a proposed mosque plan in Selden. (October 18,...

Renderings for a proposed mosque plan in Selden. (October 18, 2010) Credit: None/

Brookhaven Town's planning board yesterday delayed a vote on an Islamic congregation's proposal to build a mosque in Selden after more than 40 residents sent letters to town hall about the project.

The planning board also tabled a related request to build a 4,000-square-foot mosque in Medford.

The board received the last of the letters about the Selden mosque on Wednesday and needs to review them before it makes a decision, said chairman Vincent Pascale. He said he does not know how many of the letters support the mosque and how many oppose it.

The 400-member Islamic Association of Long Island's plan is to demolish its 29-year-old, 5,600-square-foot Selden mosque and replace it with an 8,000-square-foot house of worship on Park Hill Drive.

Neighbors of the mosque say the area is choked by traffic caused by the facility and that will only worsen if it is replaced with a larger building. But members have disputed that claim, and said the footprint of the new building would be smaller than the current mosque.

"Some people just do not accept having a mosque in their area," said Tahir Qureshi, chairman of the Selden mosque's board of trustees, who said he believes the two sides can reach an accord.

Mosque members have said the new mosque is necessary because the congregation has outgrown the old one. Others have said they need the new mosque because prayer in the current facility - formerly a Christian church - is inconveniently divided among several small rooms.

Pascale said the planners "received a lot of written comment which the board wants to read before we make a decision." The mosque could come up for approval on Nov. 8.

Members of the same Islamic congregation also presented a plan to build a 4,000-square-foot mosque on Granny Road in Medford. The mosque would be located on a 3.6-acre site that now includes a house that is sometimes used for prayer, congregation members said.

The planning board needs to receive comments on the Medford proposal from the Suffolk County Planning Commission, Pascale said. The Medford mosque proposal could be the subject of a Nov. 8 public hearing.

Iqbal Chaudhry of Coram, president-elect of the Selden mosque, said the Medford mosque would alleviate traffic because it would "divert the congregants" from Selden to Medford.

Sean Noblett, who lives nearby, said the size of the proposal is worrisome.

"I don't have an issue with faith," he said. "I have an issue with 50 parking spaces going up and a 4,000-square-foot building."

Qureshi said the congregation is also working on a proposal for a mosque in Ronkonkoma.

FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.  Credit: Newsday/File Footage; Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steven Day, Bebeto Matthews; Getty Images

'A different situation at every airport' FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.  Credit: Newsday/File Footage; Photo Credit: AP Photo/Steven Day, Bebeto Matthews; Getty Images

'A different situation at every airport' FAA data analyzed by Newsday shows the number of bird strikes voluntarily reported by airports in New York City and Long Island has increased by 46% between 2009 and 2023. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.

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