Case Title: City of Birmingham v. Morris

Citation: 396 So. 2d 53

Docket Number: 

State: alabama

Court: Alabama Supreme Court

Date: 1981-03-24T00:00:00Z

Document:
396 So. 2d 53 (1981)
CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, a municipal corporation et al.
v.
Dewayne N. MORRIS et al.
79-722.

Supreme Court of Alabama.
March 24, 1981.
*54 James K. Baker, City Atty., and William C. Walker, Asst. City Atty., Birmingham, for appellant.
Carlos E. Heaps, Birmingham, for appellee.
MADDOX, Justice.
Appellant City of Birmingham appeals from a lower court judgment granting appellees' prayers for declaratory and injunctive relief and ordering the City of Birmingham to grant appellees' petition for rezoning their property. We affirm.
Appellees, Dewayne N. Morris and Jo T. Morris, own two adjoining lots located at 2915 and 2931 Clairmont Avenue, Birmingham, Alabama. At the time this suit was initiated, the property was classified for zoning purposes as R-6 (Multiple Dwelling Residential).
In late 1979 appellees began their effort to change the zoning classification of their property from R-6 to B-1 (Neighborhood Business). This effort was based upon appellee Dewayne Morris's desire to use the property as a future site for his law offices. Appellees first sought approval of their plan before the Highland Park Neighborhood Association. The plan submitted to the Association called for a change to 0-I (Office and Institutional) classification. After an initial vote in favor of the plan, the Association at a later meeting voted unanimously against it.
Following disapproval by the Association, appellees petitioned the Birmingham Planning and Zoning Commission and the Birmingham City Council to change the zoning classification of their property from R-6 to B-1. The Commission conducted an initial factual investigation of appellees' petition, after which it recommended against the proposed change. The City Council, upon considering the same information, agreed with the recommendation of the Commission, and denied the petition.
On January 29, 1980, appellees filed their complaint in Jefferson Circuit Court seeking declaratory and injunctive relief alleging that the Council's action in denying the requested zoning change was arbitrary, capricious and unlawful; bore no relationship to the health, safety, morals or general welfare of the City; and constituted an unconstitutional confiscation of appellees' property. After hearing evidence ore tenus, the trial court concluded that the issue of whether to rezone the appellees' property was not "fairly debatable" (citing City of Birmingham v. Norris, 374 So. 2d 854 (Ala. 1979)). It, therefore, enjoined the City from enforcing its zoning ordinances as they affect the appellees' property, and ordered the City and its Council and its agents to approve the appellees' petition for the construction of an office building under B-1 zoning. The City of Birmingham appealed.
The factual evidence adduced at trial essentially involved testimony concerning the highest and best use of appellees' property and the character of the surrounding neighborhood. The property is located on the south side of Clairmont Avenue near the intersection of 29th Street and Clairmont. The property is located on the borderline of an R-6 zone where that zone interfaces with a B-2 (General Business) zone. A Standard service station lies directly west of the appellees' property on the southeast corner of 29th and Clairmont. Excluding that service station, the south side of Clairmont east of 29th Street is devoted entirely to residential uses. By contrast, the north side of Clairmont is entirely commercial *55 except for one apartment building. Clairmont Avenue itself is a fairly busy street, accommodating approximately 20,000 cars per day. Nevertheless, several zoning experts testified that Clairmont, with its landscaped median and high curbs, provides a fairly effective visual and sound screen between the commercial uses to the north and the residential uses to the south.
All of appellees' witnesses testified that the highest and best use of appellees' property would be an office building. These witnesses testified that the service station west of the property needed a "buffer" between it and the residential uses on the south side of Clairmont. An office building was believed to be a particularly effective buffer between an intense commercial use and a residential use. Witnesses for the City similarly testified that an office building would provide a reasonable buffer between a service station and residential property.
The City called various witnesses who testified that it would be economically feasible for appellees to construct an apartment building on the property in accordance with its R-6 classification. In addition, several witnesses testified that the erection of an office building would generate an excessive amount of additional traffic, thereby compounding the problem already created by the service station.
In the recent decisions of Jefferson County v. O'Rorke, 394 So. 2d 937 (Ala.1980), and Cale v. City of Bessemer [1980], 393 So. 2d 959 (Ala.1980), the Court reiterated its abiding adherence to the rule of law that a trial court must not disturb the zoning decision of a duly constituted municipal body so long as that decision is based upon a "fairly debatable" rationale. A zoning determination is said to be fairly debatable "when for any reason it is open to dispute or controversy on grounds that make sense or point to a logical deduction that in no way involves its constitutional validity," Miami Beach v. Lachman, 71 So. 2d 148 (Fla.1953), or where the evidence provides a basis for a fair difference of opinion as to the application of the determination to particular property. See generally, 1 R. Anderson, American Law of Zoning, § 3.20 (2nd ed. 1977).
