Church sues, accuses Wayzata of violating fed law

A church that wants to build a new house of worship filed a lawsuit against Wayzata accusing the city of violating a federal law.

The Unitarian Universalists Church said it has outgrown its current building at 605 Rice Street East. It asked the city to build a new church along Interstate 394.

The city said no, because the area is zoned for residential structures and churches are only allowed in areas zoned as institutional areas.

Wayzata Mayor Ken Willcox said, "The major priority of the city over the years has been to preserve the single family home neighborhoods that we have left."

The church said only 4 percent of the city is zoned as institutional and none of that land is for sale. The church said that violates a 2000 federal law that protects churches against most zoning restrictions.

Sam Diehl, attorney for church, said, "The goal here isn't a protracted lawsuit. The goal is to have the city comply with the law."

The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has opened a formal investigating, but is not commenting.