After years of proceedings, the Eagle County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved Cornerstone’s expansion plans for their church and school. This outcome vindicates our legal strategy under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and the First Amendment.
At issue was a demand that Cornerstone build 27 units of affordable housing—each costing upwards of $750,000—despite the church’s annual budget of $850,000. Even after reducing the requirement, the condition would have effectively killed the project. Cornerstone has already spent nearly $200,000 navigating the land-use process.
As our partner Andrew Nussbaum explained:
“We exist as a public benefit, as caring for the spiritual and material needs of the community here,” he said. “Federal law has struck that balance for you in so far as it says religious land use is a public benefit.”
First and Fourteenth leads the country in religious land use cases, having won numerous RLUIPA cases over the last several years. This important approval ensures Cornerstone can move forward with its sanctuary and school expansion—continuing its mission to serve the Eagle County community.
Read more here: Cornerstone Gets OK For Expansion Plans