By virtue of this "fairly debatable" rule, the role of the judiciary in zoning cases is extremely limited and the dimensions of judicial review are narrowly confined. 4 E. Yockley, Zoning Law and Practice § 25-2 (4th ed. 1979); 4 R. Anderson, American Law of Zoning § 25.26 (2nd ed. 1977). Courts must recognize that zoning is a legislative function committed to the sound discretion of municipal legislative bodies, not to the courts. Waters v. City of Birmingham, 282 Ala. 104, 209 So. 2d 388 (1968); Marshall v. City of Mobile, 250 Ala. 646, 35 So. 2d 553 (1948). As a result, local governing authorities are presumed to have a superior opportunity to know and consider the varied and conflicting interests involved, to balance the burdens and benefits and to consider the general welfare of the area involved. Episcopal Foundation of Jefferson County v. Williams, 281 Ala. 363, 202 So. 2d 726 (1967); Leary v. Adams, 226 Ala. 472, 147 So. 391 (1933). They, therefore, must of necessity be accorded considerable freedom to exercise discretion not diminished by judicial intrusion. Walls v. City of Guntersville, 253 Ala. 480, 45 So. 2d 468 (1950). Nevertheless, this discretion is not unbounded, and local authorities may not, under the guise of legislative power, impose restrictions that arbitrarily and capriciously inhibit the use of private property or the pursuit of lawful activities. When such arbitrary and capricious action is made apparent, a reviewing court will not hesitate to disturb the zoning determination as a clear abuse of discretion.
We believe the instant case is indicative of an increasingly common situation where affirmative governmental action, in permitting the construction of nonconforming uses, has effectively frustrated the planned use of residential property. In 1970, the City Counsel of the City of Birmingham approved a requested zoning change for the premises located immediately west of the appellees' property, notwithstanding the recommendation of the Planning and Zoning *56 Department to the contrary. By virtue of this action, the zoning classification of that property was changed from R-6 to B-2, thereby permitting the construction of the Standard service station presently located on the property. When questioned about this reclassification, Horace Carson, Zoning Controls Supervisor of the City of Birmingham, testified as follows:
"`The staff of the Planning and Zoning Department advises that this request be not recommended to the City Council. The establishment of a service station on the corner of this intersection would significantly add to traffic congestion and would increase the danger to children attending the elementary school. [i. e., Lakeview School located on southwest corner of 29th and Clairmont].'
In addition, William Moody, Senior Planner with the City of Birmingham, testified that the existence of the service station in the R-6 zone violates the City's current Future Land-Use Plan for the Clairmont Avenue district. This land-use plan contemplates, among other things, upgrading the residences from R-6 to R-3 (Single Family) and R-4 (Two-Family), and maintaining the area for medium to high density residential. Mr. Moody testified as follows:
It is without question that the commercial development of the property west of appellees' premises has had a deleterious effect on the usefulness of their property for residential purposes. Although there is conflicting testimony concerning the desirability and feasibility of utilizing the subject property under its current R-6 classification, the witnesses generally agree that the construction of an office building on the property would enhance the neighborhood by providing a natural "buffer" between an intense commercial use (i. e., the service station) and the remaining residential uses along the south side of Clairmont; however, those experts called to testify for the City, while recognizing the plausibility of using an office structure as a buffer, strongly objected to reclassifying the property to B-1 zoning which would permit not only the construction of an office building, but also such nonconforming uses as a neighborhood convenience store or an additional service station.
*57 We find it significant that in seeking the requested zoning change for their property appellees have repeatedly stated their limited intentions for developing the property. As we interpret the decree of the court, these statements and declarations are binding upon appellees, limiting the appellees' future development of the property under its new classification. In their appearances before the Highland Park Neighborhood Association and in their formal application to the Birmingham Planning Commission, appellees have asserted that they intend to use the property for the sole purpose of erecting a professional office building. Preliminary drawings of the proposed structure were submitted with the application. In addition, at the close of the City's evidence, Mr. Morris offered additional rebuttal testimony reiterating his intended use of the property. During that testimony, very significant statements were made:
On the basis of all the evidence, we find that the trial court could properly conclude that it was no longer "fairly debatable" that appellees' property be rezoned to permit the appellees' proposed use for construction of an office building. The trial court expressly limited its determination on this point by specifically ordering the City of Birmingham to approve appellees' petition for the construction of an office building under B-1 zoning.
We, therefore, hold that the trial court, in recognition of the decision of this Court in City of Birmingham v. Norris, 374 So. 2d 854 (Ala.1979), correctly applied the law to the facts. Furthermore, an appellate court will not ordinarily disturb the exercise of discretion by courts below in cases involving decisions of administrative bodies. 73 C.J.S. Public Administrative Bodies and Procedure § 252 (1951). The lower court judgment is, therefore, due to be affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
TORBERT, C. J., and JONES, SHORES and BEATTY, JJ., concur.