Chisholm v. Twin Falls County

• Decision Date: 16 July 2003
• Docket Number: No. 28634.,28634.
• Citation: 75 P.3d 185,139 Idaho 131
• Parties: In the Matter of Twin Falls County Commissoners' Resolution No.2001-4; LCO Permit for Salmon Falls Land and Livestock Co. Bill CHISHOLM, Petitioner-Appellant, v. TWIN FALLS COUNTY, a political subdivision of the State of Idaho; Twin Falls County Commissioners Marvin Hempleman, Bill Brockman and Gary Grindstaff; Salmon Falls Land and Livestock Co., Permittee, Respondents.
• Court: Idaho Supreme Court

75 P.3d 185

139 Idaho 131

In the Matter of Twin Falls County Commissoners' Resolution No.2001-4; LCO Permit for Salmon Falls Land and Livestock Co.

Bill CHISHOLM, Petitioner-Appellant, v. TWIN FALLS COUNTY, a political subdivision of the State of Idaho; Twin Falls County Commissioners Marvin Hempleman, Bill Brockman and Gary Grindstaff; Salmon Falls Land and Livestock Co., Permittee, Respondents.

No. 28634.

Supreme Court of Idaho, Boise, May 2003 Term.

July 16, 2003.

Richard A. Carlson, Filer, argued for appellant.

Grant P. Loebs, Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney; Jennifer R. Gose-Eells, Twin Falls County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, Twin Falls, for respondent Twin Falls County.

Robertson, Hepworth, Slette, Worst & Stover, PLLC, Twin Falls, for respondent Salmon Falls Land & Livestock Co. Timothy J. Stover argued.

WALTERS, Justice.

Bill Chisholm seeks review of the Twin Falls County's issuance of a livestock confinement operation ("LCO") permit to Salmon Falls Land and Livestock Co. ("SFLLC"). Chisholm argued that the issuance of the permit is flawed because it was issued without notice, public hearing or other opportunity for the neighbors to comment. The parties, Chisholm, SFLLC and Twin Falls County, filed cross-motions for summary judgment. Summary judgment was granted in favor of SFLLC and Twin Falls County, and the petition was dismissed. The district court found that the County Planning and Zoning Administrator ("administrator") was authorized to administratively approve LCO permits for sub-threshold livestock operations, fewer than 3,000 animal unit equivalents ("AUE"), without the necessity of a public hearing before the Planning and Zoning Commission ("Commission"). This Court affirms the dismissal.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On January 10, 2000, SFLLC applied for an LCO permit for a dairy with 2,142 cows on its land located in the Agricultural Range Preservation ("ARP") zone in Twin Falls County.¹ The Twin Falls County Zoning Administrator approved SFLLC's permit on January 14, 2000. Following the approval of the permit, SFLLC sought a water right transfer for the LCO with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, with a hearing being held on September 17, 2000; Chisholm was in attendance at this hearing.² SFLLC began expending funds on the dairy during the summer of 2000. On May 13, 2001, the Twin Falls County Board of Commissioners published a resolution ratifying LCO permits issued to small confined animal feeding operations by the administrator. On June 11, 2001, Chisholm filed his petition for judicial review and petition for declaratory judgment seeking cancellation of SFLLC's permit.

Motions for summary judgment were filed by each of the parties. Summary judgment was granted in favor of SFLLC and Twin Falls County, and the petition was dismissed with prejudice. The district court found that Chisholm had standing to pursue his claims, but the County was not obligated to hold a public hearing as a condition precedent to the approval of SFLLC's application because the size of SFLLC's livestock operation was less than 3,000 AUE. The district court did not address the remaining issues of exhaustion of administrative remedies, timeliness of Chisholm's claim, or the equitable defenses of quasi-estoppel, waiver, consent or laches. Chisholm appeals.

ISSUES PRESENTED ON APPEAL

1. Does Idaho's Local Land Use Planning Act or the Twin Falls County Zoning Ordinance require that a 3,000 AUE LCO application be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review and recommendation, as well as a public hearing and notice to potentially affected neighbors and other procedural protections?

2. Should the district court have stricken Chisholm's affidavit and second affidavit?

3. Whether Chisholm had standing to contest the issuance of the LCO to SFLLC?

4. Was Chisholm's appeal timely and did he exhaust all of his administrative remedies prior to seeking judicial review?

5. Is declaratory relief appropriate?

6. Does equity dictate that Chisholm's appeal should fail?

7. Are the parties entitled to attorney fees on appeal?

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) governs the review of local zoning decisions. Price v. Payette County Bd. of County Comm'rs, 131 Idaho 426, 429, 958 P.2d 583, 586 (1998). In an appeal from the decision of the district court acting in its appellate capacity under the IDAPA, the Supreme Court reviews the agency record independently of the district court's decision. Stevenson v. Blaine Co., 134 Idaho 756, 759, 9 P.3d 1222, 1225 (2000). The Court does not substitute its judgment for that of the agency as to the weight of the evidence on questions of fact. I.C. § 67-5279(1). Rather, this Court defers to the agency's findings of fact unless they are clearly erroneous. Stevenson, 134 Idaho at 759, 9 P.3d at 1225. The agency's factual determinations are binding on the reviewing court, even where there is conflicting evidence before the agency, so long as the determinations are supported by evidence in the record. Id.

