Oregon Zoners Reject Church Site Despite Claim That A Vision Inspired Its Location

The Jackson County, Oregon Planning Commission decided earlier this week that the owners of Circle of Teran-- a spiritual retreat site-- have not shown that they are entitled to an exception from the county's prohibition on churches within three miles of an urban growth boundary. The owners, Scott and Sulara Young, want to use the house they have built as a church. According to yesterday's Southern Oregon Mail Tribune, Planning Commissioner Don Greene said that a church could be built elsewhere on the Youngs' 1700 acre property without running afoul of the zoning restriction. Invoking the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, however, Scott Young said that the he and his wife had a vision that led them to build the house where it is now located.