Strong emotions have come to the forefront after a unanimous vote this month to subdivide a piece of land at 1212 Iowa Ave. to allow Muslims in Ames to build a mosque.

Neighbors in the area where the mosque is to be built say it will cause traffic problems, will decrease property values and the 6,000-square-foot building is too overwhelming for the small neighborhood, said Carol Grant, a resident of the neighborhood.

Robert Goodwin, attorney for the Ross Road Neighborhood Association, said the common standard for church planners is 5 acres of land and the proposed mosque land is only .9 acres.

“We already have a backup traffic problem in the area, and no one in the city government has ever discussed the impact of the size of the project,” Grant said.

Councilwoman Judie Hoffman said the city has rules and regulations the building must meet before it can be built, and so far the mosque meets all the requirements.

Hoffman said the council was only looking at the technical aspect of the proposal which was whether to approve the 3-lot subdivision.

At a recent city council meeting, the details of the approval were given.

The city codes state the approval of the conceptual plan does not constitute an approval of the actual structure.

This approval must occur after a “complete review of the proposed structure and related site improvements within the city,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said once the staff has gathered all the information, it will revisit the city council to decide the final plat.

The final plat is the drawing of how the building fits on the land and where necessary additions, such as sewers, will be located.

“We will then vote on the final plat and make sure it meets all the requirements of the city and state subdivision regulations,” Hoffman said.

The Ross Road Neighborhood Association has filed a lawsuit against Darul-Argum Masjed, the owner of the land at 1212 Iowa Ave. stating the zoning board of adjustment did not act appropriately.

The case is the Ross Road Association vs. Darul-Argum Masjed. The case goes to court Nov. 4.

“If the neighborhood wins the case, then a special permit to build a mosque on that particular lot will not be issued,” Goodwin said.

If the neighborhood loses the lawsuit, the construction of the building will likely begin in the spring, Hoffman said.

Riad Mahayni, a member of the mosque as well as a member of Ames’ planning and zoning, said the proposed mosque will be the third mosque designed and built in Iowa.

The first two are in Cedar Rapids and are in the National Historic Register.

He said the existing mosque in Ames is a house that was converted into a place of worship.

The Muslim community has been using it for about 15 years.

Mahayni spoke at the city council meeting about the controversy surrounding the mosque.

“I brought to the discussion a response to some of the misinformation about the mosque, with the parking problems, the fact that houses of worship are allowed in residential areas and the idea that adjacent properties to houses of worship are actually proven to go up 5 percent in value,” Mahayni said.

The Muslim community had not spoken publicly about the mosque until the proposal came forward.

“We took the high road in the sense that we didn’t feel like we had to discuss these issues because they were not pertinent. When accusations started, we felt like we had to address it,” Mahayni said.

“Instant experts were sharing their views rather than facts,” he said.

Khalil Ziq, adviser for the Muslim Student Association, said the Muslim students are pleased and looking forward to the building.

“We are just waiting on the final judgment,” Ziq said.