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A Long Island town has agreed to nearly double the size of a local mosque months after officials invented a fake grandmother to try to nix the proposal. The town of Oyster Bay initially objected to the expansion of Masjid Al-Baqi mosque by fabricating a story about an elderly resident who couldn't drive down her street due to heavy traffic from the existing mosque. But on October 21, the town voted 6 - 1 to approve a modified expansion of the mosque which is located in the hamlet of Bethpage. The decision came less than 24 hours before the town was set to go to federal trial against the Muslims who wanted the expansion, according to the New York Post. It marks the end of a monthslong legal battle, which began when Muslims of Long Island sued the town in January, claiming its town code violated federal law by treating secular and religious buildings differently. The suit centered largely on a 2022 town law that changed the parking requirements for religious buildings, Newsday reports. The change, which would have increased the number of parking spots at the mosque from 86 to 155, came as town officials were reviewing the mosque extension, according to the Long Island Press. As the case continued, the town racked up nearly $400,000 in legal fees, but the total number was expected to climb after the town hired a second firm to represent itself in October. But the town's approval of the modified expansion avoided a costly trial. 'The parties, by their attorneys, have engaged in extensive mediation and settlement efforts to amicably resolve the litigation without the need for additional costly and time-consuming litigation,' Elizabeth Faughnan, the deputy town attorney, wrote in a memo. Residents and town officials originally opposed the mosque's expansion, citing traffic and safety concerns. Muslims of Long Island initially sought to expand their two-campus, 5,000 square foot property to one 16,000 square foot building - including a basement-level multipurpose room. They argued that the expansion was necessary, claiming the religious school must stop at prayer time because there is not enough space in the two buildings on the site, which totaled about 5,000 square feet. There was also only one bathroom at the mosque, which draws about 200 worshippers at peak times and about 150 students in after-school programs, mosque board member Mujahid Ahmed said. Bethpage residents and Town of Oyster Bay residents fought back, however, citing the high accident rates and red-light camera violations in the area. 'Right now, we have cars parked all around this block when they do their services or whatever,' one Bethpage homeowner told CBS News. 'Adding any more traffic to that intersection is a complete nightmare, and it's not safe to our kids.' But the town's case took a turn when lawyers for the Muslims of Long Island accused town officials of admitting under oath to fabricating a fake grandma witness in their motion to reject the expansion proposal. The town had claimed a, 'resident testified that while dropping off her grandchildren at a local day care in her sports utility vehicle she was unable to fit down the residential streets with the overflow parking from the place of worship.' Attorneys for the mosque said they reviewed the town hearing transcripts and found no record of a grandmother ever testifying to that effect. They cited testimony from town officials in separate depositions they said supports their claim and proves the town was 'relying on the troubles of a fictitious grandmother to justify its vote.' In his testimony, Angelo Stanco, chairman of the town's planning advisory board, admitted it 'sounds like it' when an attorney for the mosque asked if he would agree 'that the grandmother is a composite character that didn't exist.' When he was then asked if it was fair to say that the grandmother is 'fictional,' Stanco replied, 'Yes,' but later insisted: 'We didn't invent a grandmother.' But attorneys for the mosque said the testimony shows, 'the grandmother is not an innocent composite character formed from the testimony of two real witnesses which would be improper enough. 'Rather, she is a figment of the Town's imagination.' The town also faced backlash last month, when it was forced to fire traffic expert Jeffrey Buckholz, who admitted in a transcript that some people may see him as a 'bigot' as he admitted to commenting on a variety of anti-Muslim social media posts. 'We are shocked and outraged to learn of this, and are immediately dismissing him from the case,' Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joe Saladino said in a statement to The Point at the time. The approved plans for the mosque state it can only be 9,950 square feet, about 1,100 fewer square feet than the mosque's earlier proposal. The facility will also have a voluntary maximum occupancy of 295 people, a decrease from 464 people. Additionally, Muslims of Long Island agreed to pay for a crossing guard 18 months after issuance of certificate of occupancy and will work with the town to establish other safety measures, including an enhanced crosswalk and a new caution light. The reduced size also calls for more parking spaces and an adjacent property will be considered for additional parking. 'I have read through the items on this,' Saladino said before approving the measure. 'I see that we have been able to achieve what the community has asked for, what we believe creates a safer situation.' The congregants pushing for the expansion, meanwhile, just say they are grateful that the legal battle is over. 'This is a day of new beginnings,' congregant Imran Makda said. 'Our doors will always be open to the community and we hope our mosque will be a place where people come together in friendship and mutual respect.
