By Jeff Vorva
What could have been an explosive situation was actually quite civil.
Some Palos Park residents were angry about loud activity and behavior of some members of the Palos Islamic Center the past two years and sounded off at the April 8 village council meeting.
Fresh on their minds was noise late into the night on April 5 and early into the morning on April 6 during a Ramadan celebration. That included someone using a megaphone during the late-night hours at the center, 12300 S. 80th Avenue.
“We are kitty-corner from the mosque, and we affected year-round,” resident Nick Hoffman said. “The PIC is no longer a good fit for Palos Park. The only acceptable solution I see at this point is for the PIC to close in Palos Park and find a location that is more fitting to its needs.
“Since the PIC opened, we lost what is most important to us…our peace and quiet. It’s issue after issue and I’m so tired of dealing with it. Last Friday was my final straw and I’m out of patience.”
In a public comment period that lasted an hour, 10 residents spoke of excessive noise, parking issues, traffic issues, safety issues, mosque goers cutting through private property and of being cursed at.
Three people representing the PIC were apologetic for the noise and one called using the megaphone a “humungous mistake.”
They vowed to meet with and work with residents and village officials while continuing to warn members of their mosque to obey the laws and respect their neighbors’ property. They said they purchased a lot for additional parking. They each received polite applause after their speeches.
After the meeting, the mosque representatives mingled with the neighbors. Were all of the problems resolved? No. But there appears to be a movement that both sides are willing to communicate and resolve the issues.
“I think it’s always beneficial when everyone feels they can have their concerns voiced, to be heard and to be taken seriously,” Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said. “People were able to tell me of their experiences and we as a village are always engaged in trying to better the traffic flow there and different things like that.
“It’s a constant work in progress and I do think it was a great opportunity for everybody to speak their piece and know that they are being heard. I was so happy to see everyone so respectful of each other. Afterward, people that were having different points of view were still talking to each other and hearing each other out.”
She added that relationships between neighbors are important.
“I think it went well and I hope the people who spoke felt good about it,” Milovich-Walters said.