City officials of the suburb of Creve Coeur were weighing today the possibility of an appeal against the St. Louis County Circuit Court decision which ruled the community must permit Temple Israel to build a synagogue and religious school in Creve Coeur.
In a precedent-making decision, the first of its kind in Missouri history. Circuit Judge Raymond E. LaDriere last week held that two zoning ordinance amendments under which Creve Coeur denied a building permit to Temple Israel were invalid. He ruled the amendments violated the right of free exercise of religion guaranteed by the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
One of the zoning amendments invalidated by Judge LaDriere removed from the zoning act authority to permit construction of churches in residentially-zoned areas. The other provided that if 10 per cent of the property-owners within 1, 000 feet of a proposed building site objected, a three-fourths vote of the aldermen would be required to grant a special permit. William H. Wyne Jr. , city attorney of Creve Coeur, said a motion for a new trial will be filed to preserve the right of appeal to a higher court. Strong public sentiment against an appeal is likely to prevent such action, however, according to local observers.
Local Catholic and Protestant leaders, who joined Temple Israel in its suit against Creve Coeur, praised the court’s decision in statements here.
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