It’s the traffic we’re concerned about. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Oh, and the parking. Lots of people parking. It isn’t that it is a mosque, or that they are Scientologists. We would have the same concern about it being a church. *wink wink*
What am I talking about? Forsyth County is in the news again over a proposed mosque to be built on Tidwell Road in the extreme southern part of the county. This time the sewer hookup is in question. The locals don’t want the mosque there because of “traffic”. Uh huh, riiight. Not that Forsyth doesn’t already have a bunch of large churches on rural roads. Not that there isn’t a VERY large mega church on Old Alpharetta Road (very much a traffic-clogged two lane road). Not that there isn’t a freaking WALMART on a two lane road in Forsyth. Two lane roads haven’t kept Forsyth County from approving anything… well except a mosque.
“Traffic” is a very thinly veiled excuse for intolerance. Oh, you say it isn’t intolerance? Then show me an example where folks are signing petitions to deny zoning for a Christian church. Show me the newspaper articles about it. When did hundreds come to zoning meetings to speak out against a new church on the grounds of parking? I’ve lived here a while and I don’t remember such a thing.
Forsyth isn’t alone in this. Sandy Springs is still fighting the Scientologists and their plans for a facility in the city. The matter is going to court. That wasn’t before 700 people showed up at a city council meeting opposed to it. We can’t have that cult in our charming new little town, now can we?
Look folks, having a mosque in your neighborhood is fine. There is one near Roswell. Are you afraid they’re gonna start planting IED’s on Old Milton Parkway or something? Give me a break. I welcome more diversity in the Alpharetta faith community. You should too.
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Talking about Forsyth, I would think that the lack of laws and regulations about signage is to keep in line with their Freedom ideology: free market; no big government; let the market regulate itself; etc.
The bottom line is that as soon as you cross the county line, you know it just based on the ugliness of the surroundings. Huge billboards, huge signs, and general tackiness feel.
Not even a step above Jasper, Alabama or all those no-name places along highways where you stop for gas and run back on the highway trying not to look back.
I know where this Mosque is proposed to be built, and there are already 2 other religious facilities with 1.5 miles. The “2 lane road” you are refering to is barely that. Two cars can hardly pass each other on this road, and at a three way stop sign-at the site, the road is a DIRT road! So maybe you should look at the site first before you start spouting about that it not REALLY about the traffic, because it really is. Should I send you a bill for 3 mailboxes that had to be replaced the last year? What about the flood zone as Big Creek is on said DIRT road- and it closed down a few times over the last few months. The Walmart you refer to on a 2 lane road is at least Alpharetta HIGHWAY. And the 2nd church that was built 3 years ago we weren’t happy about either, but at least it is directly behind a shopping Center at HIGHWAY 9 also. And it was put in an existing House- not a new build. I have evidence that the membership numbers were misrepresented, as well as the intent to park cars in the grass regardless since the paved parking spaces were paired down by the the Forsyth County board. Plus there is already another mosque in devlopment off of Ga 400 at Exit 13- one exit away. The area at the Avenues is much more suitable for such a large development (schools, Gym, soccer field, playgorund, etc.) Get your facts straight.
I’ll admit that the location they picked is a bit curious. I’m guessing they were looking to save a buck versus locating somewhere else. The fact that there is another mosque in the county is immaterial.
And technically, that is not Big Creek that runs under Tidwell Road. That creek does flood a lot, you’re right. Tidwell is always one of the first roads to close for flood waters.
The zoning laws in Forsyth are very friendly towards religious groups. I don’t think you guys have much of a legal leg to stand on here. Your neighborhood is gonna be a busy place on Fridays in the near future. That’s not a terrible thing. I’d much rather have people in worship nearby versus the alternatives (dealing drugs perhaps?).
