Colorado town settles lawsuit with church over homeless shelters for $225K

CBS News

a day ago

A Colorado town has settled a lawsuit brought on by a church that said the town was violating the church's religious freedom rights in trying to stop the church from using a shelter on its property.
Attorneys for The Rock Church in Castle Rock on Friday announced the settlement, which includes the town allowing the church to use the trailers it was using as shelters on its property and paying the church's legal fees in the suit -- to the tune of $225,000.
"The Town and the Rock believe that this agreement is in the best interest of all parties and successfully balances the Rock's religious free-exercise rights with the Town's public interest in enforcing land use regulations and protecting the general welfare, public health, and safety," the town and the church said in a joint statement. "The Town and the Rock are no longer in an adversarial posture in regard to the litigation and look forward to productive cooperation and potential partnerships on issues in the future."
The statement was sent by attorneys for the church, but it was a joint statement from both parties as part of the settlement of the suit. CBS News Colorado reached out to the Town of Castle Rock for additional comment, but did not immediately hear back.
"This is a welcome resolution that goes far to encourage churches who care for those in need and a good example of the type of cooperation between church and state that every community should welcome," First Liberty senior counsel Jeremy Dys, one of the church's attorneys, said in a statement.
The Rock Church in Castle Rock, Colorado recently settled a lawsuit against the town, alleging the town was violating the church's religious freedom rights in trying to prevent church officials from using trailers on its property as emergency shelters.
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The legal battle commenced just over a year ago when the church sued the town in federal court, but the dispute had been going on for years.
The church parked two trailers in its parking lot it was using as emergency shelters for those in need, in partnership with the Red Cross, but the town argued that the trailers and their use as shelters violated town zoning rules.
In December 2024, the town issued a determination letter that permits the church to operate its shelters and clarified that its zoning regulations don't prevent the church from providing additional shelter during public emergencies.
The agreement allows the church to use up to seven trailers as emergency shelters and allows the town to erect privacy fences and screening. As a result of the settlement, the lawsuit itself was dismissed in federal court.
"We are pleased that we can continue our church's mission to transform society by loving others as Christ loved us," The Rock Pastor Mike Polhemus said in a statement. "We love Castle Rock and are committed to working with the Town of Castle Rock to provide assistance to those in need, thus helping to reduce homelessness in our community."
You can read the full settlement agreement here: