In a case that sparked intense turmoil and contributed to the ouster of a long-time mayor, the Minnesota Court of Appeals has ruled that the city of Jordan may not carve into the grounds of a historic Catholic church in order to widen roads for future growth.

Unanimously overturning the opinion of Scott County District Judge Michael Fahey, the appeals court said Tuesday that state law prohibits cities from seizing the property of religious groups without their consent when it seeks to widen streets or roads.

The controversy carried huge symbolic weight for many in Jordan worried that Scott County's hypergrowth was ripping into the fabric of a historic downtown.

"Widening a road so close to an important historic structure is the heart and soul of the case," said Larry Martin, the church's attorney.

The city council may decide as soon as today whether to seek to take the case to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

"Right now we're praying for the city and praying for a peaceful resolution," said Pam Beckius, business administrator for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, at the edge of downtown.

The case did present the courts with a twist they hadn't quite seen before, Martin said. It's clear that Jordan couldn't have forced the church to give up land for a street, as such. But it was not so clear that the same law forbade the use of eminent domain to take church property for the traffic signals and sidewalks needed for a wider road.

The Supreme Court had previously protected cemeteries in that very position, though, he said. The church believed that was a compelling precedent.

Now, with voters concerned about high taxes, the city council will have to decide whether it's worth spending tens of thousands pursuing the appeal, Martin said.

Jordan Mayor Pete Ewals opposes the street widening that led to the whole dust-up, but he stressed that he's just one vote out of seven and couldn't predict the outcome of what will be both a legal and political decision.

"We're trying to create a vision for the downtown area," he said, "and this does not fit. But it's seven people, and everyone has their own ideas."

David Peterson • 952-882-9023