Traffic is already barely tolerable on Tidwell Road, adding the influx of 150+ cars on a regular basis between worship (separate men and women’s areas), recreational activities at the Gym-Recreation center, picnic area, playground and proposed soccer field and a school 5+ days a week (I think there is a daycare facility planned as well). This will push the infrastructure at Tidwell past its limits. The original PLAT had over 360 parking spaces. That parking area is still there, but only 150 spaces will be paved for now.
The road frontage is not much at the site so during peak times the influx of cars will basically block any cars coming from Tidwell Circle onto Tidwell Road, or vice-versa. The county has never conducted a traffic study, and does not intend to update the infrastructure; no additional lanes, no sidewalks, no traffic lights. Last fall, the Center at Union Hill requested members to limit how often they came to pray, split up prayer sessions on Fridays to reduce numbers and continuously reminded everyone that they needed to do this until they received approval to purchase/build at Tidwell (I’ve seen emails to this effect from last year).
Another smaller issue is the light pollution and what about the architecture? Most all of the surrounding houses in/around Tidwell/Pine Creek are 20+ years old, but the renderings of the proposed Islamic Center buildings & mosque are not cohesive with the rest of the surrounding area. And let’s not forget they have proposed over 25,000Sq ft of usable space. That is a massive construction/building site that rivals anything directly on McFarland Parkway. They have misrepresented how many people actually attend on a regular basis and it is far greater than what was portrayed to the Commissioners- Over 600 members already.
Whats next? Will Forsyth County start eminent domain to enlarge the roads, add sidewalks and pave Tidwell thru to Union Hill, roads larger than the standard right-of-way allowance-thereby reducing our own property size (and lowering the values)? The County has no intentions anytime soon to even extend sewer thru the rest of Tidwell to Strickland for the residents, yet alone widen the road for a religious facility and then upgrade one small section of a 20+ year old community for one tax-exempt entity. Forsyth County stated that they felt they didn’t have a choice last fall, but what they were really saying is ‘we don’t want to deal with it”. They already turned down a more suitable location off of Highway 9 earlier in 2009 from pressure by ‘deeper’ pocket neighborhoods.
The whole traffic issue is a huge concern, I can’t walk on Tidwell Road as it is, or ride my bicycle, or even back out of my driveway without taking a risk every day. Property values will go down since the volume of traffic will be noticeably greater. There are so many other larger and more suitable lots in Alpharetta and Forsyth. We are all just dumbfounded that such a massive development is being forced upon us smack in the middle of the neighborhoods. We live here because it’s quiet, and off the beaten path. Now it looks as though we are becoming another zoning casualty in Forsyth County. I wonder how many Forsyth commissioners/committee members have actually been to Tidwell Road in the last year. Oh yeah, they don’t live anywhere near South Forsyth! And just because in America we have religious freedom, doesn’t necessarily mean the freedom to build anywhere- the zoning in Forsyth is crazy. Maybe I’ll get a tax credit for numerous destroyed mailboxes and weekly road trash pickup out of this.
Anyone choosing to live in Forsyth County forfeits any rights to sensible zoning laws. I mean, come on. Drive around a little! It’s mostly an ugly mish-mash of anything and everything. A church next to a school, next to a Wal-Mart, a car wash, a house, a horse, a McDonald’s, a baseball field, a house, a gas station, a high-end restaurant, a landfill, and on and on.
Suddenly, we must regulate (almost threw up writing this word) and zone as they plan for a mosque? Suspect.
I live on the same road that the Mosque is being built. We pride ourselves in being a quiet neighborhood. I personally do not want any type of building besides a residential house in my neighborhood for this very reason. Who cares that they are Muslims, who cares if they were Christian, this is a neighborhood! This is where kids play in the street and I don’t feel like we need to add more cars on this road. There are some nieghbors who don’t want muslims next to their house, but I don’t want the extra noise either. I don’t feel safe with a Mosque so close to my house in Forsyth county where there are red necks who would bomb a place like that. Put your Mosque somewhere normal like on a regular road, not a neighborhood!