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06-10-24-SWS
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<br /> <br />2 <br />231246v1 <br /> <br />At the same time, even under the challenging “compelling governmental interest” standard, <br />RLUIPA does not leave a city powerless to exercise zoning authority. In fact, as interpreted by <br />Federal Courts, under RLUIPA, a substantial burden is more than “requiring a religious institution <br />to use feasible alternative locations for religious exercise.”4 In other words, a city is not <br />automatically required to allow a religious user to locate anywhere the entity chooses, including a <br />location that is more convenient for the religious entity.5 <br /> <br />Similar to the use in this Application, in one case, the Federal Sixth Circuit found that a Christian <br />school was not substantially burdened by the denial of a special-use permit to relocate its school <br />to a new, more convenient location because the school could still carry out its religious mission at <br />its current location.6 For a regulation to be a substantial burden, there must be a “close nexus” <br />between the use that is regulated and the religious entity’s religious exercise.7 One court offered <br />the example of “a situation where a school could easily rearrange existing classrooms to meet its <br />religious needs in the face of a rejected application to renovate. In such case, the denial would not <br />substantially threaten the institution’s religious exercise, and there would be no substantial burden, <br />even though the school was refused the opportunity to expand its facilities.”8 <br /> <br />It is worth noting that a burden can be “substantial” without being insurmountable.9 If a school <br />“has no ready alternatives, or where the alternatives require substantial ‘delay, uncertainty, and <br />expense,’ a complete denial of the school’s application might be indicative of a substantial <br />burden.”10 Accordingly, as mentioned above, denying a re-zoning application is not without some <br />potential legal risk. <br /> <br />B. Equal Terms. <br /> <br />One other noteworthy consideration: a city is not allowed to impose a land use regulation in a <br />manner that treats a religious assembly on less than equal terms with a nonreligious assembly. <br />With this Application, this means that if other types of assemblies are allowed in the I-1 district, <br />then this applicant could pose a legal challenge on this basis. <br /> <br />Conclusion <br /> <br />Although the City is not specifically required to allow religious uses in every zoning district <br />throughout the City, the requirements of RLUIPA are significant. As this application proceeds <br />through the City’s review process, further legal analysis will be required before the City Council <br />makes its final decisions. <br /> <br /> <br />4 Marianist Province of the United States v. City of Kirkwood, 944 F.3d 996, 1001 (8th Cir. 2019). <br />5 Id. <br />6 Id., citing, Livingston Christian Sch. v. Genoa Charter Twp., 858 F.3d 996, 1007-09 (6th Cir. 2017). <br />7 Westchester Day School v. Village of Mamaroneck, 504 F.3d 338, 352-53 (2d Cir.2007). <br />8 Id. <br />9 Id., citing, Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Inc. v. City of New Berlin, 396 F.3d 895, 901 <br />(7th Cir. 2005). <br />10 Id., quoting, Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Inc. v. City of New Berlin, supra.
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