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Zoning Text Amendment Allowing  Religious  Ins.tu.ons  as  a     Condi.onal  Use  in  all     Commercial  Zone  Districts   Submi;ed:    October  2015 Introduction Mauriello   Planning   Group   is   represen.ng   the   Jewish   Community   Center,   Chabad   of   Vail,   which   is   reques.ng   a   text   amendment   to   the   Zoning   Regula.ons   to   allow   for   “religious   ins.tu.ons”   in   all   commercial  zone  districts  in  the  Town  of  Vail.    Earlier  this  year,  Rabbi  Dovid  Mintz  of  the  Chabad  of  Vail   was   pursuing   op.ons   for   a   new   loca.on   in   Vail.     In   the   search,   it   was   iden.fied   that   “religious   ins.tu.ons”  are  allowed  in  very  few  zone  districts,  making  possible  loca.ons  difficult.             The  Vail  Town  Code  currently  provides  a  defini.on  for  “religious  ins.tu.on”  which  is  provided  below:   RELIGIOUS   INSTITUTION:   A   building   used   for   public   worship   by   any   number   of   congregaAons,   excluding   buildings   used   exclusively   for   residenAal,   educaAonal,   recreaAonal   or   other   uses   not   associated  with  worship.  Includes  churches,  chapels,  cathedrals,  temples,  and  similar  designaAons.   A  “religious  ins.tu.on”  is  allowed  in  only  five  zone  districts  in  the  Town  of  Vail  and  only  allowed   through  the  Condi.onal  Use  Permit  process.    A  religious  ins.tu.on  is  allowed  in  the  following  districts:   •High  Density  Mul.ple  Family  (HDMF)   •Public  Accommoda.on  (PA)   •Public  Accommoda.on  2  (PA-­‐2)   •Agricultural  and  Open  Space  (AG)   •General  Use  (GU)   The  applicant  is  proposing  that  “religious  ins.tu.ons”  be  allowed  by  a  Condi.onal  Use  Permit  in  the   following  addi.onal  zone  districts:   •Commercial  Core  1  (Vail  Village)   •Commercial  Core  2  (Village  Center  Building)   •Commercial  Core  3  (West  Vail  Mall/Holiday  Inn)   •Commercial  Service  Center  (Solaris/Gateway  Building)   •Arterial  Business  (Cascade  Crossing/Vail  Professional  Building)   •Heavy  Service  (West  Vail  Gas  Sta.ons)   •Lionshead  Mixed  Use  1  (Lionshead  Core)   •Lionshead  Mixed  Use  2  (Lionshead/Vail  Maintenance)   By  allowing  religious  ins.tu.ons  as  a  condi.onal  use,  the  Town  maintains  the  ability  to  decide  if  a   proposed  loca.on  is  appropriate  through  the  review  of  a  condi.onal  use  permit  by  the  Planning  and   Environmental  Commission,  with  the  ability  of  the  Town  Council  to  call-­‐up  or  hear  an  appeal.    The   Condi.onal  Use  Permit  requires  the  following  criteria  and  findings  for  the  approval  of  a  Condi.onal  Use   Permit:   12-­‐16-­‐6:  CRITERIA;  FINDINGS:   A.  Factors  Enumerated:  Before  acAng  on  a  condiAonal  use  permit  applicaAon,  the  planning  and   environmental  commission  shall  consider  the  following  factors  with  respect  to  the  proposed  use:   1.  RelaAonship  and  impact  of  the  use  on  development  objecAves  of  the  town.   !1 2.  Effect  of  the  use  on  light  and  air,  distribuAon  of  populaAon,  transportaAon  faciliAes,   uAliAes,  schools,  parks  and  recreaAon  faciliAes,  and  other  public  faciliAes  and  public   faciliAes  needs.   3.  Effect  upon  traffic,  with  parAcular  reference  to  congesAon,  automoAve  and  pedestrian   safety  and  convenience,  traffic  flow  and  control,  access,  maneuverability,  and  removal  of   snow  from  the  streets  and  parking  areas.   4.  Effect  upon  the  character  of  the  area  in  which  the  proposed  use  is  to  be  located,   including  the  scale  and  bulk  of  the  proposed  use  in  relaAon  to  surrounding  uses.   5.  Such  other  factors  and  criteria  as  the  commission  deems  applicable  to  the  proposed   use.   6.  The  environmental  impact  report  concerning  the  proposed  use,  if  an  environmental   impact  report  is  required  by  chapter  12  of  this  Atle.   B.  Necessary  Findings:  The  planning  and  environmental  commission  shall  make  the  following   findings  before  granAng  a  condiAonal  use  permit:   1.  That  the  proposed  locaAon  of  the  use  is  in  accordance  with  the  purposes  of  this  Atle   and  the  purposes  of  the  zone  district  in  which  the  site  is  located.   2.  That  the  proposed  locaAon  of  the  use  and  the  condiAons  under  which  it  would  be   operated  or  maintained  will  not  be  detrimental  to  the  public  health,  safety,  or  welfare,  or   materially  injurious  to  properAes  or  improvements  in  the  vicinity.   