A controversial all-boys Muslim school in Bay Shore will not be permitted to house students on campus, reversing plans that had drawn intense opposition over the prospect of placing 120 teenagers beside a senior living community.
The Town of Islip Zoning Board of Appeals voted Tuesday to overturn an earlier decision allowing the United American Muslim Association to operate a dormitory at its new school. The move followed a five-hour July meeting during which residents sharply questioned the proposal, a board spokesperson told The Post.
“The Zoning Board of Appeals voted 3-1 to reverse the Building Division’s interpretation and determined that the proposed boarding component… is not a permitted accessory use to the parochial school under the Town’s zoning code,” the board said.
The school can still open on the 13-acre waterfront property, but the students will not be allowed to live there and must return home each day.
“The question before the Board is not whether a parochial school is a permitted principal use within the District — [Town code] expressly permits such use,” the board wrote in its decision, released Thursday.
“Rather, the Board concludes only that the property owner has not demonstrated that the proposed residential boarding component satisfies the requirements of [Town code] under the facts presented,” the decision stated.
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Hundreds of residents had expressed anger over the proposal, with many citing concerns about the disruption they believed would come from placing a large group of teenagers in the otherwise quiet neighborhood. The July meeting became disorderly; some attendees were escorted from the building while others made Islamophobic remarks.
“I don’t care what religion the school teaches, it could be Jewish, Catholic, whatever — we just don’t want it — imagine the noise of 120 school children day and night,” said a resident who identified herself only as Barbara.
The reversal came as a surprise to opponents because several board members had indicated during the meeting that they believed the dormitory complied with town regulations. For residents, the decision represented a significant victory.
The site previously housed a Catholic boarding school, which operated from the 1920s through 1972.
The 73,000-square-foot main building later served as a residence for Catholic priests, but it has sat vacant for decades.
The United American Muslim Association bought the property in June. Its plans call for early childhood programs, classes for students in grades 7 through 12 and community activities. Monthly tuition is expected to range from $750 to $1,250.
The organization did not respond to a request for comment.
