Church Challenges Town's Zoning Law

Liberty Institute announced the filing last week of a RLUIPA challenge to the zoning ordinance of the town of Bayview, Texas. The complaint (full text) in Cornerstone Church by the Bay v. Town of Bayview, Texas, (SD TX, filed 7/22/2014), alleges that the town's zoning ordinance violates RLUIPA and the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as well as federal and state constitutional protections, by barring all religious institutions in the town's only residential zone while allowing similarly situated non-religious institutions there. Cornerstone is seeking to operate a church and religious school on land that was donated to it.