A deal has been reached to allow a Muslim prayer centre to operate out of northwest Waterloo – but whether the group behind the centre will ever be allowed to expand remains an open question.
The property in question is on Erbsville Road. It is owned by the Muslim Association of Canada.
A group of local residents calling themselves the Waterloo West Community Association fought attempts to rezone the land so it could be used for religious purposes, citing concerns about traffic and noise levels.
The case ended up at the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal, formerly the Ontario Municipal Board. A four-day hearing was supposed to start Tuesday, but instead adjourned after a short period of time, noting that a settlement had been reached.
The settlement allows for the existing buildings on the property to be used as a prayer centre. Whether the second phase of the project, which would involve erecting a new building on the site, can go ahead will be determined at a future hearing of the tribunal.
