Los Gatos Planning Commission voted unanimously April 22 to restrict the number of vehicles coming to the Farley Road mosque to just 180 during early mornings and late hours, except on Ramadan nights.
This motion emerged after two earlier votes died by ties, as neighbors continue to complain about traffic and light disturbances and ignored the offer of a free mediation session set up by the West Valley Muslim Association until it was too late.
Meanwhile, the NAACP, America’s oldest civil rights organization, has been raising concerns about the rising Islamophobic discourse around WVMA’s conditional use permit (CUP) modification request.
At the last hearing, the CUP decision was put off with the idea that the neighbors and the mosque would seek mediation. Years earlier, the area residents opposed multiple housing concepts for the property (which was formerly a Jehovah’s Witness property); they urged the Town to keep the site designated for a church.
Town Attorney Gabrielle Whelan provided a disclosure about the Next Door social media posts that were already submitted into the record: “The comments on Next Door do not reflect the views of the Planning Commission or any of the public discussion that has taken place on this topic, to date.” This came as the NAACP has been urging Planning Commission not to consider bigoted statements about people of Islamic faith.
In an April 1 letter to the Town, Sean Allen, president of the NAACP San Jose/Silicon Valley Branch said the right to worship is not a privilege but rather is constitutionally protected—enshrined in the First Amendment and reinforced by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000.
“Requiring a mosque to cease religious observance during one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar—Ramadan—because neighbors find the traffic inconvenient does not meet that threshold,” he said. “It does not come close.”
The NAACP pointed to 11 sources, including a Los Gatan article, they used to get a better understanding of what’s been happening. “The NAACP has reviewed the public commentary surrounding this matter, including statements made in connection with media coverage of this proceeding,” Allen said.
He noted members of the public made the following statements:
• Comparing wishing Muslims “Ramadan Mubarak” to Nazis wishing Jews a Happy Hanukkah.
• Stating that Islam has “ruined every country it’s predominant in.”
• Suggesting that “bringing the Crusades back would be a good thing.”
• Using the word “PORK” as a derogatory response when civil rights concerns were raised.
• Stating “goodbye Los Gatos your end is here” in response to civil rights advocacy.
• Characterizing Islam as a “7th century” religion that needs to be brought into modernity.
“These are not traffic complaints. These are expressions of religious bigotry and Islamophobia,” he said. “And while this body may not be responsible for what individuals post on social media, this body is responsible for ensuring that public sentiment rooted in bias does not infect a land use proceeding that is supposed to be decided on neutral, lawful criteria.”
Whelan confirmed that the Town is aligned with the NAACP on this, given that the application is a land-use permit modification, not a matter of theology. “I certainly take that to heart,” Commissioner Jeffrey Barnett said of the NAACP’s request to exclude the Next Door comments, touching his chest. “I think I speak on behalf of the other Commissioners to that point.”
Whelan also noted that the current CUP doesn’t address noise from cars entering and exiting the premises, or morning hours-of-operation restrictions, because that’s not part of the Town’s Noise Ordinance.
“And so, when the applicant came forward for this modification, staff—and the applicant—viewed it as a good opportunity to make the new CUP match what’s actually occurring on site,” she said.
The mosque requested a meeting with the residents and proposed equal cost-sharing for a potential mediation. They found a mediator who was willing to conduct a session on April 17, pro bono. “The neighbors declined that request,” Razi Mohiuddin, the founder of the West Valley Muslim Association, told the Planning Commission, adding they proposed four additional low or no-cost government mediation services, as well as three professional mediators.
Instead, the neighbors submitted their own list of possible mediators, but noted this might not be able to happen until fall. The mosque met with the neighbors on April 16, “but no meaningful progress was made,” Mohiuddin added.
Commissioner Rob Stump brought up the fact that the neighbors did send an email saying they’d be open to an “initial no-cost mediation session” in May. Mohiuddin said the neighbors didn’t bother to mention they were up for this during their April 16 conference, and noted the free mediation opportunity had already passed by then.
A representative for the neighbors said they didn’t take the Planning Commission’s motion at the last hearing to mean they had to mediate prior to the April 22 meeting. She added they believe the mosque should have to cover the cost, since they’re the ones seeking a CUP modification.
They even forwarded Los Gatan contributor Jeffrey P. Blum as a possible mediator over a year ago, she added, explaining both parties held initial conversations with our frequent Guest View author, though that hasn’t led anywhere yet.
The pro bono lawyer the neighbors suggested (the one that had fall availability) may now be booked beyond that initial date, she added. “As a neighborhood, we are constrained by financial hardships,” she said.
Stump asked WVMA about the numbers they expect for morning prayers. Mohiuddin said they get as many as 100 or so; but on weekdays it’s only around 20-50. He says this could grow over time. (And the numbers are about 50% higher during Ramadan, Mohiuddin added.)
‘I’ve actually already heard from our congregation that a lot of people are not coming to our mosque because of the traffic, because of all the concerns around the neighbors’
—Razi Mohiuddin, the founder of the West Valley Muslim Association
The mosque founder noted that for night prayers, they get about 80-100 people during the winter weekdays and 150-200 people on weekends. With weekend seminars, that number can rise above 300, he added; for Ramadan, it’s more like 500-850, he said. According to Mohiuddin, if growth continues, another mosque will likely be spun-off.
“I’ve actually already heard from our congregation that a lot of people are not coming to our mosque because of the traffic, because of all the concerns around the neighbors and things of that nature on there,” he said. “So, we’re already seeing a move towards community members talking about finding another location.”
