‘People of faith’ to ‘grand jihad’: How McKinney’s mosque debate changed in two years

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

In July 2024, resident Phyllis Marciano stepped to a McKinney microphone and drew a line.

The people who would worship at a proposed mosque near her neighborhood, she said, “are not going to be terrorists in the building. They’re going to be people of faith.”

That night, many residents opposed the McKinney Islamic Association’s plans near Stonebrook Crossing. But many also made a point of saying their concerns were about traffic, parking and neighborhood impacts—not Islam.

Two years later, the public comments sounded very different.

At a July 21, 2026, City Council meeting, speakers again questioned traffic and parking. They also raised concerns about Sharia law, national security and what one resident described as a “grand jihad.”

The proposal remained largely the same. The public debate did not.

2024: A debate over development

The McKinney Islamic Association isn’t new to the city. Its congregation has worshipped near Hardin Boulevard and Eldorado Parkway for years. After purchasing land near Virginia Parkway and Crutcher Crossing, the association asked the city in 2024 to remove a 15,000-square-foot building limit so it could construct a larger facility.

City staff repeatedly reminded commissioners the hearing was not about whether a mosque could be built. Religious assembly was already permitted under the property’s zoning. The request was whether the city should allow a larger building than the existing development standards allowed.

The request drew more than 100 people to a Planning and Zoning hearing.

Residents questioned traffic, parking, drainage, emergency access, neighborhood compatibility and the size of the proposed building. Several also emphasized those concerns were separate from religion.

“This has nothing to do with … religion,” Gina Duran told commissioners. “I’m sure they’re all very nice people… It has to do with the location and the size of the building.”

The Mckinney Islamic Association responded directly to many of those concerns.

Taha Khan who identified himself as the Vice President, addressed fears about amplified calls to prayer.

“There’s no noise pollution,” he said. “It’s all contained within.”

Architect Rick Brown reinforced the point.

“There are not any speakers on the exterior of the building.”

The Rev. Molly Baum, who lives near the current mosque, described its members as “very conscientious neighbors.”

Planning and Zoning ultimately voted 6-0 to recommend denying the rezoning request, citing concerns about the building’s size and compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood.

Rather than continue pursuing the rezoning, the association withdrew its application and instead moved forward under the property’s existing 1997 planned-development zoning.

2026: Beyond the site plan

When the proposal returned to the City Council in July 2026, some residents continued to focus on land-use issues. Nancy Robertson said her concern “is not about who will use the building,” but whether the site could support a facility of that size. Mary Jane Manning cited traffic issues near a mosque in Plano, while Darlene Burke argued the 32,000-square-foot facility was too large for the neighborhood, saying she would have the same concerns “if it’s a Catholic church, Baptist church, I don’t care.”

As the public comment period continued, however, the discussion expanded beyond zoning and neighborhood impacts.

Ashley Loudon urged the council to conduct “real due diligence, not just on parking and traffic, but on the fundamental nature of what is being built in our community.” She distributed copies of what she described as a Muslim Brotherhood memorandum and referenced what she called a “grand jihad.”

Karen Roe questioned whether the proposed occupancy, Friday prayer attendance and Ramadan celebrations could be accommodated by the surrounding neighborhood.

Ken Pittman argued the council should examine constitutional and public safety concerns before allowing the project to proceed.

A speaker identifying himself only as “John Doe” said “there’s no need for another mosque in McKinney” and described the project as “another way to lay claim to conquered territory.”

Another speaker, also identifying himself only as “John Doe,” questioned how the city would prevent “the radicalization of youth,” whether the mosque could be used for “weapons storage,” and suggested additional police resources, Flock cameras and SWAT capabilities might be needed.

Unlike the 2024 hearings, where several residents repeatedly emphasized that their objections were not about Islam, several speakers during the July 21 meeting directly connected the proposal to Islam, constitutional issues or national security alongside the familiar debates over traffic and neighborhood impacts.

A broader public debate, a narrower legal question

After public comments concluded, council members shifted from the broader issues raised by residents to a much narrower legal question: what authority the city actually had under the property’s existing zoning.

Councilman Patrick Cloutier explained that because the original rezoning request had been withdrawn in 2024, the Islamic Association could move forward under the site’s existing planned-development zoning if the proposal complied with those standards.

“If they build to that zoning specifically with no variations, this council and P&Z have no power to stop them,” he said.

Cloutier warned that denying a site plan that meets the city’s requirements would likely result in a lawsuit.

“They’re going to sue us, and they’re going to win… and we’re going to pay legal fees,” he said.

What’s next

The McKinney City Council is expected to consider the proposed site plan Aug. 4. The vote will determine whether the project complies with the property’s existing development standards, concluding a process that has generated two years of public debate reaching far beyond the legal question before the council.