{"id":292887,"date":"2026-04-30T09:19:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/292887\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T09:19:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T09:19:13","slug":"commission-caps-mosque-attendance-at-180-cars-except-on-ramadan-nights-los-gatan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/292887\/","title":{"rendered":"Commission caps mosque attendance at 180 cars, except on Ramadan nights | Los Gatan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"mosque<\/a>RESIDENTIAL AREA – From this vantage point, the former Jehovah’s Witness building on Farley Road looks more like a tucked-away bungalow than a traditional mosque, as it lacks minarets or even a dome. But the West Valley Muslim Association’s request for longer hours has generated its fair share of controversy. (Drew Penner \/ Los Gatan)<\/p>\n

Los Gatos Planning Commission voted unanimously April 22 to restrict the number of vehicles coming to the Farley Road mosque to just 180 during early mornings and late hours, except on Ramadan nights.<\/p>\n

This motion emerged after two earlier votes died by ties, as neighbors continue to complain about traffic and light disturbances and ignored the offer of a free mediation session set up by the West Valley Muslim Association until it was too late.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the NAACP, America\u2019s oldest civil rights organization, has been raising concerns about the rising Islamophobic discourse around WVMA\u2019s conditional use permit (CUP) modification request.<\/p>\n

At the last hearing, the CUP decision was put off with the idea that the neighbors and the mosque would seek mediation. Years earlier, the area residents opposed multiple housing concepts for the property (which was formerly a Jehovah\u2019s Witness property); they urged the Town to keep the site designated for a church.<\/p>\n

Town Attorney Gabrielle Whelan provided a disclosure about the Next Door social media posts that were already submitted into the record: \u201cThe comments on Next Door do not reflect the views of the Planning Commission or any of the public discussion that has taken place on this topic, to date.\u201d This came as the NAACP has been urging Planning Commission not to consider bigoted statements about people of Islamic faith.<\/p>\n

In an April 1 letter to the Town, Sean Allen, president of the NAACP San Jose\/Silicon Valley Branch said the right to worship is not a privilege but rather is constitutionally protected\u2014enshrined in the First Amendment and reinforced by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.<\/p>\n

\u201cRequiring a mosque to cease religious observance during one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar\u2014Ramadan\u2014because neighbors find the tra\ufb03c inconvenient does not meet that threshold,\u201d he said. \u201cIt does not come close.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NAACP pointed to 11 sources, including a Los Gatan article, they used to get a better understanding of what\u2019s been happening. \u201cThe NAACP has reviewed the public commentary surrounding this matter, including statements made in connection with media coverage of this proceeding,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n

He noted members of the public made the following statements:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Comparing wishing Muslims \u201cRamadan Mubarak\u201d to Nazis wishing Jews a Happy Hanukkah.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Stating that Islam has \u201cruined every country it\u2019s predominant in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Suggesting that \u201cbringing the Crusades back would be a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Using the word \u201cPORK\u201d as a derogatory response when civil rights concerns were raised.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Stating \u201cgoodbye Los Gatos your end is here\u201d in response to civil rights advocacy.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Characterizing Islam as a \u201c7th century\u201d religion that needs to be brought into modernity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are not tra\ufb03c complaints. These are expressions of religious bigotry and Islamophobia,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd while this body may not be responsible for what individuals post on social media, this body is responsible for ensuring that public sentiment rooted in bias does not infect a land use proceeding that is supposed to be decided on neutral, lawful criteria.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whelan confirmed that the Town is aligned with the NAACP on this, given that the application is a land-use permit modification, not a matter of theology. \u201cI certainly take that to heart,\u201d Commissioner Jeffrey Barnett said of the NAACP\u2019s request to exclude the Next Door comments, touching his chest. \u201cI think I speak on behalf of the other Commissioners to that point.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"overflowFOYER SEATING \u2013 So many people attended the March 31 hearing an overflow viewing area was set up. (Drew Penner \/ Los Gatan)<\/p>\n

Whelan also noted that the current CUP doesn\u2019t address noise from cars entering and exiting the premises, or morning hours-of-operation restrictions, because that\u2019s not part of the Town\u2019s Noise Ordinance.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so, when the applicant came forward for this modification, staff\u2014and the applicant\u2014viewed it as a good opportunity to make the new CUP match what\u2019s actually occurring on site,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The mosque requested a meeting with the residents and proposed equal cost-sharing for a potential mediation. They found a mediator who was willing to conduct a session on April 17, pro bono. \u201cThe neighbors declined that request,\u201d Razi Mohiuddin, the founder of the West Valley Muslim Association, told the Planning Commission, adding they proposed four additional low or no-cost government mediation services, as well as three professional mediators.<\/p>\n