Barnett moved approval of staff’s recommended action, and included a number of conditions:
-That the applicant provide off-site parking during Ramadan.
-That the applicant may remove their right-turn-only sign.
-That the applicant provide contact info for staff and board members.
-That the applicant expand its parking lot within a year (adding 23 or more spaces and reducing noise).
-That the applicant shall construct a door to create another egress for pedestrians, within a year.
-That events are noticed at least 60 days ahead of time.
-That WVMA build an eight-foot fence and add vegetation to mitigate sound and light.
-That only the interior of the lot be used for food vendors.
-An annual review by the Planning Commission for compliance.
-That staff requests the fire department check the current occupancy limit is appropriate and report back on traffic safety issues.
-That the applicant remind members (in writing) of the speed limit on local streets and encourage carpooling ahead of every gathering that is anticipated to draw 100 or more people (besides funerals)—and to be quiet when coming and going (normal car noises, like locking beeps and door-slams would be exempt).
-That WVMA asks the police department to increase patrols during Ramadan and post an electric sign on Farley Road showing the speed limit that month.
-That there’s no amplified sound outside the mosque, unless permitted by the Town Code.
-That deliveries are limited to Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm.
-And that the applicant look into portable planting beds pitched by college student Zayn Zaafran, a former assistant senior patrol leader of Boy Scout Troop 399.
“I am currently a student at the University of California, Davis, where I continue to hold a leadership role in my campus community—a path that I believe was shaped in large part by my years of involvement with WVMA and the values it instilled in me,” Zaafran wrote.
Chair Kendra Burch seconded the motion.
Stump tried to get them to add attendance ceilings during morning and night prayer times, but Barnett declined. So, Stump made a motion that was almost exactly the same as Barnett’s—but with strict occupancy caps.
Commissioner Susan Burnett wanted to add further conditions to Stump’s competing motion, but these were too much for even Stump, who saw a clean logic in limiting people participating in morning prayers by regulating parking based on the 180 stalls in WVMA’s parking lot (for a maximum of 720 people now—if each vehicle carries four Muslim worshipers; increasing to 920 people once they renovate their lot). For late prayers these would be the same numbers, plus those coming from leased parking locations.
Stump also appeared to be attempting to coax Barnett to add a condition prohibiting Muslim worshipers from parking on the public streets by their mosque. (Later, Town Attorney Whelan reminded Planning Commission that preventing Muslims from parking where everyone else is allowed to park would be, at the very least, against Town policy—but she added the Town would want WMVA to fill its parking lot before its members use street parking.) Burch and Barnett stood firm on not adding that language to their motion. Burch suggested their offsite parking deals requirement (during Ramadan) would help to reduce parking on side streets anyhow.
But in the end, both motions failed 3-3, as Commissioner Emily Thomas was recused, due to the proximity of her residence. Burch and Adam Mayer voted with Barnett for his motion. Meanwhile Burnett and Joseph Sordi joined Stump for his.
After an intermission, Stump made a new motion that provided for 180 cars each morning (so 720 people now—at four people per car; 920 people after the parking lot renovation) and 180 for each evening (the same numbers, also based on a four-per-car calculation), with up to around 1,200 people (“their max occupancy for their facility,” as Stump put it—869 when sitting, and 1,217 when standing) allowed during Ramadan (with a requirement for leased off-site parking), but only at night.
However, because Town Attorney Whelan confirmed the rules will be based on cars not people, that means if everyone drove just themselves to attend prayers, just 180 people would be able to worship at the mosque at any time besides nighttime Ramadan prayers, at least until the parking lot is upgraded.
This was approved unanimously by Planning Commission.
Community Development Director Joel Paulson said the Town will now have to rework the conditions of approval, but that when it comes back, the item will likely just go on the consent calendar.
The Farley Road Neighborhood Coalition said they were “deeply concerned” by the decision, as it legalizes many uses that they sought to block.
“With 20-hour daily operations and a membership that will bring up to 8,000 cars per month to a semi-rural lane without sidewalks or adequate lighting, the Town has essentially abandoned its ‘compelling interest’ in keeping our residential streets safe,” reads a portion of a statement sent to the Los Gatan. “This isn’t just about worship; it’s about an industrial-scale assembly that the infrastructure of Farley Road simply cannot support.”
WVMA’s leadership said they feel “grateful” for the Planning Commission’s vote to approve its CUP modification, but were “deeply disappointed” by the 18 conditions imposed beyond the 25 already recommended by staff.
“No comparable institution in Los Gatos—religious or non-religious—operates under conditions like these. Faith Lutheran Church, approved in April 2025 in an identical R-1 zone, has no annual review, no attendance limits outside, and no delivery restrictions,” Mohiuddin said in an email interview, noting last week’s decision comes with a $1 million price tag for facility improvements, on top of other burdens.
“This raises serious legal concerns. The ACLU Foundation of Northern California has written to the Town twice identifying these conditions as potential violations of RLUIPA—the federal law that prohibits government from imposing greater burdens on houses of worship than on comparable institutions. The US Department of Justice issued a letter to municipal officials nationwide in 2024 reminding them of these obligations.”
Mohiuddin said they want to remain cooperative, adding WVMA is planning to appeal the most stringent conditions to Council.
“If that process does not succeed, we are prepared to pursue all available legal remedies to protect our community’s right to worship freely,” he said.
