A five-year battle over a proposed mosque in Marlboro Township was back in front of the zoning board Tuesday night and must be voted on by July, according to a federal judge.

A small ranch house sits where the proposed mosque would be built. The location at 449 Tennent Road is zoned residential. The question is whether the road and area can handle a mosque with 107 parking spots for 264 people?

“There are safety concerns, there are traffic concerns,” said Craig Marshall, a neighbor.

Marshall says at the current planned size? Absolutely not.

“I am of Jewish faith, and I would oppose a synagogue of that size at that location given the proposal the way it’s structured right now,” said Marshall.

The applicants submitted renderings to the zoning board, showing the planned more than 13,000-square-foot mosque. The board heard testimony from the public and experts Tuesday night, all part of a series of meetings before a final vote in July.

“It creates a cluster in a place which is already one of the most difficult areas in Marlboro,” said Moshe Grant, another neighbor of the planned mosque.

The applicants tell News 12 they’ve made every effort to conform to township guidelines. A set of laws known as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) protects applicants against bias and could be the basis of federal lawsuits if the mosque is denied.

“Do they allow other places of worship of this size in similar locations in this municipality and are they being treating the same? That is the framework a federal judge would analyze this case under RLUIPA,” said Robert Ellis, a local attorney well-versed in RLUIPA.

The applicants say the mosque is needed to serve the Muslim families of Marlboro, part of the fabric of the township. In a statement to News 12 they write in part:

“Our goal is to create a space that serves not only our religious needs but also strengthens the sense of community within Marlboro Township.”

Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik says he can’t publicly comment on the situation while it’s still in front of the zoning board, but he is closely following it. The next scheduled meeting for the zoning board is next Tuesday night at the Marlboro Middle School.