Town Of Oyster Bay Settles Mosque Expansion Suit: Feds

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY — A settlement has been reached involving a mosque expansion in Bethpage, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

In April, the Justice Department filed a statement of interest challenging a local code that would have restricted the enlargement of a mosque, the U.S. attorney's office said.

The town alleged that the code would have required the construction of more parking spaces than would be feasible, thereby preventing the proposed construction of a larger mosque to accommodate congregation needs.

On Tuesday, the magistrate judge was notified that the parties had reached a settlement, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office said.

The settlement includes approval of the mosque expansion plan and the town will pay $3.95 million in attorney's fees.

As stated in the letter to the judge, "the Oyster Bay Town Board has until August 29, 2025 to pass and enact a resolution, among other things, permitting Muslims on Long Island (MOLI) to demolish its mosque in Bethpage and build a new two-story with basement 16,003 square-foot mosque with site plan improvements in its place."

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District John Durham said in April: “Zoning regulations that unfairly restrict assemblies by faith-based groups violate federal law. Municipalities cannot impose tougher parking or other land use standards on houses of worship."