The city of Lilburn, Georgia has reached a settlement with the Department of Justice after continuously refusing to zone property to allow for a mosque. Citing the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), the Justice Department filed suit on Friday to move forward an agreement.
Lilburn's agreement with the DOJ will require that the city not impose different zoning and building requirements on other houses of worship; that city officials attend training on the requirements of the law; and that the city adopt new procedures that clarify its appeals process for religious groups. Lilburn officials also will report periodically to the agency.
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The DOJ's investigation is part of a renewed commitment to enforce an 11-year-old federal law [RLUIPA] prohibiting local authorities from imposing "a substantial burden" on religious groups or treating them "on less than equal terms" than other groups in land-use decisions.
It's great to hear federal law enforcement finally emphasizing this important law, which seems to be a secret to many local government officials. A little more awareness and maybe we can start seeing fewer of these disputes having to go to court in the first place. Or am I just optimistic at the start of a week?
