Upper Saddle River Mosque Hearing Postponed a Second Time Amid Local Debate
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
A highly anticipated Planning Board hearing regarding the conversion of a historic Upper Saddle River landmark into a mosque has been delayed once again.
Originally slated for June 10 and previously pushed to July 8, the meeting has officially been rescheduled for September 24. Planning Board Secretary Linda Marmora confirmed that the applicant, Markazi Sunni Rizvi Jamia Masjid, will be required to re-notice the public for the new fall date.
The applicant, which currently provides services from its Sunni Rizvi Jamia Mosque in Jersey City, owns the 0.65-acre site located at 305 W. Saddle River Road. The property features the former Saddle River Methodist Church, an iconic wood-frame structure built in 1842 that functioned as the borough’s Cultural Center from 1982 until its recent closure.
Inside the Proposed Property Renovations
Because the historic building sits within a residential district, houses of worship are classified as a conditional use. According to a review letter from Borough Engineer Nicki Louloudis, the proposed application includes several interior and exterior changes:
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Structural Updates: Modernizing the facility’s bathrooms and installing an updated access ramp.
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Aesthetic Modifications: Replacing the historic building’s existing steeple cross with a traditional minaret.
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Site Enhancements: Upgrades to local landscaping, lighting, drainage systems, the parking lot, and driveways.
Zoning Variances, Parking Waivers, and Local Pushback
The application relies on key zoning variances and waivers that have drawn scrutiny from some members of the community:
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Impervious Coverage Variance: While the borough permits a maximum of 30% impervious coverage, the property has a preexisting non-conformance of 34.3% (10,867 square feet). The new proposal seeks to increase this footprint to 37.6% (11,906 square feet).
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Traffic & Parking Waivers: The plan requests a waiver to construct 14 on-site parking stalls measuring 9-by-18 feet (where 10-by-20 feet is standard), alongside a 22.7-foot drive aisle instead of the required 24 feet. Despite these requests, the borough engineer noted that given the site’s projected 19-person worship capacity, “the traffic impact appears minor.”
The project has sparked intense neighborhood debate, culminating in an online petition urging the Planning Board to deny the application on the grounds of environmental constraints and master plan inconsistencies. The petition has amassed 1,095 signatures.
Currently, the closest active houses of worship for the local Muslim community are the Mosque of the Jerrahi Order in Chestnut Ridge, NY (4 miles north), and the El-Zahra Islamic Center in Midland Park, NJ (6 miles southwest).
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Islam ~ religion of peace.