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City leaders signed off on a site plan for a new mosque proposed by the McKinney Islamic Association after more than four hours of public comments.
What happened?
McKinney City Council members approved the site plan for a new mosque at the corner of Virginia Parkway and Crutcher Crossing. The action came after more than 100 people spoke during public comment on non-public hearing items for the Aug. 4 meeting.
Dozens spoke in opposition of the site plan’s approval including U.S. Rep. Keith Self and state Rep. Keresa Richardson. Dozens also spoke in support of the site plan’s approval, including former McKinney Mayor George Fuller and McKinney Islamic Association President Yasser Wardany.
The McKinney Islamic Association is pursuing construction of a new mosque on a 5.6-acre site that will consist of three buildings totaling 32,573 square feet, according to the site plan. McKinney City Council members unanimously approved the site plan after city staff reviewed it in a presentation and recommended approval.
The framework
Most site plans are approved by city staff, but this particular property’s zoning requires approval by the planning and zoning commission as well as City Council, McKinney Planning Director Lucas Raley said. The proposed site plan for the mosque is “fully compliant” with the property’s zoning and McKinney’s Unified Development Code, he said.
Site plan review does not require full building or engineering plans, but it does ensure that the project conforms with broad zoning and engineering regulations, Raley said.
A staff presentation detailed how the site plan complied with zoning requirements and the city’s development code regarding several factors, including:
The McKinney Islamic Association is planning for one building to stand 46 feet tall, according to the site plan. The property’s current zoning limits height at 35 feet, but the city’s development code allows that limit to be exceeded in any zoning district, excluding the McKinney Town Center, where religious assembly uses are allowed, Raley said.
Primary buildings can exceed the ceiling height up to 75 feet, but it’s conditional to additional setbacks, landscape buffers and tree plantings, Raley said.
More details
McKinney’s Unified Development Code, or UDC, calculates parking requirements by the floor area of the main assembly space.
“This is something that we have practiced for all religious assembly uses in the city of McKinney,” Raley said. “In this case, the site plan is providing additional spaces above the minimum required. The UDC requires one space for every 50 gross square feet of the assembly area on the site.”
The McKinney Islamic Association is planning for 206 parking spaces, according to the site plan. The UDC requires 127 parking spaces, according to the staff presentation.
McKinney Engineering Director Gary Graham also spoke about the traffic impact analysis, or TIA, and flood study completed and submitted to the city’s engineering department for review.
“The purpose of the TIA is to examine the impacts of the proposed development on the adjacent street network,” Graham said.
The analysis is completed based on the peak hour of the intended use, according to a staff presentation. The project applicant indicated this period will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The analysis found that a facility of this size has no significant impacts on the adjacent street network based on the peak hours and planned access points, according to the staff presentation.
“The results of the TIA show that a facility of this size has no significant impacts on the adjacent street network,” Graham said. “Our roadways are six-lane major arterials. They are designed to carry significant amounts of traffic.”
The debate
Several residents voiced concerns about traffic congestion, noise and pollution during public comment. McKinney resident George Moore said he lives “right around the corner” from where the mosque will be located. The subject property is surrounded by residential neighborhoods to the north and south, according to a city document.
“I believe my neighborhood is going to be significantly impacted by the mosque,” Moore said. “I think there are probably solutions. I don’t have all the solutions.”
He said he was concerned about the number of attendees, available parking and the traffic that may impact his neighborhood.
“I’m wondering if we can add some additional entryways and exits into our community,” he said. “The only two entryways into our community is from Virginia [Parkway].”
Wardany, president of the McKinney Islamic Association, said their rezoning request was denied two years ago “for good reason.” After listening to council members, city staff and the community, association officials withdrew its application and “started from scratch.”
“Over the past 20 months, we have worked with four engineering firms and the city staff, and completely redesigned the project,” Wardany said.
Multiple revisions were submitted until the association reached a plan that complies with city requirements and addresses community concerns, he said. The facility will serve the broader community with a gym, health clinic and other programs “open for everyone,” he said.
“We are committed to being good neighbors,” Wardany said.
The action taken
McKinney City Council member Justin Beller said the McKinney Islamic Association has “worshipped peacefully and lawfully” in its current mosque for the last 17 years. The association’s current mosque is located at 2940 Eldorado Parkway in McKinney.
While he is understanding of nearby residents that have “practical concerns” about traffic, parking and green space, Beller said association officials have worked with city staff to conform the site plan to the property’s existing zoning entitlement. They’ve listened to concerns that were expressed after making a zoning request to the McKinney Planning and Zoning Commission in 2024, he said.
“I think they’ve earned and deserve a little trust that they’ll do right by you as their neighbors,” Beller said. “There will always be ways that we can listen to and accommodate our neighbors. It’s an ongoing effort, and it takes two sides.”
Council member Geré Feltus said she resides near the McKinney Islamic Association’s current mosque location on Eldorado Parkway. Council members did not take the public’s comments “lightly,” she said.
City staff have “made all of the points extremely clear,” Feltus said, noting that conversation on the topic is not ending and city officials will continue to engage the public in the surrounding neighborhood.
“We’re not going to solve every problem,” Feltus said. “It’s not going to be perfect, but we’re going to keep looking for solutions as long as we can find them.”
