Controversial Zoning Snag: Muslim School Blocked in Islip Town

Islip officials have denied a proposal by the United American Muslim Association (UAMA) to operate a boarding school for 120 boys in grades 7 through 12 at a former Catholic boarding school property. The Islip zoning board of appeals, in a 3-1 vote on Tuesday, ruled that the New Jersey-based Muslim group's plan did not conform to local zoning rules, a decision obtained by Newsday on Friday.

The UAMA had purchased the 13-acre Bay Shore property for $5 million in June from the Montfort Missionaries, who had operated it as a boarding school for teenage boys aspiring to become priests until 1972. Despite the property's historical use, the zoning board emphasized that its past does not dictate its future zoning permissibility, stating, "The historical Montfort use developed under a materially different zoning scheme."

The core of the zoning board's decision revolved around whether boarding students constituted a "permitted accessory use" to a parochial school under town code. This decision reversed an earlier stance by the town's building division, which had deemed boarding an allowed accessory use. The board's ruling specified that an accessory use must meet three criteria: it must be "customary," "clearly incidental," and cannot involve business activities. The UAMA's proposal, according to the board, failed all three.

Firstly, the board found that boarding would constitute a "substantial" use of the property, not "subordinate and clearly incidental to the principal educational use." Secondly, it argued that boarding was not "customary" in New York State, noting that fewer than 3% of schools statewide have dormitories. Lastly, the board cited concerns about potential business activities, pointing to materials that suggested housing units on campus could be made available to non-students or staff, promoted a daycare, and advertised the property for weddings.

An attorney for the United American Muslim Association was unavailable for comment. However, the Council on American-Islamic Relations' New York chapter expressed its commitment to "reviewing the decision and will continue to monitor the situation closely." Iman Virani, a spokeswoman for CAIR-NY, reiterated their dedication to ensuring "Muslim students, families, and institutions are afforded equal treatment and that their civil rights and religious freedoms are protected." Habeeb Ahmed, a member of the Islamic Center of Long Island, openly suggested the decision was indicative of "Islamophobia and anti-Islam discrimination" on Long Island.

The board also addressed a precedent cited by the Muslim organization's attorney, concerning St. John's University's 1999 acquisition of the former La Salle Military Academy campus in Oakdale. St. John's had received "discretionary zoning approval" and a special use permit due to the importance of preserving the historic property. However, the Islip zoning board concluded that "the history and zoning circumstances of the Oakdale property are materially different from those presented in this appeal," distinguishing it from the current case.