Ohio City Refiles Charges Against Pastor for Zoning Code Violations

After a judge-mediated agreement between Bryan, Ohio, and the Dad’s Place over zoning code and fire code violations, the city has once again filed criminal charges against the pastor.

2 minute read

May 6, 2024, 6:00 AM PDT

By Mary Hammon @marykhammon


White sign on side of tan building with metal siding and green overhang, reading "Dad's Place, a church that loves like family."

First Liberty Institute / First Liberty Institute

A pastor in Bryan, Ohio, has been charged with zoning code violations for a second time for running a “Rest and Refresh” ministry that supports the homeless, including a space to cook food, shower, and sleep. “The city argues the church's 24-hour ministry is in fact just a residential homeless shelter, which is not allowed at the commercially zoned property,” reports Christian Britschgi in Reason’s Rent Free newsletter.

The pastor of Dad’s Place, Chris Avvell, was first charged back in January with 18 criminal counts  for similar zoning and fire code violations. “In response to those charges, Dad's Place filed a federal lawsuit against the city, arguing that its sheltering of people in the church is part of its religious mission and therefore protected by the First Amendment and federal law that safeguards religious land uses from zoning restrictions,” Britschgi writes. A judge then mediated an agreement in which the city dropped charges and held off enforcement actions and Dad’s Place agreed to cease residential operations and fix all fire code violations.

The Dad Place’s lawyer told Reason that they removed the stove and installed sprinklers, but a city inspection found a person still sleeping in the church and police have been called to the property 51 times over the past year. A hearing for the latest criminal charges is scheduled for sometime this month, according to Britschgi.

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in Reason

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Looking out at trees on 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism

After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

April 23 - Torched

White and blue Sacramento regional transit bus with one bike on front bike rack.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras

The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

April 23 - Streetsblog California

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

April 23 - Next City