A city council in Oklahoma denied a rezoning request for a proposed Islamic center that would include a mosque. Broken Arrow City Council members denied the request in a 4-1 vote. Breaking News: The Broken Arrow City Council in Oklahoma has voted against moving forward with building the proposed Mosque in a 4-1 vote pic.twitter.com/SI1Lu68CnP — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 13, 2026 News On 6 has more: The city council says the proposal did not meet the standards for the land use it is asking to rezone. The meeting turned contentious toward the end of the meeting once a city councilor called for public comment to end. Some people started yelling and had to be removed from the room. After a nearly four-hour meeting, the city council voted 4-1 to deny the rezoning request. One councilor said this isn’t about freedom of religion, but about the facts. That councilor said the project isn’t acceptable for the current land use at Olive and the Creek Turnpike. An architect behind the proposal assured the council that their plan follows all the proper requirements and regulations. The group says it changed its plan slightly to decrease the number of parking spaces from about 600 to fewer than 200. The Islamic Society of Tulsa says it needs a second mosque aside from the one in Midtown Tulsa because of overcrowding issues and says half of its members live in Broken Arrow. More than 1,000 people attended the meeting, with over 400 individuals signed up to share their feedback in public comment. “Tonight the Broken Arrow City Council did the right thing and voted down a proposed Mosque in their city. I agree with the vote. The people I met tonight in Broken Arrow simply wanted a safe family oriented city, keeping with their values. Enjoyed meeting all the BA residents that made their voice heard,” Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Chip Keating, the son of former Republican Gov. Frank Keating, commented. “For years, the Council on American-Islamic Relations had regular, annual access to the Capitol while Charles McCall was Speaker, lobbying his Republican caucus without objection. If he believes CAIR should be designated a terrorist organization now, why were they given access for years? McCall is a Democrat at heart. He donated thousands to them, and ask him which Dem he voted for in the 2008 Democrat presidential primary (Obama or Hillary)?” he continued. “Be cautious of career politicians rewriting their past when it’s election season!” he added. Tonight the Broken Arrow City Council did the right thing and voted down a proposed Mosque in their city. I agree with the vote. The people I met tonight in Broken Arrow simply wanted a safe family oriented city, keeping with their values. Enjoyed meeting all the BA residents… pic.twitter.com/YOwK6pCY1J — Chip Keating for Governor (@ChipKeatingOK) January 13, 2026 FOX23 shared further: FOX23 first reported on this project in December. Records show the land was bought in 2014 by the North American Islamic Trust. Since the announcement, the proposal has drawn both support and opposition from members of the community. Many of the concerns were geared toward possible traffic issues, economic discussions, sewer, parking, and the overall uncertainty of what would happen in the building or on the land. Others who were in favor of the proposal reminded the council and those in the meeting that they too call Broken Arrow home and are wanting a second place to worship. “We are asking nothing more than what this country [has] — the freedom to worship peacefully and to continue positively in the community. Regardless, religious freedom does not exist only when it is comfortable or popular; it exists for moments like this,” said one meeting attendee. “Tonight is not just zoning, it is who we are as a community. We respectfully ask the council [for]…approval and allow this…place of worship. We are here to be good neighbors, to serve and to…reflect the values Broken Arrow stands for: fairness, inclusion and respect for the rule of law.” City leaders acknowledged that while development projects often bring differing opinions, this proposal has gained a level of attention unlike previous projects. Watch the full meeting below: