Some residents are fired up over a proposal to expand a mosque on Hillside Avenue in New Hyde Park.

Leaders of the Hillside Islamic Center say they want to expand because they need more room to accommodate hundreds of worshippers who come every week.

Neighbors, however, say the expansion will make parking problems in the area worse.

Gary Heesemann, of New Hyde Park, says worshippers for the mosque routinely clog traffic by packing the street with vehicles, some illegally parked.

"What happens if there's an emergency?" Heesemann asks. "They're putting people in this neighborhood at risk because they want to do what they want to do."

Hillside Islamic Center Chairman Abdul Aziz Bhuiyan says they want to build an additional flood and expand the parking lot to 45 spaces. He says that could accommodate hundreds of people for Friday services.

"We have our volunteers going around putting stickers on cars illegally parked," Aziz Bhuiyan says. "We are working with the 3rd Precinct to make sure they come here, if there are any violations, they give tickets."

During Wednesday's Town of North Hempstead board meeting, a councilman grilled the Islamic Center representatives about the parking issues.

Heesemann says the town needs to crack down on parking problems before considering the expansion.

The board tabled the proposal until Aug. 8. News 12 is told that the Hillside Islamic Center did not have updated plans to present at Wednesday's meeting.