Waterloo residents opposed to a plan to put a Muslim prayer centre on Erbsville Road aren’t giving up their fight.
In June, city councillors unanimously approved rezoning the land from agricultural to institutional, paving the way for it to be used as a prayer centre.
That rezoning has since been appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board. A hearing has been set for January.
“People are allowed to disagree, people are allowed to have their opinions and people are allowed to appeal,” Coun. Brian Bourke, who represents the area, said Tuesday.
“Hopefully they will back the decision that city council has made … and then we move on.”
During the rezoning process, people against the plan said they were opposed to what the prayer centre would mean for traffic and noise levels in the area.
Bourke characterizes the opposition as a small but vocal group of citizens.
A group called the Waterloo West Community Association has taken credit for the OMB appeal. Though the group is named similarly to Waterloo’s neighbourhood associations, which receive support from the City of Waterloo, it has no direct connection to the city.
“It was, as far as I can figure out, formed just in opposition to this development,” Bourke said.
The Waterloo West Community Association says it has received $35,000 in donations to take its case to the OMB.
With reporting by Nicole Lampa
