The neighborhood surrounding Hillside Islamic Center in New Hyde Park will turn into "a parking lot" unless a state appellate panel undoes a judge's ruling that paved the way for the mosque to move ahead with expansion, according to an appeal filed in New York Supreme Court by the Town of North Hempstead.

In January, state Supreme Court Judge Erica L. Prager ruled in favor of the Hillside Islamic Center, which had filed an Article 78 lawsuit — a legal maneuver to appeal decisions made by local governments — challenging the North Hempstead board's decision to block the expansion. The board had cited concerns about parking and traffic in its January 2024 decision.

The mosque argued it was entitled under New York law to "preferential treatment in land use determination" as a religious o

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