Conditional Use Permits
A Conditional Use Permit lets a property owner get approval for a use not automatically allowed by zoning — but the process can take a year or more and costs $10,000-$20,000, with no guarantee of approval.
Tag Archives: Land Use
Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023
What SB 4, the Affordable Housing on Faith and Higher Education Lands Act of 2023, allows religious institutions to build, and how a 2025 amendment updated the eligibility rules.
General Plan vs. Zoning
How a General Plan and zoning ordinance legally relate under California law, and how RLUIPA gives churches specific federal protection in zoning disputes.
Public Hearings
Public hearings come up constantly in church real estate matters — a zoning change, a Conditional Use Permit, a Planned Development, or any redevelopment of church structures often runs into the same requirement along the way. In simple terms, a public hearing is an open gathering where citizens can offer testimony or comment before a public board, commission, or agency makes a significant decision. Understanding how these actually work — and what rights a church has going into one — makes the difference between being prepared and being caught off […]