The NY Times posts this article, attempting to put the RLUIPA debate into larger context, focusing on a church in Boulder, Colorado that is running into opposition to its expansion plans from the local land use regulators.
RLUIPA requires local land use decisions that impact religious uses to meet the “strict scrutiny” test — precise tailoring to further the stated government interest, while minimizing the impact on religious freedom. The Ninth Circuit recently held RLUIPA constitutional in a decision regarding a Sikh temple in rural California, invalidating the local government’s refusal to allow construction.
