Zoning limits Muslim group
Lower Merion set terms for how Villanova Islamic foundation uses property.
By Jeff Price
Inquirer Staff Writer

The contentious relationship between the Foundation for Islamic Education and its Villanova neighbors has produced a new zoning order, but it's not clear if either party will accept it.

Both sides have almost three weeks remaining to file a court appeal of the Sept. 14 order by the Lower Merion Township zoning board, setting terms and conditions under which the residential property can be used as a mosque for Islamic services and education.

As recently as last week neither the attorney for the residents nor for the foundation had held detailed talks with their clients about the order.

And residents, because the foundation admitted violating the original 1994 order, want to know how the new one will be enforced.

A key security concern of the neighbors has been to whom the foundation rents the 23-acre grounds on Montgomery Avenue for weekend retreats. A five-day retreat scheduled for Aug. 2-6 was canceled because it exceeded a 12-year-old rule limiting retreats to three days.

....If violations of the zoning order continued after the foundation was warned, Wiley said, it could be fined or a court injunction imposed. Neighbors also have the right to sue under zoning laws.

For his part, Rosenzweig said he will ensure the order, which he termed "one of the most sophisticated I've ever seen," is "rigorously enforced."

He noted that because most of the neighbors' complaints involved weekend activities, violations fell through the cracks: The zoning office was closed, and police were often not aware of the restrictions.