ST. PETE BEACH — A federal court has ordered the city to pay Pass-a-Grille Beach Community Church more than $250,000 in attorney fees, which the church spent to defend its
A federal court in Tampa ordered the City of St. Pete Beach to pay more than $250,000 in fees to attorneys representing a church in the small enclave of Pass-A-Grille Beach that allowed beachgoers to use its 70-space parking lot when the congregation was not holding services.
Florida church says offering free beach parking is a religious act. Judge agrees.
A federal judge ruled this week that the city could not stop a local church from allowing beachgoers to use its parking lot, calling the practice a legitimate ministry. Pass-a-Grille Beach Community Church, center, and its controversial parking spaces, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Image courtesy of Google Maps
January 29, 2021
(RNS) A federal judge in Florida ruled this week that a Gulf Coast community could not stop a local church from allowing beachgoers to use its parking lot, calling the practice, which allowed the church’s youth group to fundraise and evangelize those who used the lot, a legitimate ministry.