There is a strong presumption favoring the validity of the actions of zoning boards, which includes the application and interpretation of their own zoning ordinances. Howard v. Canyon County Bd. of Comm'rs, 128 Idaho 479, 480, 915 P.2d 709, 711 (1996). The Court defers to the Board's interpretation and application of its zoning ordinance, unless such interpretation or application is capricious, arbitrary or discriminatory. Rural Kootenai Organization, Inc. v. Board of Comm'rs, 133 Idaho 833, 842, 993 P.2d 596, 605 (1999).

The Board is treated as an administrative agency for purposes of judicial review. Stevenson, 134 Idaho at 759, 9 P.3d at 1225. A Board's zoning decision may only be overturned where its findings: (a) violate statutory or constitutional provisions; (b) exceed the agency's statutory authority; (c) are made upon unlawful procedure; (d) are not supported by substantial evidence; or (e) are arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion. I.C. §§ 67-5279(3)(a)-(e); see also Payette River Property Owners Ass'n v. Board of Comm'rs of Valley County, 132 Idaho 551, 554, 976 P.2d 477, 480 (1999)

. The party attacking a zoning board's action under I.C. § 67-5279(3) must first demonstrate that the zoning board erred in a manner specified in I.C. § 67-5279(3) and must then show that a substantial right of the party has been prejudiced. Id.; see also Castaneda v. Brighton Corp., 130 Idaho 923, 926, 950 P.2d 1262, 1265 (1998).

DISCUSSION

I. Local Land Use Planning Act and the Twin Falls County Zoning Ordinance

Chisholm contends that the Local Land Use Planning Act ("LLUPA"), I.C. § 67-6501 et seq., requires a public hearing process and other procedural protections when LCO permits are issued. Chisholm argues that, without a public hearing on SFLLC's permit, his property rights and values were threatened. Chisholm asserts that LCO permits should not be excluded from coverage by LLUPA because the LLUPA was established to provide procedural standards for land use planning and for the protection of property rights. Chisholm asserts that SFLLC's application for a permit was controversial in that many area residents contested SFLLC's prior application, and therefore a public hearing was required. Further, Chisholm contends that at the time SFLLC applied for its permit, the Twin Falls County Zoning Ordinance ("TFCZO") did not empower the administrator to issue an LCO permit, but only authorized the administrator to review and reject applications.

In response, both SFLLC and the County argue that the County had an affirmative legal duty to grant SFLLC's permit. LLUPA requires the County to develop a comprehensive plan and zoning districts, which the County has done. The County contends that its ordinance provides for "principal permitted uses," which include LCOs in compliance with the ordinance. The County maintains that because an LCO is a "permitted use" under the County's ordinance, granting the permit is merely a ministerial duty, if the LCO application meets certain specifications. The County notes that the only LLUPA section mentioning animal feeding operations was enacted after SFLLC's permit was approved. See I.C. § 67-6529. Additionally, the County argues that the statute only reveals the legislative intent with regard to large-scale animal operations; the statute provides that counties/boards are to define animal operations, as the County did in this case. The County contends that in adopting the ordinances, it allowed administrative approval of small LCOs with minimal standards within the ARP zone.

Although the TFCZO does not proscribe how sub-threshold LCOs are approved, the County has interpreted its ordinance to mean that the zoning administrator has authority to approve as well as to deny applications. The County has construed its ordinance to allow the administrator to review sub-threshold LCO applications and approve the application if it meets the requirements of the ordinance. The County points out that the County Commissioners' resolution in May, 2001, further reflects this intent and interpretation of the ordinance.

It is well established that an applicant's rights are determined by the ordinance in existence at the time of filing an application for the permit. Payette River Property Owners Ass'n v. Board of Comm'rs of Valley Co., 132 Idaho 551, 555, 976 P.2d 477, 481 (1999) (citing South Fork Coalition v. Board of Comm'rs, 117 Idaho 857, 860-61, 792 P.2d 882, 885-86 (1990)). The rationale behind the rule is "that to permit retroactive application of an ordinance would allow a zoning authority to change or enact a zoning law merely to defeat an application, which would result in giving immediate effect to a future or proposed zoning ordinance before that ordinance was properly enacted." Id. at 555, 976 P.2d at 481 (citing South Fork Coalition, 117 Idaho at 861,792 P.2d at 886).

In 2000, at...