Domino's Land in Florida - the new religious town

[NewJeffCT]

While I don't like the idea, is there really anything illegal about what the former head of Domino's is doing in Florida? Is it that different than those "active adult" communities that are for people that are 55 & over? Or a gated community? Or even a condo association that has restrictions on exteriors of the homes?

I'm an atheist, so I'm not going to be moving there... but, is what he is doing against the law?

[Bob3]

1. If the town charter specifies Catholics only it stomps all over

Article one of the bill of rights ("Establishment of religion")and several parts of civil rights laws with respect to housing. I'm sure that they have a bunch of high priced lawyers trying to figure out the right weasel words to say "Roman Catholic only" without coming right out and saying "Roman Catholic only" but still.

The place sounds like it's going to be a nightmare - a gulag that people lock themselves into for reasons I can't even begin to comprehend. I feel bad for the kids that end up there. The parents at least made a choice to enter Hell. They didn't.

Still I have every confidence that human nature being what it is there will be a strip mall at the town line that features a hooters, a strip club, a beer distributor, a video store with a huge porn section,a 7-11 (Playbody, Penthouse, etc.), a liquor store and a pharmacy where the residents of Hell can come to to get condoms and birth control pills. The most consistent trait of the conspicuously godly is hypocrisy.

[Mist]

4. I tend to agree--my first thought was "so they'll just give their

contraception and porn business to outside stores." I saw Tom Monaghan and Paul Marinelli on TV this am, while waiting for car to be worked on. Came home and googled some info on "Ave Maria Town":
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/04761831.asp
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2058771,00.html

And Ave Maria's own site:
http://www.avemaria.com/

Poor Tom Monaghan, he just wants to get back to "Happy Days."

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. You can't discriminate based on religion, race etc.

I foresee problems for these people.

[katty]

30. Can ya take me to.. Catholic Town?(sung to 70'sfunkytown)

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. I took legal studies a while back.

It would be considered discrimination to stop someone from buying a house based on his religious background. You can't discriminate based on race, nor religion. Imagine how easy it would be to start Republican colonies by creating your own religion.

[NewJeffCT]

36. By that token

Would it be discrimination to have an aged restricted 55 & Over "active adult" community? What if I wanted to live there as a 39 year old? Doesn't that violate the equal protection clause or the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

How about if I wanted to move into a condo development that only allowed you to paint the exterior of your condo certain colors, or to not have certain types of trees or bushes?

[The Backlash Cometh]

37. Court cases.

Court cases have defined what constitutes discrimination and what does not.

Condos and real estate cannot discriminate along the lines of race and religion, but they left wiggle room for age.

And painting codes are allowed as long as the Association filed the right papers and it's defined in the DCCRs. Now, if they make changes to the DCCRs AFTER people build in the Association, they have to follow the guidelines of the State and the Association documents or they can get sued. (But it happens.)

[NewJeffCT]

14. Do the Amish have restrictions?

Would I be able to move into town with the Amish if I so desired, despite my being an atheist?

[NewJeffCT]

21. Now, how is that different from..

A community that restricts itself to only "active adults" that are aged 55 and older? Wouldn't that violate the equal protection clause, if not also the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that bars discimination based on age, for one thing?

How about, a condominium development that only permits you to paint your condo certain colors?

Again... not saying I would live there, but is the guy breaking any laws?

[mark11727]

2. Noidsville...?

Noidsberg...?

Noidshire...?

...the possibilities are boundless.

[genieroze]

3. Avoid the Noid? lol

edited for spelling

[liberal N proud]

5. Where is Fletch?

Chevy Chase with his array of undercover gimmicks can infiltrate and see what is really going on.

[JHB]

18. Sounds like a job for Father Guido Sarducci!

Where's Don Novello?

[m_welby]

6. I don't know all the specifics, but are the amish breaking the law?

Personally, I'm all for crazies (and other groups) of similar mind getting together and building a community for themselves. i have the greatest respect for people who REALLY live their faith (like the amish) as opposed to hypocrites who tell others how to live.

Just as long as I know that they're there (I wouldn't want to stumble into a group like that by mistake), perhaps a giant 'noid' statue outside the town or something.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

11. Great minds think alike!

I was thinking of the Amish as well. And there are some other religious communities. I'm in agreement about getting all the like-minded in the same place. With some limits. For example, I don't think they should be able to have their own laws, such as Sharia law (stonings for adultery, honor killings, etc.) if they are against American law.