3.  That  the  proposed  use  will  comply  with  each  of  the  applicable  provisions  of  this  Atle.   RLuIPA The  Religious  Land  Use  and  Ins.tu.onalized  Persons  Act  of  2000  (RLUIPA)  is  a  federal  statute  enacted   to  safeguard  religions  freedoms  from  governmental  interference.    The  following  informa.on  is  from  the   U.S.  Department  of  JusAce  Civil  Rights  Division:    A  Guide  to  Federal  Religious  Land  Use  ProtecAons   (a;ached.)    The  key  provision  specifically  states:   No  government  shall  improve  or  implement  a  land  use  regulaAon  in  a  manner  that  impose  a   substanAal   burden   on   the   religious   exercise   of   a   person,   including   a   religious   assembly   or   insAtuAon,  unless  the  government  demonstrates  that  imposiAon  of  the  burden  on  that  person,   assembly,  or  insAtuAon  is  in  the  furtherance  of  a  compelling  governmental  interest;  and  is  the   least  restricAve  means  of  furthering  that  compelling  governmental  interest.       RLUIPA  provides  the  following  provisions:   •RLUIPA  prevents  the  infringement  of  religious  exercise   •Religious  insAtuAons  must  be  treated  as  similar  to  comparable  secular  insAtuAons   •RLUIPA  bars  discriminaAon  among  religions   •Zoning  ordinances  may  not  totally  exclude  religious  assemblies   •RLUIPA  forbids  laws  that  unreasonably  limit  houses  of  worship   Since  2000  when  the  statute  was  enacted,  many  communi.es  have  enacted  new  zoning  regula.ons  to   ensure  that  they  are  in  compliance  with  RLUIPA.    Planning  and  Law  conferences  have  many  sessions   dedicated   to   educa.ng   communi.es   on   RLUIPA.     For   example,   the  2006   American   Planning   !2 AssociaAon’s  Planning  and  Urban  Design  Standards  provides  specific  recommenda.ons  to  ensure  that   communi.es  are  not  contradictory  to  RLUIPA:       As  provided  in  the  recommenda.ons,  the  proposal  is   to   allow   religious   ins.tu.ons   in   all   commercial   zone   districts.    This  is  in  response  to  bullet  3,  sta.ng  “Allow   religious  insAtuAons  in  mulAple  zone  districts,  including   districts   where   very   large   and   acAve   faciliAes   with   early-­‐morning   and   late-­‐night   acAviAes   and/or   high   levels   of   traffic   would   be   appropriate.”   No   amendments   are   being   proposed   to   any   residen.al   zone  districts.   Of   the   27   zone   districts   provided   in   Vail’s   Zoning   Regula.ons   for   the   en.re   Town   (excluding   Special   Development   Districts)   religious   ins.tu.ons   are   allowed   by   condi.onal   use   permit   in   only   five   zone   districts:   •High  Density  Mul.ple  Family  (HDMF)   •Public  Accommoda.on  (PA)   •Public  Accommoda.on  2  (PA-­‐2)   •Agricultural  and  Open  Space  (AG)   •General  Use  (GU)   Other   than   HDMF,   these   zone   districts   do   present   some  challenges  for  religious  ins.tu.ons.    Both  the  PA   and   PA-­‐2   zone   districts   have   the   primary   goal   of   providing   loca.ons   for   lodging,   a   use   that   is   highly   valued   by   the   Town.     The   AG   district   is   ofen   large   tracts   of   Town   owned   land   used   as   open   space,   including  stream  tracts.    The  GU  district  is  generally   applied   to   public   ins.tu.ons,   such   as   schools,   government   facili.es,   parks,   or   hospitals.     The   exis.ng   Vail   Interfaith   Chapel,   owned   by   the   Vail   Religious  Founda.on,  is  located  on  a  property  zoned  GU.    The  five  districts  included  above  are  generally   area  that  are  fully  developed  and  do  not  include  tenant  spaces  available  for  lease  or  purchase.    This   again   restricts   the   supply   of   land   or   buildings   available   for   religious   ins.tu.ons,   thus   making   it   extremely  difficult  to  find  opportuni.es  for  religious  assembly.       The  Town’s  GIS  department  provided  an  analysis  of  the  total  area  of  each  zone  district.    We  took  this   data  and  calculated  the  percentage  of  each  zone  district  of  the  total  area  of  the  Town.    To  simplify  the   analysis,  Special  Development  Districts  are  excluded  from  this  analysis.    Special  Development  Districts   are  unique  because  their  uses  vary  both  by  underlying  zoning  and  with  other  use  restric.ons  included   in  the  adop.ng  ordinance.       !3 Zone  District Allowance  for  Religious   Ins5tu5ons  in  All  Zone  Districts Percentage  of  Town   Zoned  this  District   (excluding  SDDs) Hillside  Residen.al Not  Allowed 1.224% Single-­‐Family  Residen.al Not  Allowed 1.706% Two-­‐Family  Residen.al Not  Allowed 7.488% Two-­‐Family  Primary  Secondary  Residen.al Not  Allowed 15.664% Residen.al  Cluster Not  Allowed 7.679% Low  Density  Mul.ple  Family Not  Allowed 3.594% Medium  Density  Mul.ple  Family Not  Allowed 2.494% High  Density  Mul.ple  Family Condi.onal  Use 0.925% Housing Not  Allowed 1.023% Vail  Village  Townhouse  District Not  Allowed 0.047% Public  Accommoda.on Condi.onal  Use 0.282% Commercial  Core  1 Not  Allowed 0.392% Commercial  Core  2 Not  Allowed 0.074% Commercial  Core  3  Not  Allowed 0.794% Commercial  Service  Center  Not  Allowed 0% Arterial  Business  Not  Allowed 0.096% Heavy  Service  Not  Allowed 0.106% Lionshead  Mixed  Use  1 Not  Allowed 2.095% Lionshead  Mixed  Use  2 Not  Allowed 0.257% Public  Accommoda.on  2 Condi.onal  Use 0.086% Agricultural  and  Open  Space Condi.onal  Use 4.018% Outdoor  Recrea.on Not  Allowed 12.152% Natural  Area  Preserva.on  District Not  Allowed 25.908% Ski  Base  Recrea.on Not  Allowed 2.414% Ski  Base  Recrea.on  2 Not  Allowed 0.366% !4 This  table  shows  that  religious  ins.tu.ons  are  allowed  by  condi.onal  use  in  12.949%  of  the  land  area  of   the  Town  (excluding  SDDs  which  are  approximately  162  acres  or  7.328%  of  the  Town).    The  percentage   reduces  to  1.293%  with  the  exclusion  of  Agriculture  and  Open  Space  and  General  Use,  since  they  are   largely  government  owned  or  not  intended  for  development.    By  adding  in  the  proposed  commercial   zone  districts,  the  percentage  of  land  area  that  would  allow  religious  ins.tu.ons  increases  to  16.763%   or  5.107%  excluding  Agriculture  and  Open  Space  and  General  Use.           Land  area  may  not  be  the  best  measure  of  site  availability,  as  factors  other  than  zoning  effect  site   availability.    For  example,  land  that  is  zoned  commercially  has  much  greater  opportunity  for  leasable   space  than  land  zoned  for  low  density  residen.al  uses.    However,  the  analysis  provides  some  guidance   to  the  Town  in  the  decision-­‐making  process.   Criteria for Review of Text Amendment The  review  criteria  for  a  text  amendment  are  provided  in  Sec.on  12-­‐3-­‐7  and  are  listed  below.    The   Applicant’s  analysis  of  conformance  with  the  criteria  follows:   A.Factors  Enumerated:    Before  ac.ng  on  an  applica.on  for  an  amendment  to  the  regula.ons   prescribed   in   this   .tle,   the   planning   and   environmental   commission   and   town   council   shall   consider  the  following  factors  with  respect  to  the  requested  text  amendment:   1.The  extent  to  which  the  text  amendment  furthers  the  general  and  specific  purposes  of  the   zoning  regula5ons         Applicant  Analysis:    Chapter  12-­‐1-­‐2:  provides  the  general  and  specific  purposes  of  the  Zoning   Regula.ons:   A.General:  These  regulaAons  are  enacted  for  the  purpose  of  promoAng  the  health,   safety,  morals,  and  general  welfare  of  the  town,  and  to  promote  the  coordinated  and   harmonious  development  of  the  town  in  a  manner  that  will  conserve  and  enhance  its   natural   environment   and   its   established   character   as   a   resort   and   residenAal   community  of  high  quality.   B.Specific:   These   regulaAons   are   intended   to   achieve   the   following   more   specific   purposes:   1.To  provide  for  adequate  light,  air,  sanitaAon,  drainage,  and  public  faciliAes.   Special  Development  District Uses  Based  on  Underlying  Zoning   or  Adop.ng  Ordinance NA Parking Not  Allowed 0.087% General  Use Condi.onal  Use 7.638% Zone  District Allowance  for  Religious   Ins5tu5ons  in  All  Zone  Districts Percentage  of  Town   Zoned  this  District   (excluding  SDDs) !5 2.To  secure  safety  from  fire,  panic,  flood,  avalanche,  accumulaAon  of  snow,  and   other  dangerous  condiAons.   3.To  promote  safe  and  efficient  pedestrian  and  vehicular  traffic  circulaAon  and  to   lessen  congesAon  in  the  streets.   4.To  promote  adequate  and  appropriately  located  off  street  parking  and  loading   faciliAes.   5.To  conserve  and  maintain  established  community  qualiAes  and  economic  values.   