Orleans — An Orleans religious group claims discrimination is behind the denial of a permit to build a 100-foot bell tower atop its Rock Harbor church.
The Community of Jesus is appealing the Sept. 6 decision of the Orleans Old King's Highway Regional Historic District Committee. The committee denied a request to increase the tower height by 25 feet from the already-approved 75 feet. The district's regional commission can overrule the local committee.
"We presented a mountain of evidence about taller church towers and much taller structures in the historic district but, for some reason, this particular church was treated differently," said Christopher Kanaga, a lawyer representing the religious group. "I think there is a serious irrational prejudice against the Community of Jesus, which plays out sometimes in town board hearings and sometimes in the press coverage."
In the appeal, the Community claims that the committee failed to act within the required 45 days. The group also claims that the denial violates the U.S. Constitution by unlawfully and unreasonably regulating the group's exercise of religion. It also violates a 2000 federal law that protects religious groups from discrimination by land use rules, the group says, and the committee failed to set reasons for its denial.
"They didn't follow their own guidelines," Kanaga said.