[NewJeffCT]

15. is the amish land for amish-only?

I mean, could I move into town there as an atheist?

[BushOut06]

16. I don't know, but I'm sure you have to abide by certain rules

I seriously doubt you would be allowed to sell birth control, pornography, etc in Amish territory.

[petronius]

23. I think the question would be whether this area is formally incorporated

as a town (which I imagine would make it subject to state and federal laws) or whether it's just a big version of a gated community (which I think would give a bit more leeway). As I understand it, there really aren't such things as 'Amish towns' - the Amish tend to live in clusters or communities on their own property, but they are still subject to the laws of the county, state, and nation.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

7. I don't understand how it could have a legal

charter. Or whatever you call it.

On the other hand, I live in a subdivision with very restrictive convenants about the construction and activity (as in business, etc.) but it doesn't extend, obviously, to moral issues!

But then what about communes and the Amish and the Shakers, etc.?

[Webster Green]

8. Seems OK to me......But I won't be moving there.

I'll bet they all have to eat that crappy pizza too!:puke:

[mongo]

9. Thay can't "ban" adult business

They can create restrictive zoning, and then make sure they control all the property that would still be available for a stripclub or adult business to open, but they can't outright prohibit such businesses.

[Bob3]

17. True - But I figure they'll be located ten yards or so

past the town border as to avoid all those zoning problems and still clean up on the godly when they want to sin.

[Xithras]

19. There are ways to effectively ban it.

One of the Sierra foothill counties here in California had a bit of controversy over this years ago. The county had an ordinance that adult businesses couldn't be established outside of the limits of the counties incorporated towns (the county didn't have the resources to patrol businesses in the country). One of the town in the county passed an ordinance a short while later banning adult businesses from operating within a half mile of parks or schools. When you mapped out the prohibited areas, only a small residential area fell outside of those limits...and you can't operate a business in a residential zone. This effectively banned adult businesses from the town, and meant that people looking for them had to drive 15 miles to the next town.

[mongo]

31. Wouldn't stand up in court

If someone wanted to open an adult business.

A badly written zoning ordinance like you descibe basically opens up a community to alowing an adult business to open anywhere it damn well pleases, if they can prove that there is no actual space it could operate legally within zoning laws.

[Xithras]

33. It did end up getting struck down.

For basically the reason you described. It was in the press because someone wanted to open a store, and the city government wouldn't permit it. They were eventually forced to, but with a whole load of caveats.

[Egalitariat]

25. There plan is to own all the commercial/retail real estate

And they can write whatever prohibitions they desire into the leases.

[mongo]

32. And that is true

I can't tell you how many landlords I talked to before I found one that would rent to me.

[Warpy]

10. Religious communities have come and gone

all through this country's history. Nearly all have failed when the attempt to create heaven on earth has instead turned into the reality of a hell on earth.

I wish them well. They're not bad people, they're just horribly, tragically wrong. As long as they agree, though, they're welcome to the attempt on their own land. If they try to extend that ideal beyond their own land, though, they'll have a serious fight on their hands.

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. How many are they planning?

I know they were planning on at the old Dog Track in Seminole County.

[FearofFutility]

20. ACLU believes there is a problem. I don't know...

If they attempt to do what he apparently wants to do, the people of Naples and Collier County, Florida, are in for a whole series of legal and constitutional problems and a lot of litigation indefinitely into the future," said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

While Simon notes there are religiously homogenous communities across the country, none can "wield governmental power along the lines of religious principle."

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/03/01/State/Will_Catholic_town_in.shtml

I also wonder about them receiving federal tax dollars. Could they?

[NewJeffCT]

22. see my question above

if a development down the street from me was restricted to age 55 & over active adults, would that not violate the equal protection clause, or the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

[FearofFutility]

29. I suppose it would

[Spider Jerusalem]

24. Um...

'none can "wield governmental power along the lines of religious principle."'

Have you heard of Utah?

[FearofFutility]

27. Um....

that wasn't my quote. That was from the article I linked.

[NewJeffCT]

35. but, I would say...

Didn't the courts strike down the Mormon provision that allowed men to have more than 1 wife because it conflicted with the standard marriage laws?

[Ron Green]

26. Florida again. What's up with that? n/t

[ourbluenation]

28. I could care less - It's a free country....

but once they start imposing their stuff on non believers all hell will break out.