Lawsuit alleges religious discrimination by Lapeer Township zoning code

[rug]

The steeple of St. John's Lutheran Church in Zilwaukee pokes up through the fall color in this MLive.com file photo. (JEFF SCHRIER)

By Dominic Adams on March 19, 2017 at 5:56 AM

LAPEER TWP, MI - A Lapeer Township church has filed a federal lawsuit claiming the community's zoning ordinances bar the congregation from worshipping and violate the church's constitutional rights.

Irish Oaks Community Church is leasing property at 2841 Wilder Road in an area that is zoned as agricultural estate, according to the lawsuit filed in Flint U.S. District Court on Feb. 21.

The 7-acre property has a main building that holds 140 people and an accessory barn. It was previously used by a production company to practice and host performances to prepare for shows on cruise ships, the lawsuit said.

But after attempting to get four zoning variances in order to use the property for worship, Irish Oaks was denied by the township.

Irish Oaks then filed a lawsuit alleging Lapeer Township officials have violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Act and hampered the church's constitutional protection under the free exercise and free speech clauses of the First Amendment.

Lapeer Township has 13 different zoning districts, but churches and temples are not a permitted use in any of those, according to the lawsuit.

"It basically zones new churches out of Lapeer Township," said Daniel Dalton, attorney for Irish Oaks Community Church. "I don't know if it's to protect the current ones, but clearly the way the zoning ordinance is laid out is to preclude new churches from coming in."

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2017/03/lawsuit_alleges_religious_disc.html

[Doreen]

1. Of course they would give them a hard time.

Damn Lutherans are not right wing fundamentalists. At least not enough for them.

[rug]

2. Countywide, it looks like the usual mix.

http://www.churchfinder.com/churches/mi/lapeer

[Doreen]

3. Six out of those are protestant.

A couple of them might be moderate fundamentalist but the rest of them tend to be far right fundamentalist churches.