Bobandal Realties, Inc. v. Worthington

• Decision Date: 01 June 1964
• Citation: 21 A.D.2d 784,250 N.Y.S.2d 575
• Parties: In the Matter of BOBANDAL REALTIES, INC., Petitioner-Respondent, v. Carroll M. WORTHINGTON, Building Inspector of the Town of Greenburgh, Appellant.
• Court: New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Page 575

250 N.Y.S.2d 575

21 A.D.2d 784

In the Matter of BOBANDAL REALTIES, INC., Petitioner-Respondent, v. Carroll M. WORTHINGTON, Building Inspector of the Town of Greenburgh, Appellant.

Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department.

June 1, 1964.

Paul H. Perreten, Elmsford, for appellant.

Arden H. Rathkopf, New York City, for respondent.

Before UGHETTA, Acting P. J., and KLEINFELD, CHRIST, HILL and RABIN, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY THE COURT.

In a proceeding under article 78 of the former Civil Practice Act, to direct the Building Inspector of the Town of Greenburgh to issue to petitioner a building permit, and for related relief, the said Building Inspector appeals from an order of the Supreme Court, Westchester County made August 27, 1963, upon the opinion and decision of the court (see 39 Misc.2d 756, 241 N.Y.S.2d 1000), which directed him: (a) to revoke his denial of the petitioner's application for a building permit; and (b) to issue to petitioner a permit to rebuild a certain non-conforming structure partly destroyed by fire, subject to the conditions that it be rebuilt in substantially the original location, in the same or smaller size than the original, and in conformity with the height, yard, area and other non-use requirements of the zoning schedule applicable to that district.

Order reversed on the law and on the facts, without costs, and application denied, without costs, and without prejudice to an application by petitioner for a variance pursuant to subdivision E of section 8 of the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Greenburgh. The findings of fact implicit in the Special Term's opinion and decision, insofar as they may be inconsistent herewith, are reversed, and new findings are made as indicated herein.

For some years, petitioner has operated a country club on the subject property. The structures devoted to that use were a main building containing a restaurant, a bar, housing facilities for employees and an auditorium; an adjacent outdoor pavilion containing locker rooms, toilets, an office, chairs and tables; a swimming pool; a snack bar; 388 cabanas; utility buildings and shower and toilet buildings. On the property there were also parking spaces and a large area used for tennis courts and athletic fields. This use of the property has been held to be a vested non-conforming use in a residence zone (Town of Greenburgh v. Bobandal Realties, 10 N.Y.2d 414, 223 N.Y.S.2d 857, 179 N.E.2d 702).

The Town's Zoning Ordinance (§ 8, subd. E) provides that a non-conforming structure that has been damaged by fire shall not be rebuilt in non-conforming form if the damage exceeds '50% of the volume of such * * * structure above the foundations'; that it may be so rebuilt 'in substantially the same location' if the damage does not exceed such percentage, provided: (a) that 'it is not enlarged or extended;' (b) that it complies with all the non-use requirements of the applicable Zoning Ordinance; and (c) that a variance for such rebuilding has been obtained from the Board of Appeals.

On December 14, 1962, a large part of the restaurant building was destroyed by fire. On March 14, 1963, petitioner applied to the Building Inspector for a permit to reconstruct the restaurant building in the same location, smaller in size, and in compliance with the non-use requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. The application was denied pursuant to subdivision E of section 8 of the Zoning Ordinance. Petitioner did not ask the Building Inspector to certify the extent of the damage, nor did it apply for a variance as required by that section. Instead, petitioner brought the instant proceeding to review the Building Inspector's determination, on the theory that the Zoning Ordinance is unconstitutional on its face, and accordingly, does not prohibit the issuance of the building permit. Special Term agreed with petitioner and directed the issuance of the permit (see 39 Misc.2d 756, 241 N.Y.S.2d 1000). We believe Special Term erred.

The owner of a permitted non-conforming building has no vested right to reconstruct it in non-conforming form after it has been partly destroyed by fire, and the municipality may impose reasonable restrictions on such rebuilding (Matter of Koeber v. Bedell, 254 App.Div. 584, 3 N.Y.S.2d 108, affd. 280 N.Y. 692, 21 N.E.2d 200; State v. Hillman, 110 Conn. 92, 147 A. 294; State ex rel. Covenant Harbor Bible Camp of Central Conference of Evangelical Mission Covenant Church of America v. Steinke, 7 Wis.2d 275, 96 N.W.2d 356; see also: Matter of Harbison v. City of Buffalo, 4 N.Y.2d 553, 559-560, 176 N.Y.S.2d 598, 602-603; Town of Somers v. Camarco, 308 N.Y. 537, 540-541, 127 N.E.2d 327, 328-329; People v. Miller, 304 N.Y. 105, 106 N.E.2d 34).

The requirement of a variance to permit such reconstruction is not unreasonable (cf. Matter of Crossroads Recreation v. Broz, 4 N.Y.2d 39, 172 N.Y.S.2d 129; Marcus v. Village of Mamaroneck, 283 N.Y. 325, 28 N.E.2d 856; Matter of Koeber v. Bedell, supra; State v. Steinke, supra). Ordinances using 50% of 'value' or 'assessed value' as a criterion in determining whether an owner shall be permitted to reconstruct a partly destroyed non-conforming building have been held not unreasonable on their face (see: State v. Hillman, supra; State...