Objective coverage of church-state and religious liberty developments, with extensive links to primary sources.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Maryland County Residents Urge Council To Reject RLUIPA Settlement
In Bristol, Maryland, zoning officials denied Riverdale Baptist Church a permit to construct an expanded campus for its Arundel Bay Christian Academy. The Church in turn filed a RLULIPA lawsuit in federal district court charging discrimination. County attorneys negotiated a settlement under which the county would adopt legislation essentially permitting the project to proceed. Yesterday's Annapolis Capital reported that at Monday's South County Council meeting, some 50 residents urged Council to reject the proposed settlement and fight the lawsuit in court. They point to traffic, water runoff and urbanization concerns.