RHINELANDER - The Oneida County Board of Adjustment has over a month to decide whether three brothers will be allowed to build a Bible camp.

Art Jaros is the President of Eagle Cove Camp.

Jaros and his two brothers, Randy and Wes, want to build a bible camp on Squash Lake, just outside of Rhinelander.

Art Jaros says the county's refusal to let them build the camp is a big disappointment.

Art Jaros, President, Eagle Cove Bible Camp, says, "Now that we've spent years and hundreds of thousands of dollars going through the steps this year they've turned us down. And I think it's in part, in large part because of political pressure from their constituents."

The board spent about four hours hearing from attorneys and interested parties on both sides of the case.

Arguments were made regarding two questions:

One, whether the Board has the authority to apply the federal Religious Land Use and Institutional Persons Act or RLUIPA in its decision to grant or deny a conditional use permit, and if the RLUIPA doesn't overide the county's authority, whether the board can make a zoning ordinace exception for the project.

And second whether the permit applies for a conditional use allowed under the relevant county ordinance.

John Bruce is the attorney representing the BOA.

He says this meeting was necessary to help the BOA make the right decision.

John Bruce, Attorney, BOA, says, "It was useful to the board, because it presented them with the opposite sides of the question on which they have to rule."

In July, the county's planning and zoning committee denied the Jaros brothers a permit on the basis that a recreational camp is not permitted in the single-family residential district where the property is located.

The brothers then appealed the decision to the BOA.

If you'd like to attend the next meeting on the Eagle Cove Camp appeal it will be January 12th at 9:30 a.m. at the Oneida County Courthouse.