Church In Zoning Dispute Wants City Held In Contempt of 2006 Order

Friday's Miami Herald reports on a new religious zoning dispute in Hollywood, Florida. In a 2006 settlement of federal court litigation with Chabad Lubavitch, the city was ordered to enact a new Special Exception ordinance for places of worship, with narrow, objective and definite zoning standards to guide city officials. (See prior posting.) It has not yet done so. Now a motion to intervene in that case and to hold the city in contempt has been filed on behalf of St. Gregorio's Orthodox Church of India, which wants to renovate a building in an area zoned for single family homes and use it for church services. The city says St. Gregorio's needs a special permit under the old zoning rules still in effect.