6.To  encourage  a  harmonious,  convenient,  workable  relaAonship  among  land  uses,   consistent  with  municipal  development  objecAves.   7.To   prevent   excessive   populaAon   densiAes   and   overcrowding   of   the   land   with   structures.   8.To  safeguard  and  enhance  the  appearance  of  the  town.   9.To  conserve  and  protect  wildlife,  streams,  woods,  hillsides,  and  other  desirable   natural  features.   10.To  assure  adequate  open  space,  recreaAon  opportuniAes,  and  other  ameniAes   and  faciliAes  conducive  to  desired  living  quarters.   11.To  otherwise  provide  for  the  growth  of  an  orderly  and  viable  community.     While   not   all   of   the   purpose   statements   are   applicable   to   this   applica.on,   this   text   amendment  furthers  many  of  the  above  statements,  specifically  the  following:   5.    To  conserve  and  maintain  established  community  qualiAes  and  economic  values.   The  Town  has  placed  a  high  priority  on  crea.ng  a  premier  mountain  resort  community.     “Religious  Ins.tu.ons”  are  an  important  part  of  crea.ng  a  sense  of  community.         6.    To  encourage  a  harmonious,  convenient,  workable  relaAonship  among  land  uses,   consistent  with  municipal  development  objecAves.   This  amendment  allows  for  all  religious  communi.es  in  Vail  to  have  greater  opportunity  to   provide  services  to  both  Vail  residents  and  visitors.      Providing  religious  services  helps  make   Vail   more   sustainable   as   a   community   and   helps   keep   revenue   in   Vail   since   a;ending   religious   services   is  ofen   followed   by   shopping   or   ea.ng.     This   creates   a   harmonious,   convenient,  and  workable  rela.onship  among  land  uses.       8.    To  safeguard  and  enhance  the  appearance  of  the  town.   The   review   of   the   condi.onal   use   permit   allows   the   Planning   and   Environmental   Commission   to   ensure   that   the   appearance   of   the   Town   is   enhanced   by   this   land   use   (religious  ins.tu.on),  as  it  has  ul.mate  review  authority  on  a  condi.onal  use  permit,  and   can  set  appropriate  condi.ons  on  any  proposed  use.   2.The  extent  to  which  the  text  amendment  would  beFer  implement  and  beFer  achieve  the   applicable   elements   of   the   adopted   goals,   objec5ves,   and   policies   outlined   in   the   Vail   comprehensive  plan  and  is  compa5ble  with  the  development  objec5ves  of  the  town   !6 Applicant  Analysis:      The  various  master  plans  that  make  up  the  Vail  Comprehensive  Plan   have   been   reviewed   and   the   following   goals   and   policies   are   applicable   from   these   documents:   Vail  Land  Use  Plan:    The  Vail  Land  Use  Plan  does  not  specifically  make  recommenda.ons  for   “religious   ins.tu.ons”   though   unlike   the   Zoning   Regula.ons,   it   does   recognize   that   “churches”  should  be  permi;ed  in  other  areas  of  Town.    “Churches  “  are  a  recommended   use  in  the  following  land  use  categories:       •Low  Density  Residen.al   •Medium  Density  Residen.al   •High  Density  Residen.al   In  addi.on,  the  Vail  Land  Use  Plan  provides  the  following  goals  that  are  applicable  to  this   applica.on:       Vail  Village  Master  Plan:   Lionshead  Redevelopment  Master  Plan:     !7 As  each  of  these  plans  state,  Vail  should  offer  addi.onal  ac.vi.es  for  guests  and  residents.     This  amendment  furthers  the  stated  goals  of  the  Vail  Comprehensive  Plan.   3.The  extent  to  which  the  text  amendment  demonstrates  how  condi5ons  have  substan5ally   changed  since  the  adop5on  of  the  subject  regula5on  and  how  the  exis5ng  regula5on  is  no   longer  appropriate  or  is  inapplicable   Applicant  Analysis:    RLUIPA,  adopted  in  2000,  vastly  changed  the  way  communi.es  can   regulate  religious  uses.    However,  the  Town  of  Vail  has  not  responded  by  upda.ng  the   zoning   regula.ons   to   comply   with   the   act.     By   allowing   “religious   ins.tu.on”   as   a   condi.onal  use  in  all  commercial  zone  districts,  the  Town  will  more  closely  comply  with  the   act.    Limi.ng  the  use  to  only  five  zone  districts,  especially  when  both  GU  and  AG  zoned  lands   are   largely   owned   by   the   Town   as   parks   and   open   space,   severely   limits   the   ability   of   religious  ins.tu.ons  to  locate  in  the  Town  of  Vail.    As  a  result,  the  exis.ng  regula.ons  are  no   longer  appropriate  considering  the  adop.on  of  RLUIPA  in  2000.   