Instead, the neighbors submitted their own list of possible mediators, but noted this might not be able to happen until fall. The mosque met with the neighbors on April 16, \u201cbut no meaningful progress was made,\u201d Mohiuddin added.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Rob Stump brought up the fact that the neighbors did send an email saying they\u2019d be open to an \u201cinitial no-cost mediation session\u201d in May. Mohiuddin said the neighbors didn\u2019t bother to mention they were up for this during their April 16 conference, and noted the free mediation opportunity had already passed by then.<\/p>\n

A representative for the neighbors said they didn\u2019t take the Planning Commission\u2019s motion at the last hearing to mean they had to mediate prior to the April 22 meeting. She added they believe the mosque should have to cover the cost, since they\u2019re the ones seeking a CUP modification.<\/p>\n

They even forwarded Los Gatan contributor Jeffrey P. Blum as a possible mediator over a year ago, she added, explaining both parties held initial conversations with our frequent Guest View author, though that hasn\u2019t led anywhere yet.<\/p>\n

The pro bono lawyer the neighbors suggested (the one that had fall availability) may now be booked beyond that initial date, she added. \u201cAs a neighborhood, we are constrained by financial hardships,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Stump asked WVMA about the numbers they expect for morning prayers. Mohiuddin said they get as many as 100 or so; but on weekdays it\u2019s only around 20-50. He says this could grow over time. (And the numbers are about 50% higher during Ramadan, Mohiuddin added.)<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve actually already heard from our congregation that a lot of people are not coming to our mosque because of the traffic, because of all the concerns around the neighbors\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2014Razi Mohiuddin, the founder of the West Valley Muslim Association<\/p>\n

The mosque founder noted that for night prayers, they get about 80-100 people during the winter weekdays and 150-200 people on weekends. With weekend seminars, that number can rise above 300, he added; for Ramadan, it\u2019s more like 500-850, he said. According to Mohiuddin, if growth continues, another mosque will likely be spun-off.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve actually already heard from our congregation that a lot of people are not coming to our mosque because of the traffic, because of all the concerns around the neighbors and things of that nature on there,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we\u2019re already seeing a move towards community members talking about finding another location.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barnett moved approval of staff\u2019s recommended action, and included a number of conditions:<\/p>\n

-That the applicant provide off-site parking during Ramadan.<\/p>\n

-That the applicant may remove their right-turn-only sign.<\/p>\n

-That the applicant provide contact info for staff and board members.<\/p>\n

-That the applicant expand its parking lot within a year (adding 23 or more spaces and reducing noise).<\/p>\n

-That the applicant shall construct a door to create another egress for pedestrians, within a year.<\/p>\n

-That events are noticed at least 60 days ahead of time.<\/p>\n

-That WVMA build an eight-foot fence and add vegetation to mitigate sound and light.<\/p>\n

-That only the interior of the lot be used for food vendors.<\/p>\n

-An annual review by the Planning Commission for compliance.<\/p>\n

-That staff requests the fire department check the current occupancy limit is appropriate and report back on traffic safety issues.<\/p>\n

-That the applicant remind members (in writing) of the speed limit on local streets and encourage carpooling ahead of every gathering that is anticipated to draw 100 or more people (besides funerals)\u2014and to be quiet when coming and going (normal car noises, like locking beeps and door-slams would be exempt).<\/p>\n

-That WVMA asks the police department to increase patrols during Ramadan and post an electric sign on Farley Road showing the speed limit that month.<\/p>\n

-That there\u2019s no amplified sound outside the mosque, unless permitted by the Town Code.<\/p>\n

-That deliveries are limited to Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm.<\/p>\n

-And that the applicant look into portable planting beds pitched by college student Zayn Zaafran, a former assistant senior patrol leader of Boy Scout Troop 399.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am currently a student at the University of California, Davis, where I continue to hold a leadership role in my campus community\u2014a path that I believe was shaped in large part by my years of involvement with WVMA and the values it instilled in me,\u201d Zaafran wrote.<\/p>\n

Chair Kendra Burch seconded the motion.<\/p>\n

Stump tried to get them to add attendance ceilings during morning and night prayer times, but Barnett declined. So, Stump made a motion that was almost exactly the same as Barnett\u2019s\u2014but with strict occupancy caps.<\/p>\n

