In November 2023, Defendant Santa Ana City Council adopted a resolution denying the application of Plaintiff Anchor Stone Christian Church for permission to use its property, located at 2398 Daimler Street, Santa Ana, California (the “Property”), for religious assembly. Following the denial of its application, Anchor Stone commenced this action against Defendants City of Santa Ana and its City Council (jointly, the “City”).

Presently before the Court is Anchor Stone’s motion for a preliminary injunction. In support of its Motion, Anchor Stone argues that (1) the City’s zoning rules violate the Equal Terms Provision of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc et seq.; (2) the City’s denial of Anchor Stone’s conditional use permit application violated the Substantial Burden Provision of RLUIPA; and (3) the City’s denial of Anchor Stone’s conditional use permit application violated the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. After reviewing the papers filed in support and in opposition,2 and after carefully considering the argument of counsel at the hearing on the Motion, the Court concludes that Anchor Stone has established that it is likely to succeed on the merits of its claims and that it has satisfied the other requirements for preliminary injunctive relief.

Accordingly, Anchor Stone’s instant Motion is GRANTED. The City is preliminarily ENJOINED and RESTRAINED from preventing Anchor Stone from holding services on the Property and from preventing Anchor Stone from undertaking its planned renovations of the Property.

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Anchor Stone Christian Church v City of Santa Ana and Santa Ana City Council | April 7, 2025

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