4.The  extent  to  which  the  text  amendment  provides  a  harmonious,  convenient,  workable   rela5onship  among  land  use  regula5ons  consistent  with  municipal  development  objec5ves   Applicant  Analysis:  Allowing  religious  ins.tu.ons  as  a  condi.onal  use  in  all  commercial  zone   districts  creates  more  opportuni.es  for  religious  organiza.ons  to  locate  in  areas  of  the  Town   where  there  are  already  significant  levels  of  ac.vity  and  areas  of  mass  gatherings,  such  as   conference  and  mee.ng  spaces.    In  addi.on,  religious  ins.tu.ons  can  create  a  synergy  with   other   commercial   uses,   as   afer   services   many   people   then   eat   or   shop   at   local   establishments.    This  creates  a  harmonious,  convenient,  and  workable  rela.onship  among   land  uses  that  is  consistent  with  the  Town’s  development  objec.ves.     5.Such  other  factors  and  criteria  the  planning  and  environmental  commission  and/or  council   deem  applicable  to  the  proposed  text  amendment   Applicant   Analysis:   Any   other   factors   and   criteria   that   the   Planning   and   Environmental   Commission  deems  applicable  shall  be  addressed  by  the  Applicant.   B.Necessary  Findings:  The  Planning  and  Environmental  Commission  shall  make  the  following  findings   before  gran.ng  a  condi.onal  use  permit:   1.That   the   amendment   is   consistent   with   the   applicable   elements   of   the   adopted   goals,   objec5ves  and  policies  outlined  in  the  Vail  comprehensive  plan  and  is  compa5ble  with  the   development  objec5ves  of  the  town;  and   2.That  the  amendment  furthers  the  general  and  specific  purposes  of  the  zoning  regula5ons;  and   3.That  the  amendment  promotes  the  health,  safety,  morals,  and  general  welfare  of  the  town   and  promotes  the  coordinated  and  harmonious  development  of  the  town  in  a  manner  that   conserves  and  enhances  its  natural  environment  and  its  established  character  as  a  resort  and   residen5al  community  of  the  highest  quality.   !8 Conclusion The  proposed  amendment  allows  greater  opportunity  for  religious  ins.tu.ons  to  establish  themselves   or  grow  within  the  community.    At  the  same  .me,  the  amendment  allows  the  Town  to  appropriately   address  RLUIPA  and  bring  the  Town  into  be;er  compliance  with  this  now  fifeen  year  old  federal  law.     The  Condi.onal  Use  Permit  process  and  the  Design  Review  process  provide  the  same  safeguards  as   applied  to  secular  uses  dealing  with  issues  of  traffic,  parking,  and  design. !9 U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division A Guide To Federal Religious Land Use Protections The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. The law was passed unanimously by Congress in 2000, after hearings in which Congress found that houses of worship, particularly those of minority religions and start-up churches, were disproportionately affected, and in fact often were actively discriminated against, by local land use decisions. Congress also found that, as a whole, religious institutions were treated worse than comparable secular institutions. Congress further found that zoning authorities frequently were placing excessive burdens on the ability of congregations to exercise their faiths in violation of the Constitution. In response, Congress enacted RLUIPA. This new law provides a number of important protections for the religious freedom of persons, houses of worship, and religious schools. The full text of RLUIPA is available at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/housing_rluipa.htm. Below is a summary of the law’s key provisions, with illustrations of the types of cases that may violate the law. ! RLUIPA prevents infringement of religious exercise. Land use regulations frequently can impede the ability of churches or other religious institutions to carry out their mission of serving the religious needs of their members. Section 2(a) of RLUIPA thus bars zoning restrictions that impose a “substantial burden” on the religious exercise of a person or institution, unless the government can show that it has a “compelling interest” for imposing the restriction and that the restriction is the least restrictive way for the government to further that interest. Minor costs or inconveniences imposed on religious institutions are insufficient to trigger RLUIPA’s protections. The burden must be “substantial.” And, likewise, once the institution has shown a substantial burden on its religious exercise, the government must show not merely that it has a rational reason for imposing the restriction, but must show that the reason is “compelling.” A church applies for a variance to build a modest addition to its building for Sunday school classes. Despite the church demonstrating that the addition is critical to carrying out its religious mission, that there is adequate space on the lot, and that there would be a negligible impact on traffic and congestion in the area, the city denies the variance. A Jewish congregation that has been meeting in various rented spaces that have proven inadequate for the religious needs of its growing membership purchases land and seeks to build a synagogue. The town council denies the permit, and the only reason given is “we have enough houses of worship in this town already, and want more businesses.” Because the religious organizations in these cases have demonstrated a substantial burden on their religious exercise, and the justification offered by the city in both cases is not compelling, these cases likely would be violations of RLUIPA, assuming certain jurisdictional requirements of the statute are met. ! Religious institutions must be treated as well as comparable secular institutions. Section 2(b)(1) of RLUIPA provides that religious assemblies and institutions must be treated at least as well as nonreligious assemblies and institutions. This is known as the “equal terms” provision of RLUIPA. A mosque leases space in a storefront, but zoning officials deny an occupancy permit since houses of worship are forbidden in that zone. However, fraternal organizations, meeting halls, and place of assembly are all permitted as of right in the same zone. Because the statute on its face favors nonreligious places of assembly over religious assemblies, this example would be a violation of 2(b)(1). ! RLUIPA bars discrimination among religions. Section 2(b)(2) of RLUIPA bars discrimination “against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination.” A Hindu congregation is denied a building permit despite meeting all of the requirements for height, setback, and parking required by the zoning code. The zoning administrator is overheard making a disparaging remark about Hindus. If it were proven that the permit was denied because the applicants were Hindu, this would constitute a violation of 2(b)(2). ! Zoning ordinances may not totally exclude religious assemblies. Section 2(b)(3)(A) of RLUIPA provides: “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that totally excludes religious assemblies from a jurisdiction.” A town, seeking to preserve tax revenues, enacts a law that no new churches or other houses of worship will be permitted. Such total exclusions of religious assemblies are explicitly forbidden by section 2(b)(3)(A). ! RLUIPA forbids laws that unreasonably limit houses of worship. Section 2(b)(3)(B) of RLUIPA provides: “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that unreasonably limits religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.” A city has no zones that permit houses of worship. The only way a church may be built is by having an individual parcel rezoned, a process which in that city takes several years and is extremely expensive. This zoning scheme, if proven to be an unreasonable limitation on houses of worship, would constitute a violation of section 2(b)(3)(B). Enforcement of RLUIPA Rights Religious institutions and individuals whose rights under RLUIPA are violated may bring a private civil action for injunctive relief and damages. The Department of Justice also can investigate alleged RLUIPA violations and bring a lawsuit to enforce the statute. The Department can obtain injunctive, but not monetary, relief. If you believe that your rights under RLUIPA may have been violated and you wish to file a complaint or find out more information about the law, you may write to: Housing and Civil Enforcement Section Civil Rights Division U.S. Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20530 or call the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section at (800) 896-7743. Further information about RLUIPA is available at the Section website at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/housing/index.html. Information about the Civil Rights Division’s religious liberties initiative, the First Freedom Project, is available at www.FirstFreedom.gov. You also may call the Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination at (202) 353-8622.