Commissioner Susan Burnett wanted to add further conditions to Stump\u2019s competing motion, but these were too much for even Stump, who saw a clean logic in limiting people participating in morning prayers by regulating parking based on the 180 stalls in WVMA\u2019s parking lot (for a maximum of 720 people now\u2014if each vehicle carries four Muslim worshipers; increasing to 920 people once they renovate their lot). For late prayers these would be the same numbers, plus those coming from leased parking locations.<\/p>\n

Stump also appeared to be attempting to coax Barnett to add a condition prohibiting Muslim worshipers from parking on the public streets by their mosque. (Later, Town Attorney Whelan reminded Planning Commission that preventing Muslims from parking where everyone else is allowed to park would be, at the very least, against Town policy\u2014but she added the Town would want WMVA to fill its parking lot before its members use street parking.) Burch and Barnett stood firm on not adding that language to their motion. Burch suggested their offsite parking deals requirement (during Ramadan) would help to reduce parking on side streets anyhow.<\/p>\n

But in the end, both motions failed 3-3, as Commissioner Emily Thomas was recused, due to the proximity of her residence. Burch and Adam Mayer voted with Barnett for his motion. Meanwhile Burnett and Joseph Sordi joined Stump for his.<\/p>\n

After an intermission, Stump made a new motion that provided for 180 cars each morning (so 720 people now\u2014at four people per car; 920 people after the parking lot renovation) and 180 for each evening (the same numbers, also based on a four-per-car calculation), with up to around 1,200 people (\u201ctheir max occupancy for their facility,\u201d as Stump put it\u2014869 when sitting, and 1,217 when standing) allowed during Ramadan (with a requirement for leased off-site parking), but only at night.<\/p>\n

\"RaziORGANIZATION \u2013 Razi Mohiuddin, pictured just before the start of Ramadan this year, in an office at the Los Gatos Islamic Center on Farley Road. (Drew Penner \/ Los Gatan)<\/p>\n

However, because Town Attorney Whelan confirmed the rules will be based on cars not people, that means if everyone drove just themselves to attend prayers, just 180 people would be able to worship at the mosque at any time besides nighttime Ramadan prayers, at least until the parking lot is upgraded.<\/p>\n

This was approved unanimously by Planning Commission.<\/p>\n

Community Development Director Joel Paulson said the Town will now have to rework the conditions of approval, but that when it comes back, the item will likely just go on the consent calendar.<\/p>\n

The Farley Road Neighborhood Coalition said they were \u201cdeeply concerned\u201d by the decision, as it legalizes many uses that they sought to block.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith 20-hour daily operations and a membership that will bring up to 8,000 cars per month to a semi-rural lane without sidewalks or adequate lighting, the Town has essentially abandoned its \u2018compelling interest\u2019 in keeping our residential streets safe,\u201d reads a portion of a statement sent to the Los Gatan. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about worship; it\u2019s about an industrial-scale assembly that the infrastructure of Farley Road simply cannot support.\u201d<\/p>\n

WVMA\u2019s leadership said they feel \u201cgrateful\u201d for the Planning Commission\u2019s vote to approve its CUP modification, but were \u201cdeeply disappointed\u201d by the 18 conditions imposed beyond the 25 already recommended by staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo comparable institution in Los Gatos\u2014religious or non-religious\u2014operates under conditions like these. Faith Lutheran Church, approved in April 2025 in an identical R-1 zone, has no annual review, no attendance limits outside, and no delivery restrictions,\u201d Mohiuddin said in an email interview, noting last week\u2019s decision comes with a $1 million price tag for facility improvements, on top of other burdens.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis raises serious legal concerns. The ACLU Foundation of Northern California has written to the Town twice identifying these conditions as potential violations of RLUIPA\u2014the federal law that prohibits government from imposing greater burdens on houses of worship than on comparable institutions. The US Department of Justice issued a letter to municipal officials nationwide in 2024 reminding them of these obligations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mohiuddin said they want to remain cooperative, adding WVMA is planning to appeal the most stringent conditions to Council.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that process does not succeed, we are prepared to pursue all available legal remedies to protect our community\u2019s right to worship freely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"RESIDENTIAL AREA – From this vantage point, the former Jehovah’s Witness building on Farley Road looks more like…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":292888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[32905,117925,25263,124755,52335,124756,41265,76642,124757,124758,124759,88,90,89,124760,117927],"class_list":["post-292887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-aclu","tag-farley-road-neighborhood-coalition","tag-islamophobia","tag-jeffrey-p-blum","tag-naacp","tag-occupancy-limit","tag-planning-commission","tag-ramadan","tag-razi-mohiuddin","tag-rluipa","tag-rob-stump","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-susan-burnett","tag-west-valley-muslim-association"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/292888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}