Maryland’s highest court has ruled a Lutherville church can “conduct outreach” without an enormous electronic sign off the Baltimore Beltway.
The Maryland Court of Appeals upheld a Baltimore County zoning law that has prevented Trinity Assembly of God from erecting a 250-square-foot sign for the past six years. The sign is four times bigger than current zoning regulations, which church officials have said violates their freedom of religious expression.
Church officials did not return a request for comment by press time. Attorney C. William “Bud” Clark said he has not had time to discuss the ruling, which came down Wednesday, with his clients at the 1,700-member congregation.
“I got the notice Christmas Eve, ironically enough,” Clark said Monday. “Right now, I’m just not in the position to discuss the merits or my reaction or what the church’s plans are.”
In a 50-page opinion, Judge Glenn T. Harrell Jr. said the church’s request for an exemption from the county’s sign regulations is “really one of desire‚ or want‚ rather than one of need.”
“Although a larger structure on the subject property would be incredibly beneficial‚ to the church’s outreach, not having the space that it desired was not a substantial burden on its religious exercise,” Harrell wrote.
County officials argued that sign regulations protect motorists, and promote safety and aesthetics. Peter Max Zimmerman, attorney for the county’s People’s Counsel, said the Baltimore Beltway is a far cry from the “sign jungles” in other states.
Zimmerman also questioned whether the type of religious expression sought by Trinity Assembly of God — including posting Bible passages on the electronic sign — is covered by legal protections.
“We’ve consistently tried to rein in signs on the Beltway, and we believe strongly that it was not a substantial burden on the church,” Zimmerman said Monday.
The church could next petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling.
