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RELEVANT LINKS: <br />42 U.S. C. § 2000coft 1). <br />42 U.S C. § 2000cc(bx2). <br />42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(bx3XA). <br />42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(b)(3)(s). <br />B. Comparability to secular institutions <br />Under RLUIPA, religious assemblies and institutions must be treated at least <br />as well as non - religious assemblies and institutions. This is known as the <br />"equal terms" provision of RLUIPA. On its face, the ordinance below favors <br />nonreligious places of assembly over religious assemblies, so the following <br />example would be a violation. <br />Example: A mosque leases space in a storefront, but zoning officials deny an <br />occupancy permit since houses of worship are forbidden in that zone. <br />However, fraternal organizations, meeting halls, and places of assembly are <br />all permitted in the same zone. <br />C. Discrimination among religions <br />RLUIPA bars discrimination "against any assembly or institution on the <br />basis of religion or religious denomination." If it were proven that the <br />permit was denied because the applicants are Hindu, the example below <br />would constitute a violation. <br />Example: A Hindu congregation is denied a building permit despite meeting <br />all of the zoning code requirements for height, setback, and parking. The <br />zoning administrator is overheard making a disparaging remark about <br />Hindus. <br />D. Exclusion of religious assemblies <br />RLUIPA provides: "No government shall impose or implement a land use <br />regulation that totally excludes religious assemblies from a jurisdiction." <br />Exclusions like the example below are explicitly forbidden. <br />Example: A city, seeking to preserve tax revenues, enacts a law that no new <br />churches or other houses of worship will be permitted. <br />E. Unreasonable limits on houses of worship <br />Under RLUIPA: "No government shall impose or implement a land use <br />regulation that unreasonably limits religious assemblies, institutions, or <br />structures within a jurisdiction." The zoning scheme described below, if <br />proven to be an unreasonable limitation on houses of worship, would <br />constitute a violation. <br />Example: A city has no zones that permit houses of worship. The only way a <br />church may be built is by having an individual parcel rezoned, a process <br />which in that city takes several years and is extremely expensive. <br />League of Minnesota Cities Information Memo: 4/7/2010 <br />Zoning for Religion Page 3 <br />