Sarasota Mosque Plans Modified to Exclude Minarets

December 31, 2005

Source: CentreDaily.com/The Herald Today

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/13520947.htm

On December 31, 2005 The Herald Today reported, "Without the 85-foot minarets that caused some controversy, a new $1.5 million mosque will break ground this spring, said Hytham Bakr, a member of the board of directors of the Islamic Society of Sarasota and Bradenton. The new Islamic center... will be no more than 40 feet tall including its dome, said Bakr, whose Sarasota engineering firm, The Bakr Group, is the mosque's project management firm... Originally, the mosque's leaders submitted plans to Sarasota County for a 62-foot tall building, including dome, and two 85-feet minarets, Bakr said. But Sarasota County ruled that the building too greatly exceeded the county's height restriction of 35 feet and approved a maximum height of 40 feet... Asked by mosque officials to look into possible violations of the law because of the height denial, the U.S. Department of Justice in February ruled that Sarasota County did not violate the law in restricting the height of the dome and minarets."

See also: Islam, Zoning