Excerpt:
The township committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the construction of a mosque in a Liberty Corner neighborhood as part of a settlement agreement with federal authorities over allegations of discrimination.
The settlement ended years of debate and dissension, as well as two federal religious discrimination lawsuits, one from the Justice Department and the other by the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge, filed against the township after officials rejected the mosque.
The township will pay $3.25 million to the society and its legal firm, New York City-based Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. Aside from a deductible, the settlement will be paid by the township's insurance companies, not taxpayer money.