POSTED: 2:24 pm EDT June 26, 2006
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- On the day that the trial was scheduled to begin, attorneys for the city of Hollywood and a synagogue came to terms on a settlement that would pay the house of worship $2 million and allow it to stay where it is.
A five-year battle between the city and Hollywood Community Synagogue Chabad Lubavitch seemingly ended Monday when attorneys for both sides announced that an agreement had been reached over where the Jewish community can worship.
A federal judge agreed to the 12th-hour settlement in court.
"The federal court is finding that the city of Hollywood's code in unconstitutional," attorney Franklin Zemel said.
Under the terms of the settlement, the synagogue would be allowed to stay and would not be required to apply for a special permit that allows religious groups to operate in a residential zone.
The city must also comply with the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which prohibits governments from making land use and zoning decisions that discriminate against religious groups.
City commissioners had sided with area homeowners who complained about noise, garbage, traffic and parking problems, but the U.S. Justice Department threatened to sue unless a settlement was reached.
"To be honest, it’s been very tough and it felt very discriminatory, because you know that there are many other houses of worship in the area which did not have to go through what we went through," Rabbi Joseph Korf said. "We didn't think we deserved it."
The settlement will be approved if voted on by the city commission July 5. If the settlement is rejected, the trial will go on as scheduled.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- On the day that the trial was scheduled to begin, attorneys for the city of Hollywood and a synagogue came to terms on a settlement that would pay the house of worship $2 million and allow it to stay where it is.
A five-year battle between the city and Hollywood Community Synagogue Chabad Lubavitch seemingly ended Monday when attorneys for both sides announced that an agreement had been reached over where the Jewish community can worship.
A federal judge agreed to the 12th-hour settlement in court.
"The federal court is finding that the city of Hollywood's code in unconstitutional," attorney Franklin Zemel said.
Under the terms of the settlement, the synagogue would be allowed to stay and would not be required to apply for a special permit that allows religious groups to operate in a residential zone.
The city must also comply with the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which prohibits governments from making land use and zoning decisions that discriminate against religious groups.
City commissioners had sided with area homeowners who complained about noise, garbage, traffic and parking problems, but the U.S. Justice Department threatened to sue unless a settlement was reached.
"To be honest, it’s been very tough and it felt very discriminatory, because you know that there are many other houses of worship in the area which did not have to go through what we went through," Rabbi Joseph Korf said. "We didn't think we deserved it."
The settlement will be approved if voted on by the city commission July 5. If the settlement is rejected, the trial will go on as scheduled.
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