Board approves 72-foot minaret variance for proposed Pflugerville mosque

The Pflugerville Board of Adjustment on Monday approved a variance that will allow a proposed mosque’s ornamental minaret to rise above the 50-foot limit for the General Business (GB‑1) zoning district.

Planning staff had recommended denial, saying the application had not satisfactorily met required Unified Development Code findings. "As the findings of the unified development code have not been satisfactorily determined, staff recommends denial of that variance," a staff representative told the board. The applicant team and supporters, however, argued the vertical element is unoccupied, symbolic and proportionate given site constraints and nearby religious steeples.

Taha, the applicant’s lead presenter, told the board the minaret would be an unoccupied tower used for architectural and symbolic purposes. "The minaret is an unoccupied tower, and it serves an ornamental and symbolic purpose in our architecture," he said, explaining the design draws on Fatimid‑era mosque proportions. Taha described the 4.75‑acre site as roughly 40% floodplain, leaving about 60% of the lot buildable and prompting a two‑story layout that limited horizontal options.

The project team said the minaret would reach roughly 72 feet above the immediate building—68.5 feet to the top of the dome—and that because of a site grade change the minaret would read about 61 feet relative to the adjacent property, slightly lower than a nearby church steeple they estimated at about 67 feet.

Marissa, closing the presentation for the applicant, said the group had community support and letters from nearby congregations. "Based on the unique fact and circumstances that have been presented to you, we hope you'll approve the variance request," she said.

After opening the public hearing and hearing no public commenters, the board moved and voted to approve the variance; the maker, seconder and the board recorded the motion as passing unanimously. The approval permits the taller ornamental element while the occupied portions of the building remain subject to the 50‑foot height standard.

Next steps: staff will incorporate the board’s conditions and the applicant will move forward with building permits and site plans under the approved variance.