Home » Islamic Center of Mukilteo – ICOM

Islamic Center of Mukilteo – ICOM

Location Map of ICOM Site

Proposal: Development a Place of Worship, with a parking lot, landscaping, and drainage improvements
Project Location: 3920 Harbour Pointe Blvd. SW
Project Number: PPR-RUP-HE-2016-001
Application:  Land Use Development Reasonable Use Permit


Update:

As previously mentioned on this page, the Notice of Decision for the ICOM proposal was issued November 25, 2020 (you can view it here).    The Notice of Decision incorporated conditions of approval and included a 14 day appeal period.  In this case, the 14 day appeal period concluded December 9, 2020.   No appeal was filed during the 14 day appeal period.

As with similar construction projects, the next step is for the appliant to assemble the construction team and meet with City staff to discuss City permit/construction requirements and conditions of the decision. This is called a pre-construction meeting.  Permit(s) are then readied for issuance, fees paid and constuction may begin.

In 2016, the City of Mukilteo received an application to develop the vacant lot approximately 30,000 square foot in area located at 3920 Harbour Pointe Blvd. with a 3,796-square-foot mosque, including a 25-space parking lot, landscaping, storm drainage improvements, and wetland buffer enhancement.

The primary application is for clearing and grading of the site. A building permit has not submitted yet; although conceptual plans were provided.  A formal building permit application is to be submitted in the future and will be reviewed at that time.

The proposed building will have an assembly/prayer area, multi-purpose room, offices, a kitchen, restrooms, and two classrooms. The site is zoned Community Business South (CB(S)).  Places of worship are a permitted use in the CB(S) zoning district.

Review of the proposal has continued since that time of the submittal.  During the course of the review process, the applicant dedicated a 10 ten-foot wide portion of the property along the full extent of the property’s Harbour Pointe Boulevard street frontage for public street right-of way.  That dedicated right-of way was developed as part of the street for the Harbour Pointe Boulevard widening project that included sidewalks and driveway improvements abutting the ICOM property.  Revised ICOM development plans were submitted to account for the street improvement.

A  Category IV wetland with a 40 foot minimum buffer exists on the property based on a “Critical Area Study and Buffer Averaging Plan” submitted by the applicants.    A reasonable use request is being processed with the application to allow for wetland buffer averaging to accommodate a driveway access from Harbour Pointe Boulevard into the site.    The City’s municipal code allows for administrative review of  wetland buffer averaging requests if the buffer width is reduced by no more than 50% and increased in other areas, so long the total buffer area is not decreased.

During the review process there have been opportunities for the public to provide comment.  The comments generally concerned the following topics:

  • Traffic and parking
  • Impact on the wetland and wildlife
  • Noise created by calls to prayer
  • Adequacy of the site for a place of worship
  • Islam Religion

The City of Mukilteo staff has considered the public comments received in reviewing the application and working on a project decision.  Among the considerations were:

Traffic and parking  Many comments regarding traffic and parking were based on a newspaper article which included a quote by a mosque supporter that they hoped the mosque would be home to 400 worshippers.  Comments questioned if enough parking was being provided and what the impact be on the already congested Harbour Pointe Boulevard/Mukilteo Speedway intersection would be if there were 400 worshippers on the site.

Based on the application, the proposed mosque will only be able to accommodate a maximum of 53 worshippers at one time.  Given this number, a minimum of 14 parking spaces would be required.  The proposal shows a 25-stall parking lot.  The proposal meets parking requirements. No additional traffic mitigation will be required other than standard traffic mitigation impact fees all new construction must pay.

Noise from calls to prayer:  Conceptual drawings for the mosque show a minaret.  Some people assumed the minaret would house loudspeakers to broadcast the call to prayer five times a day.  The applicants say the minaret is merely an architectural feature and they do not intend to install loudspeakers there nor do they intend to broadcast calls to prayer from the site.  The City intends to impose a condition of project approval that would prohibit amplified calls to prayer.

The Islam religion: Some comments questioned whether the nature of Islam was compatible with democratic life in the United States and Mukilteo. Other comments suggested the mosque would attract immigrants and that they will bring with them disease and unrest.  They also suggested the presence of a mosque will cause an increase in hate crimes and terrorism.  The zoning code does not distinguish on the type of place of worship that may be allowed in a particular zoning district.   The type of place of worship is not considered in the decision about issuing a permit for this project.

 


Project Basics:

  • Address:  3920 Harbour Pointe Blvd. (immediately west of the Bank of America on Harbour Pointe Blvd./Mukilteo Speedway)
  • Lot Size:  Approximately 33,000 square feet
  • Zoning District: CB(S) – Community Business South
  • Comprehensive Plan Designation – Commercial
  • Current Land Use: Vacant
  • Proposed Land Use: Place of Worship
  • Place of Worship means an establishment, the principal purpose of which is religious worship and for which the principal building or other structure contains the sanctuary or principal place of worship, and including accessory uses in the main building or in separate buildings or structures, including Sunday school rooms and religious education classrooms, assembly rooms, kitchen, library room or reading room, recreation hall, a one-family dwelling unit and residences on the site for nuns and clergy, but excluding facilities for training for religious orders’ per Mukilteo Municipal Code 17.08.Definitions
  • Building Footprint:  1,878 square foot
  • Floor Area of Building: 3,976 square feet
  • Height of Building: 35′ 8-1/2″
  • Total Parking Spaces: 25 Spaces Provide

Project Review Process:

  • Application Submitted:  March 11, 2016
  • Application Status Notification – Complete (3-21-16)
  • Notice of Application (issued 4-22-16)
  • Public Comment Period:  April 22 – May 20, 2016 (comment period doubled from 2 weeks to 4 weeks due to the amount of public interest in the project)
  • SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act)
    1. SEPA Comment Period (April 22 – May 20, 2016)
    2. Environmental Determination; Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance issued Friday, June 24, 2016.
    3. Environmental Determination Appeal Period is 14 days after issuance of the determination – Friday July 8, 2016.  No appeal was filed.
  • Notice of Decision – November 25, 2020
  • Notice of Decision Appeal Period is 14 days after issuance of a decision; appeal of decision would be heard by City of Mukilteo Hearing Examiner

Project Contacts:

David Osaki, Planning & Community Development Director can be contacted by email or by phone at 425-263-8042.

To Be Added to a Notified Party List: Please contact the Permit Center at 425-263-8000 or by email.


Applicant Submittals (click on item to view):

1. Land Use Permit Application
2. Engineering Permit Application
3. Project Narrative
4. Application Fees
5. Utility Availability Letters (See Below)

6. Site Plan & 9. Landscape Plan
7. Building Elevation & 8. Building Floor Plan
8. Civil Construction Plans
9. Drainage Calculation and Study
10. Request for Building Frontage Improvements
11. Topography
12. Traffic Study & 15. Parking Analysis
13. Water and Sewer Plan
14. Geotechnical Report
15. SEPA Checklist
16. Critical Area Study and Buffer Averaging Plan (4-11-16) (April 11, 2016)
17. Critical Area Study and Buffer Mitigation Plan (4-15-14) (April 15, 2016)
18. Civil Set Final (October 12, 2020)
19. Wetland Resources Supplement (April 13, 2020)

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