El Cajon's city council voted unanimously last week to uphold a planning commission decision denying the Afghan Community Culture Center a permit extension for its temporary prayer tent on East Main Street, between Walter Way and East Madison Avenue.\n\nThe ACCC has been operating out of a large temporary tent since April 2025, adjacent to a building at 1342 E. Main St. that the center has owned since November 2025. Structural damage left by previous tenants has made the building uninhabitable and not up to code, and group leaders have said they plan to renovate it into a permanent mosque. Under California state fire codes, temporary tents are permitted for a maximum of 180 days — a deadline the ACCC had already passed on Nov. 24, with the city granting prior extensions.\n\n\"We have to follow the state law, which has to do with public safety issues,\" said El Cajon City Councilmember Gary Kendrick. City officials said their hands were tied by state code despite their support for the center's mission.\n\nACCC Board President Bakhtar Aminzay had appealed for an extension through Ramadan, writing in a February letter that the tent period was \"the only time during the year when we conduct essential fundraising activities\" and that disruption would \"significantly hinder our ability to serve our community and maintain financial stability.\"\n\nThe center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving the East County Afghan community, has raised $1 million toward renovating its East Main Street property but still faces a $2.1 million gap. City officials pledged to fast-track permitting once funds are secured and encouraged the center to find interim rental space. Donations can be made at afghanccc.org.