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r f{ !1 <br /> �. s �-0,� <br /> Tele: 916 442-6500 <br /> Fax : 916 442-6510 <br /> Law Office of E-mail: sbelzer@pacbell.net <br /> s STEVEN P. BELZER www.lawyers.com/stevenpbelzer <br /> April 21, 2005 <br /> Members of the Planning Commission <br /> County of San Joaquin <br /> Re: Farooqia Islamic Center <br /> Use Permit No. PA-0300666 <br /> Dear Members: <br /> Applicant, Farooqia Islamic Center offers the following comments in support of its application. <br /> Regarding the Pending Legal Action <br /> A small group purporting to represent the membership of the Lodi Muslim Mosque have requested <br /> a continuance of this hearing in a letter dated April 7, 2005. <br /> Your applicant rejects the allegations of the lawsuit and strongly urges you to act on its application <br /> tonight. This is not the appropriate forum for trying that legal action. <br /> The letter, they grossly misrepresent the status of the legal action. The lawsuit is nothing more <br /> than allegations. The complaint is not verified under oath by anyone. The court has not"accepted <br /> [the case] for hearing", and it is untrue that"right of ownership is under consideration." The <br /> lawsuit has no merit and is merely a SLAPP suit filed by a small faction of opportunists. <br /> The lawsuit will be disposed of at the appropriate time by the Superior Court. It has absolutely no <br /> bearing on this application or this hearing: Your applicant believes that the lawsuit will be <br /> dismissed by the Superior Court. The court has issued no orders to stop or delay the processing of <br /> the application that is before you tonight. The complaint in the lawsuit does not even ask the court <br /> to do anything with respect to this application. This commission should ignore the lawsuit, and for <br /> purposes of this hearing, make its determination to grant the use permit based only on the <br /> application, the staff's recommendations, and the evidence that is before you in the record. <br /> Time Is Of The Essence <br /> The application was filed in December 2003 and deemed complete shortly after it was submitted. <br /> The Negative Declaration was posted and sent to the State Clearinghouse in July 2004. Three <br /> hearing dates have come and gone between September and tonight. The applicants have patiently <br /> waited for nearly eight months for a hearing. The time limits of both the Permit Streamlining Act <br /> and CEQA for action have come and gone, and while the applicant has acquiesced, action on this <br /> project is long overdue. Tonight is the night for action. <br /> 1201 K Street. Suite 1230 • Sacramento. CA 95814 <br />