By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A POPULAR Dandenong mosque has bought adjoining houses to quell neighbours’ concerns about its massive parking overflow.
Emir Sultan Mosque has this month bought two neighbouring houses in Cleeland Street and Godfree Crescent, earmarking at least one of them for off-street parking.
It is seeking to raise $700,000 by mid-July to pay for the 800 square metre Cleeland Street property.
In February, the mosque controversially won permission from Greater Dandenong Council to double its Friday congregation despite a 227 car-parking space shortfall in February.
Parking comes under acute stress in the area which is surrounded by houses, Chisholm TAFE, Dandenong Hospital, clinics and Dandenong North Primary School.
The mosque’s existing 41-space off-street car park has been unable to cope with the mosque’s permitted maximum of 300 attendees – which extends to 500 during Ramadan.
Neighbours had complained of illegal parking over driveways, impediments to emergency vehicles and lack of access to nearby homes and businesses during the mosque’s Friday service.
Mosque vice-president Suleyman Sahingoz said the purchases were partly due to worshippers’ mounting parking-tickets.
“We had to do this,” he said.
“Every mosque has parking issues. We wanted to do the right thing by the council and the neighbours.”
Greater Dandenong Mayor Sean O’Reilly welcomed the impasse-breaker as “action that was required”.
“That’s great that they’re taking positive action on parking, which will help with relationships with residents.
“The mosque has a great relationship with the council. It is repaying the council’s trust.”
Councillor Matthew Kirwan, who opposed the mosque’s parking reduction in February, said: “If they’re working on the basis that they’re not going to further increase the number of worshippers, that’s a really good outcome.”
Greater Dandenong city planning acting director Rachel Lunn said if the mosque intended to use residential land for car parking, it would be advertised and require a “full assessment against the planning scheme”.
“Council is in no position to speculate whether the purchase of adjoining land would contribute positively to (the) locality or the existing permit.”
