Muslim worship center to come to city

North Ridgeville’s Planning Commission voted March 26 in favor of welcoming a new home of worship to the community.

The West Cleveland Muslim Association, also known as WCMA, received approval to build a new community center or mosque.

Crews will build the facility on the south side of Center Ridge Road, east of Lear Nagle Road and west of Mills Creek Lane in a B-3 District.

Mayor G. David Gillock said the previous mosque was outdated and too small.

Members of the West Cleveland Muslim Association remain to worship at the original mosque in Westlake.

Gillock said members of the West Cleveland Muslim Association are welcome in North Ridgeville.

Andrejs Smiltars, an architect and principal of Architectural Vision Group, said the firm is constructing the mosque.

Smiltars said he has built mosques before.

The mosque at 31023 Center Ridge Road in Westlake does not provide members enough space to worship and fully support their Muslim religion, he said.

There also is a lot of traffic congestion in that area, Smiltars said.

The new building will sit on over 7 acres of land and provide more parking, he said.

“I think the new mosque will give people more opportunities,” Smiltars said. “This can be a big improvement that can bring more opportunities to North Ridgeville.”

Architectural Vision Group is planning to submit a layout of the new center to the city’s building department in mid-May, he said.

Construction likely will start in mid-June, Smiltars said.

City Councilman Bruce F. Abens, who is a member of the Planning Commission, said during the March 26 meeting, many residents supported the new mosque and others were concerned.

Abens said most concerns were about the traffic and water run-off that could be created with the new center.

The new mosque could welcome people from as far as 25 to 40 miles away, Abens said.

“Many of (the members) who belong to the association are professionals, so, it (can) bring more income into the city,” he said.

Gillock said members who belong to the West Cleveland Muslim Association will not have to travel much further than the Westlake location.

The new location is more centrally located for the west side communities, he said.

Gillock said he hopes members of the West Cleveland Muslim Association and others will come together and learn about each other.

“If people get to know them, that will go a long ways,” he said. “I look forward to them coming.” In other news: There was a request to rezone property from an R-1, Residence District, to a B-1, Neighborhood Business District, for a new bed and breakfast and event center on Case Road.

However, the request did not pass, but it will return to the Planning Commission on April 10.

According to Abens, the owner of the property expressed that the bed and breakfast would house three to four guests, while the event center could bring in 80 to 100 patrons.

Abens said he supports the request of a bed and breakfast, but did not vote to pass it.

He said he had a problem with the B-1 request because the area would remain as a B-1 district, forcing another to take over the property if the owner chose to leave.