Case Title: In re Milton Arrowhead Mountain

Citation: 169 Vt. 531, 726 A.2d 54

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 1999-01-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
In re Milton Arrowhead Mountain  (98-337); 169 Vt. 531; 726 A.2d 54

[Filed 8-Jan-1999]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 98-337

                             JANUARY TERM, 1999

In re Milton Arrowhead Mountain	}	APPEALED FROM:
                                }
                                }
                                }	Chittenden Superior Court
                                }	
                                }
                                }	DOCKET NO. S1136-97 CnC

       In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Appellants, the Iron Workers District Council of New England and
  Wilbur Parker, seek  review of the Department of Environmental
  Conservation's issuance of an encroachment permit  to construct a bridge
  across Arrowhead Mountain Lake in the Town of Milton.  They argue that  the
  Water Resources Board and the superior court erred in ruling that their
  appeal of the  Department's decision to the Board was untimely filed.  We
  affirm.

       On Friday, June 6, 1997, the Department mailed appellants notice of
  its decision granting  the Town an encroachment permit that same day. 
  Appellants received the notice on Monday,  June 9, 1997.  On Wednesday,
  June 18, 1997, the Board received appellants' notice of appeal of  the
  decision.  The Board dismissed the appeal as untimely filed, and the
  superior court later  upheld the Board's ruling.

       Under the relevant statute, the Department "shall give written notice"
  to specified persons  or entities of its approval or denial of a permit
  application.  29 V.S.A. § 405(c).  "Notice shall  be given within five days
  of taking action."  Id.  Approval or denial of the permit "shall not be 
  effective until 10 days after the department's notice."  Id.  A person may
  appeal the  Department's decision to the Board "within 10 days from the
  date of notice of action."  29  V.S.A. § 406(a).  A timely filing of an
  appeal stays the decision.  See id.

       Appellants argue that the superior court erred in holding that the
  period for taking an  appeal under § 406(a) expires ten days after notice
  of the Department's decision is sent.   According to appellants, the plain
  meaning of the statute is that the appeal period runs from the  date that
  the notice is received.  We disagree.  An appeal may be taken within ten
  days of "notice  of action," which must be "given" within five days of
  taking the action.  29 V.S.A. §§ 405(c),  406(a).  Ordinarily, notice of a
  decision is "given" at the time it is mailed, not received.  See  Brinson
  v. Bethesda Hosp., Inc., 504 N.E.2d 496, 499 (Ohio C.P. 1985) (term "notice
  is given"  refers to date on which notice is mailed); Mullen v. Braatz,