A proposal for a mosque on Harrison Avenue in Riverhead drew about 50 supporters to town hall for a planning board hearing last night.
The Riverhead Islamic Center at 751 Harrison Avenue will consist of worship space on the first floor, a classroom for Sunday school, a kitchenette and restrooms on the second floor, according to plans filed with the town.
The mosque will be a 6,500-square-foot masonry-type building, Riverhead attorney Charles Cuddy told the planning board. The existing house, currently vacant and boarded-up, will be relocated on the 1.3-acre site and renovated for use as a residence, he said. The site plan provides for 65 parking spaces, which is more than is required by code, he said. He noted that the entrance driveway will be on the north side of the site, to reduce the potential for traffic congestion that might interfere with the flow of traffic from the nearby school. But, he added, traffic should not be a problem in any case. The peak attendance at any service is expected to be about 50 people. The Friday evening service draws the most worshippers, he said.
The plan “meets all site plan requirements,” Cuddy said. “This is an appropriate site for this particular use.”
