Still, some neighbors are concerned about the project’s size and design, as well as potential parking and traffic impacts. More than 700 people packed the Lesher Center for the Arts Tuesday for an all-day hearing before the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors.

Stuart Flashman, attorney for the Saranap Homeowners Association, urged Sufism Reoriented to scale back the project.

“Perhaps all of it fits on their wish list for an ideal facility,” Flashman said, “But just because you want a Mercedes doesn’t mean you can’t drive in a Ford.”

Flashman and other opponents said the controversy has nothing to do with religion, something the Sufis dispute.

“We have designed our sanctuary to be a physical manifestation of our faith,” said Carol Weyland Conner, the church’s spiritual leader.

The Sufis say the design was planned and vetted with care and found to present no significant environmental impact. They also point out that the new building will be just down the block from the existing one, which has served the congregation for about four decades.

Sufism Reoriented follows the teachings of its founder, Meher Baba, an Indian mystic who established the religious sect in 1952. While active in community schools and service projects, members say they do not proselytize or publicize their activities.

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Walnut Creek Residents and Sufi Congregation Clash Over New Sanctuary