Community Corner
Timeline: Building a Mosque in Germantown
The Islamic Society of Germantown (ISG) is set to begin construction on a new mosque by the end of the year — a journey that began 14 years ago.
1998
The vision for a Germantown mosque is born during a meeting of Muslim leaders in Germantown. They hope it will serve as an inspirational, educational, and religious base for area Muslims.
2003
After two years of hunting for a property and nailing down expectations, ISG leaders purchase a $290,000 piece of land in the “heart of Germantown,” Imam Ammar Najjar says. Initial engineering talks begin.
2005
After community-wide appeals for funds, ISG pays off the land and begins to work on a water sewage connection and soil inspection, a process that takes more than 2 years.
2006-2007
With initial talks underway, ISG drafts a layout and building plan for the three-story mosque. Members survey area mosques in order to pick out practical features for mosque.
December 2008
After tweaks to their original plan, ISG submits a mosque plan on 0.95 acres — a process that is stalled when the ISG learns Germantown Master Plan limitations would reduce the mosque’s size at the intersection of Middlebrook and Old Blunt Roads.
2009
The mosque continues to wrestle with the master plan and looks to its neighbors - Fox Chapel Shopping Center - for more land.
2010
After failed attempts to find additional land, ISG purchases three parcels opposite ISG’s location to accommodate parking. It generates $53,000 at a fundraiser in August.
July 2011
After negotiations with the county, ISG gets some of the former-right-of-way of old Blunt Road, boosting its size by half an acre, but putting it back to square one in the application process. ISG announces it will break ground by March 2012.
October 2011
After months of redesign, a revised application is submitted. ISG must now wait four months for review and recommendations.
March 2012
After months of review, ISG learns it must make adjustments to its storm water management systems.
April 2012
ISG is asked to address road frontage improvement requirements, porous pavement that was not reliable enough for fire and rescue access — halting any further progress.
May 2012
The county receives all approvals in late May and begins application review.
July 12, 2012
ISG receives preliminary site approval at a Montgomery County Planning Department hearing.
August 2012
ISG prepares to submit a record plat application, approval of which clears the way for building permit approval.
November 2012
The Germantown community eyes the beginning of construction in late November.
