Hawai'i church zoning

"On the lower slope of the Haleakala volcano here on the island of Maui, in red-dirt agricultural land famed for its sweet onions, worshipers hold church services in a low-slung concrete-block, metal-roofed building meant for storing farm equipment.

The church, which is Christian, nondenominational and called Hale O Kaula, would like to build a proper sanctuary, but the Maui Planning Commission, citing traffic and safety concerns, has turned it down. In response, the church has sued."

Ah, but that's routine, right? Well, not this time. The US Dept. of Justice is backing the church. In fact, it's threatening to sue Maui County itself, and if it does, it may become a test case for a 2000 Federal law intended to tip the scales in favor of churches in zoning fights.

The NYT devoted two full pages to this story; it's interesting reading.