On November 19, 2008, jurors decided Wednesday that Boulder County Commissioners violated federal law when in 2004 they refused to allow a Rocky Mountain Christian Church ("RMCC") a request to expand on its property at 95th Street & Niwot Road in Boulder County, Colorado.
Jurors decided that the Commissioners violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”) because they:
1. did not treat the church equally to a non-religious institution;
2. placed a substantial burden on the church’s practice of religion;and
3. put an unreasonable limitation on that practice.
US Judge Robert Blackburn still needs to decide if RMCC can expand on its property. Back in 2004, RMCC requested approval to double its facility size by building an education building, a chapel, a gymnasium, and a gallery. This expansion was proposed to add 132,000 square feet to the church’s existing 106,000-square-foot campus.
From Alan Ahlgrim, Lead Pastor at RMCC “… we won 100% of what we were most concerned about and in addition we anticipate we will recover every dime of the litigation costs the church has incurred.”
“We won the central issue that brought us to the court house. This has been a long and complex case and we respect the verdict of the jury and we are very grateful that they concluded that the county actions were not fair. We are very, very happy with the decision since it vindicated the church...”
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based law firm dedicated to the free expression of religion, supported Rocky Mountain Christian Church in its lawsuit. After the verdict was announced, the Becket Fund issued a press release calling the decision “a major victory” for the church. “This is a win not just for Rocky Mountain Christian Church, but for every house of worship across the country. What this decision says, loud and clear, is that religious institutions need to be treated the same as non-religious institutions — no better but also no worse,” Eric Rassbach, national litigation director of the Becket Fund, said in the news release.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Construction Costs DECREASE
The Associated Builders and Contractors just reported significant decrease in construction prices.
“Construction input prices fell 2.8 percent in October – the largest one-month decrease since July 1986 – according to the November 18th producer price index (PPI) report by the U.S. Labor Department. Despite the dramatic decline, construction input prices remain 10 percent higher than October of last year (see graph below).
Prices for fabricated structural metal products dropped by 0.6 percent in October, but are still 15.1 percent higher than one year ago. Plumbing fixtures and fittings prices dropped slightly in October by 0.1 percent, however they are up a relatively modest 4.1 percent from October 2007. Nonferrous wire and cable prices dropped 7.7 percent – the largest monthly decline since 1949. The decrease brings the year-over-year change down 5.4 percent from October 2007. Prices for fabricated ferrous wire products increased 2 percent in October following a slight decrease in price the month prior. Still, prices are up an astonishing 30.55 percent from a year ago. Softwood lumber prices decreased 7.4 percent from September, the largest monthly decrease since November 2004, and are now down 8.8 percent from last October. In contrast, asphalt felts and coatings prices continue to increase, rising 5.7 percent from last month and up 60.2 percent from a year ago. Crude energy prices dropped significantly, down 24.9 percent in October, with crude petroleum down 26 percent and natural gas down 29.1 percent. Gasoline prices dropped 24.9 percent on a monthly basis. Finished energy good prices fell 12.8 percent from the previous month. Overall, prices for finished goods decreased 2.8 percent, making it the third consecutive monthly decrease. “
© 2008 Associated Builders and Contractors
“Construction input prices fell 2.8 percent in October – the largest one-month decrease since July 1986 – according to the November 18th producer price index (PPI) report by the U.S. Labor Department. Despite the dramatic decline, construction input prices remain 10 percent higher than October of last year (see graph below).
Prices for fabricated structural metal products dropped by 0.6 percent in October, but are still 15.1 percent higher than one year ago. Plumbing fixtures and fittings prices dropped slightly in October by 0.1 percent, however they are up a relatively modest 4.1 percent from October 2007. Nonferrous wire and cable prices dropped 7.7 percent – the largest monthly decline since 1949. The decrease brings the year-over-year change down 5.4 percent from October 2007. Prices for fabricated ferrous wire products increased 2 percent in October following a slight decrease in price the month prior. Still, prices are up an astonishing 30.55 percent from a year ago. Softwood lumber prices decreased 7.4 percent from September, the largest monthly decrease since November 2004, and are now down 8.8 percent from last October. In contrast, asphalt felts and coatings prices continue to increase, rising 5.7 percent from last month and up 60.2 percent from a year ago. Crude energy prices dropped significantly, down 24.9 percent in October, with crude petroleum down 26 percent and natural gas down 29.1 percent. Gasoline prices dropped 24.9 percent on a monthly basis. Finished energy good prices fell 12.8 percent from the previous month. Overall, prices for finished goods decreased 2.8 percent, making it the third consecutive monthly decrease. “
© 2008 Associated Builders and Contractors
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Blog Purpose
My hope for this blog is to offer a forum to discuss issues, offer ideas, present solutions, air concerns, and report on the real estate and construction activities of churches in the greater Denver area (Pueblo to Ft. Collins).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)