Opinion ID: 2999824
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Is deemed necessary for the public convenience

Text: at that location; 2. Is so designed, located and proposed to be operated that the public health, safety and welfare will be protected; 3. Will not cause substantial injury to the value of other property in the neighborhood in which it is located; and 4. Except as may be recommended by the Plan Commis- sion and approved by the Village Board and conforms, except in the case of a planned development, to the applicable regulations of the district in which it is to be located. Zoning Regulations § 5-11-6(D), R.99, Ex.2. In addition, § 5- 11-6.1, which codified the Assembly Ordinance, mandates that Vision’s plans comply with certain size and capacity restrictions. 22 Nos. 05-4144 & 05-4234 This case therefore is distinguishable from Schad, where the zoning code excluded all live entertainment as a permissible use in the Borough’s business district and did not set forth a method by which to obtain a special use permit for this activity. See Schad, 452 U.S. at 64-66. Here, by contrast, if the conditions set forth in the Village’s zoning code are fulfilled, a church may be built on property zoned for residential use. Cf. R.V.S., L.L.C. v. City of Rockford, 361 F.3d 402, 409 (7th Cir. 2004) (holding that an ordinance permitting nude dancing only as a special use did not “amount[] to a total ban on protected activity,” because it placed restrictions only on the location of such businesses). Thus, we conclude that the Village Zoning Regulations do not violate the First Amendment protections recognized in Schad or RLUIPA § 2(b)(3)(A). This does not end our inquiry, however. Section 2(b)(3) of RLUIPA also prohibits a land use regulation that “unreasonably limits religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(b)(3)(B). As the legislative history evidences, “[w]hat is reasonable must be determined in light of all the facts, including the actual availability of land and the economics of religious organizations.” 146 Cong. Rec. E1563 (daily ed. Sept. 22, 2000) (statement of Rep. Canady). In this case, we cannot conclude that requiring Vision to obtain a special use permit to build and operate its church in a residential district “unreasonably limits religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.” 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(b)(3)(B). Vision’s primary argument on appeal is that the Board’s discretion in granting a special use permit is unbridled and therefore its consideration of Vision’s application was unreasonable. We disagree. This is not a case where the “state [has] delegate[d] essentially standardless discretion to nonprofessionals operating Nos. 05-4144 & 05-4234 23 without procedural safeguards.” Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, Inc. v. City of New Berlin, 396 F.3d 895, 900 (7th Cir. 2005). The Board’s discretion is narrowly circumscribed by the Village’s Zoning Regulations, which set forth the various factors to be considered by the Board in addressing an application for a special use permit. See Zoning Regulations § 5-11-6(D), R.99, Ex.2; id. § 5-11-6.1. Even if the Zoning Regulations were to grant the Board undue discretion, this does not demonstrate the violation of RLUIPA § 2(b)(3)(B). The requirement that churches obtain a special use permit is neutral on its face and is justified by legitimate, non-discriminatory municipal planning goals. As a general matter, special use designations are instruments of municipal planning that allow city officials to retain review power over land uses that, although presumptively allowed, may pose special problems. In this case in particular, the special use designation is substantially related to the municipal planning goals of limiting development, traffic and noise, and preserving open space; these goals, in turn, are reflected in the Village’s Comprehensive Plan, “which seeks to ensure that the semi-rural atmosphere of the community is maintained while simultaneously permitting a wide variety of quality development in character with the existing motif of the community.” Comprehensive Plan, R.99, Ex.3 at 01-1. To carry out this goal, the Village also has required many secular institutions, including “[s]chools, elementary and high, including playgrounds and athletic fields,” “[u]tility and public service uses,” and “[n]ursing homes,” to be approved as a special use in a residential district. Zoning Regulations § 5-4-2-2, R.99, Ex.2. Like these institutions, religious assemblies have a reasonable opportunity to build within the Village, provided that the requirements for a special use permit have been fulfilled. 24 Nos. 05-4144 & 05-4234