From Washington DC-
St. Thomas’ Parish Episcopal Church in Dupont Circle,
which is considered one of the city’s most LGBT supportive religious
institutions, could be forced into bankruptcy following a D.C.
government order halting construction of its new church and an adjoining
residential building, according to Rev. Alex Dyer, a gay priest who
leads the church.
Dyer said the church faces a financial crisis as a result
of a decision by the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
to issue on April 23 a “stop work” order on the construction of the
parish’s new church building and an adjoining 56 apartment residential
building.
The DCRA says it issued the stop work order in response to
a ruling by the D.C. Court of Appeals vacating a zoning variance
awarded to the church by the city’s Board of Zoning Adjustment. The
court, in siding with an appeal opposing the building project filed by
the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, ruled that the Board of Zoning
Adjustment failed to provide sufficient justification for awarding the
zoning variance.
The court ruling says the variance could be reissued at a
later date if the Board of Zoning Adjustment provides a better legal
rationale to justify it.
Attorneys representing the church and CAS Riegler
development company have argued in a motion asking the court for a stay
on the stop work order that the court ruling did not require DCRA to
issue the stop order and the order was a mistake that will cause
irreparable harm to the church.
More here-
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