Wisconsin Board Rejects RLUIPA Argument In Zoning For Bible Camp

The Oneida County (Wisconsin) Board of Adjustment has rejected a RLUIPA claim and has upheld the denial of a conditional use permit for construction of a Bible camp on Squash Lake near Rhinelander (WI). Yesterday's Rhinelander Daily News reports that the zoning ordinance would allow a church or a school to be built on the site, but the Board ruled that a camp and conference center are not permitted even though the lodge would contain a chapel and classrooms. The Board concluded that denial of the permit did not impose a "substantial burden" on the free exercise of the two brothers who sought to build the recreational camp. Other sites in the county are available where the camp could be built.