Back in 2007, the 75 families of the South Valley Islamic Community received a permit to build a mosque on 15 acres of land in San Martin. Everything seemed to be going well, until the economy slipped, and there was no more money for construction available. More recently, there has been nationwide debate over the construction of mosques within a 4,000 mile radius of Ground Zero.

But times have changed, and the SVIC has been able to raise money to get the project off the ground. They are hoping to build a 2,500 square foot, two-room structure, along with gardens and a small Muslim cemetery, to be known as the Cordoba Center. It remains to be seen if the name will stick. New York City’s contentious project was forced to change its name from Cordoba House to Park 51.

Santa Clara County Planner Bill Shoe is not opposed to the project, but insists that the county examine whether it meets planning and zoning restrictions. Karen Musa of the SVIC believes it does. If things go according to plan, she says, the area could be open to prayer services within a year.
Read More at the Morgan Hill Times.