Source: Framingham Tab
http://www.townonline.com/framingham/homepage/8999004267910004735
FRAMINGHAM - Officials from the Islamic Society of Framingham say the size of their congregation has grown far too big for their rented space on South Street, so they need to move to bigger digs to continue to flourish.
Society officials bought the former Friendly's Ice Cream shop on Union Avenue in May and hope to move in after putting the building through about $170,000 in renovations and getting Planning Board approval.
The Planning Board will begin its limited site plan review Thursday night in the Memorial Building public hearing room. The Dover Amendment limits how thoroughly town boards can review religious and educational proposals.
``I have no problem with there being a mosque in Framingham,'' said board member Andrea Carr-Evans. ``The unfortunate thing is it's another non-profit taking another downtown piece of property off the tax rolls.
``Diversity is good. If we have temples and churches, then we should have a mosque,'' she said.
Friendly's, which closed last year, paid $15,749 in property taxes for fiscal 2006.
The refurbishing likely will include stripping out much of the industrial equipment in the building and replacing the booths with a carpeted floor.