Merrylands Islamic Centre For Youth and Adults plans community centre at Myee St

A decision has finally been made on a contentious plan to build a community centre, which residents feared would be used as a noisy place of worship in their quiet neighbourhood.

Merrylands Islamic Centre For Youth and Adults has proposed a $1.4m community centre at Myee St.

A proposal for a $1.4m Islamic community centre has been rejected after a groundswell of community objections.

Cumberland Local Planning Panel last week voted against the plan for the facility at Myee St, which would be hired for private, community and cultural events, small group indoor sports activities and fundraisers.

Dominic Khoury was one of the frustrated residents who spoke out against the building, which would be opposite Merrylands East Public school after he cited noise and traffic concerns.

“It is extremely busy with a high level of traffic activity in particular around school drop-off times,’’ he said.

“It will increase traffic congestion, causing an extreme safety concern to our children and the children of Merrylands East Public School.

The centre was rejected for 20 Myee St, Merrylands. Picture: Google

“The noise generated from the proposal will make it unbearable to live.’’

Najat Zeait said the neighbourhood already struggled from traffic generate from the public school and a childcare centre at nearby Walker St.

“I have witnessed with my own eyes so many children that nearly have a near-miss accident and this type of activity makes me so nervous and it gives me anxiety,’’ she said.

“It’s a big accident and tragedy waiting to happen to the children.’’

Walker St dweller Alex Ayoub told the panel he already encountered problems, such as litter and people parking in his driveway, from the childcare facility in his street.

He feared the problem would escalate if the community centre got the green light.

“My worry is parking is just going to drive the cars straight up Walker St, which can’t handle it either because we’ve got so many houses, duplexes, childcares, group homes already in it and this is what we deal with every day,’’ he said.

“Something like this should be in an industrial area where at night there’s no one around.’’

Local Approvals town planner Lenox Tweneboa requested the matter be deferred because there were updates on acoustic and car space studies.

However, the panel unanimously rejected the plans.

Earlier

A bid to build a community centre at Merrylands has provoked more than 90 submissions from residents fearing it will be used as a mosque and will force a “square peg in the round hole” if it opens in a quiet neighbourhood.

Merrylands Islamic Centre For Youth and Adults Incorporated proposes a $1.4m community centre on Myee St where it would be hired for private, community and cultural events, small group indoor sports activities and fundraisers.

The applicant states the centre, which would have 11 car spaces, would not be used as a place of public worship but welcomed people from all faiths.

Despite this, some objectors are sceptical.

“The plans also strongly suggest that this will be a place of worship, which is in contravention of zoning laws,’’ the submission stated, adding there had been “zero consultation”.

Neighbours are concerned about noise and traffic congestion at Myee St.

Another objector pointed to a community centre at Minto being used as a place of worship, which forced Campbelltown Council to impose a ban after residents’ complaints.

The first application for a small mosque for up to 50 worshippers was made in November 2021 but “significant’’ concerns including a parking shortage were identified. The site was also considered too small for a place of worship.

The panel refused the development application in March last year when it cited stormwater, traffic and parking impacts for the refusal.

The facility is opposite Merrylands East Public School and surrounded by single and double storey dwellings.

It would open from 7am to 9.30pm each day and up to four staff are proposed for the facility, which would cater for between 15 and 30 people daily or up to 75 people during special events.

The proposal will be discussed before the Cumberland Local Planning Panel next week.

A total of 92 submissions were received.

One submission detailed that, despite the positives, the site was “entirely inappropriate” and it should be relocated closer to an urban centre.

One called out a lack of analysis on the site.

“This proposal seems to be pursuing a one-size-fits-all, fast-track approach without the necessary in-depth analysis,’’ the submission stated.

The resident said the traffic forecast of 18 and 23 more cars during the respective morning and afternoon peak periods would worsen traffic around Myee, Walker and York streets, and Military Rd.

The site is marked in yellow and opposite Merrylands East Public School, which generates traffic.

Another submission agreed: “It would have to be the most unsuitable street for such a large community centre with such ridiculously excessive operating hours to be located in.’’

A Denmark St resident of over 50 years is “deeply distressed’’ about the safety risks extra traffic would produce in the quiet street that has become a “busy free-for-all”.

However, the council’s development engineer said the development was satisfactory and could be supported with conditions.

Noise and traffic analysts also gave the proposal a thumb’s up. In its traffic assessment, Koikas said the development would not have “any unacceptable traffic or parking implications”.

It said the council required a minimum four parking spaces so the 11 planned would be a “surplus”.

Originally published as Merrylands Islamic Centre For Youth and Adults plans community centre at Myee St