I have previously written about how the town of Toms River, New Jersey, planned to use eminent domain to condemn the Christ Episcopal Church and build a park and pickleball courts on the spot. The plan seems to have been motivated by a desire to prevent the church from building a homeless shelter on part of its property. In late July, the mayor postponed a scheduled vote on the plan, after it met with widespread opposition, and leading public interest firms specializing in property rights issues (such as the Institute for Justice and the Pacific Legal Foundation) offered to represent the Church in potential legal challenges to the taking. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty offered to help bring a case under the RLUIPA statute. I outlined some possible grounds for such a challenge here.
