A proposed mosque for the Doctor Phillips area will not be built. That’s the unanimous decision from the Orange County Commission, which denied requests for a special exception and variance on the proposed religious facility on Palm Lake Drive.
In May the zoning board denied the construction of a 13,000-square-foot mosque at the intersection of Apopka Vineland Road and Palm Lake Drive. New plans had the square footage reduced to 9,000 but the issue of traffic remained a hot topic throughout the meeting Tuesday, along with questions of true religious freedom.
The property was acquired by the group seeking to build the mosque for what some argue is a low price for the area. That area is zoned for residential use only but the request for a special exception would have given them the go-ahead to build.
The attorney arguing for the special exception said he is disappointed in the commission’s decision in light of other religious buildings in the area. As for the group wanting to construct the mosque, they said they will look at other options.
The three-hour-long debate pitted neighbor against neighbor in some cases. It was argued that discrimination was not an objective, just maintaining the integrity of the community.