Plans to build the region’s first mosque on 15 acres in San
Martin are weeks away from beginning their long march through the
county planning process.
Morgan Hill – Plans to build the region’s first mosque on 15 acres in San Martin are weeks away from beginning their long march through the county planning process. After handing in pre-application materials last summer to the Santa Clara County Department of Planning and Development, developers of the mosque – South Valley Islamic Community – are ready to submit applications for land-use and subdivision permits this month.
As the bureaucracy grinds forward, the three parcels must be approved by the board of supervisors. Furthermore, because the property is adjacent to Llagas Creek, the subdivision application requires review from the Santa Clara Valley Water District. All in all, the whole process could take eight to 10 months before finally going to the Santa Clara County Planning Commission.
The property’s zoning does not preclude such a project. Located west of Monterey Highway just north or California Avenue, the land is zoned for residential uses with a commercial overlay. Additionally, the organization has addressed the obvious questions of providing water and sewer in the rural neighborhood. West San Martin Water Company has pledged to provide service and tests show the land is high enough above the water table to allow a septic system, according to preliminary plans.
Supervisor Don Gage, who said he has not reviewed the project as of yet, said if it meets land use requirements it would be a social asset for South County.
“As the county grows and expands, it’s just another sign we have a diverse community,” Gage said.
South Valley Islamic Community’s story brings to mind that of another group in search of a home – Congregation Emeth, South County’s oldest and largest Jewish organization. The two groups have organized events together in recent years, promoting tolerance and understanding and a discussion of global issues.
“We’ve had a couple of events together and our two groups have some similar philosophies about sharing space,” said Michael Oshan, a Gilroy resident and one of Emeth’s founding members. “We’ve talked about it … but not recently. Obviously there are significant obstacles to overcome for that to happen.”
Muslims have enjoyed a strong sense of community in Silicon Valley cities for years, where many Arab immigrants – along with people from all over the globe – have found their niches in the high-tech universe.
Now that growth – there are 300,000 Muslims in the Bay Area – is segueing into Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill, where the population of Islamic families has grown rapidly during the past 10 years – at least, as reflected by membership in the region’s largest Muslim faith organization, South Valley Islamic Community.
“As the general population of Silicon Valley grew into the outskirts, it took a contingency of Muslims with it,” said Sal Akhter, president of the burgeoning group that now includes 75 South County families – up from four in 1999 when the Islamic organization was founded.
Now that the group is reaching a “critical mass,” as Akhter puts it, it’s looking
But there’s more to it than that. The group envisions an interfaith community center, school, convalescent home, auditorium and other facilities that would promote cultural understanding, religious tolerance and a connection to other mainstream groups.
