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Update: Beach City Council passes proposal to build first mosque

Posted at 8:12 AM, Sep 24, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-24 21:05:36-04

Update: The Beach City Council voted to pass the proposal to build the first mosque in the city. 

Only one councilmember, Bill DeSteph, voted against it. 

Virginia Beach, Va. - Today, Virginia Beach City Council is expected to vote on bringing the first ever mosque to the resort city.

City leaders delayed the vote two weeks ago to give attorneys for the mosque a chance to meet with neighbors.

Back in August, the City Planning Commission unanimously approved a permit to Crescent Community Center to build the mosque near Salem and Landstown Roads.

But some people don't want the mosque built there.

One neighbor told NewsChannel 3 he was concerned about extra traffic on a road that's already busy.

Lou Rosario has spent countless hours researching traffic patterns and road conditions in his Virginia Beach neighborhood.

He lives on Salem Road right down the street from the site.Rosario plans to make a motion to present these findings to councilmembers. These are findings that he says proves Salem Road is already over capacity.

He says more than 100 people in the area signed this petition. He insists those that are on the list left religious bias out of it.

One councilmember tells NewsChannel 3 he will vote against it. Bill DeSteph wouldn't go on camera with us, but the reason he gave for voting no is because he is ex-military.

In 2010 he wrote a letter to Mayor Bloomberg, opposing the mosque near the area where the world Trade Center buildings stood.

When asked if those concerns were based on religion, he just said he has concerns.

Read more on this story, HERE.