Title: Noah's Ark et al v. Zoning Hearing Board of West Mifflin v. Borough of West Mifflin et al, Appeal of: Borough of West Mifflin (Per Curiam Order)

State: pennsylvania

Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Document:

[J-146-2004] IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA WESTERN DISTRICT NOAH'S ARK CHRISTIAN CHILD CARE CENTER, INC. AND STRASSBURGER MCKENNA GUTNICK & POTTER, TRUSTEE, v. ZONING HEARING BOARD OF WEST MIFFLIN v. BOROUGH OF WEST MIFFLIN AND SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH OF HOMESTEAD APPEAL OF: BOROUGH OF WEST MIFFLIN : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Nos. 20 & 21 WAP 2004 Appeal from the Order of the Commonwealth Court entered August 7, 2003 at Nos. 2483CD2002 and 2560CD2002, affirming the Order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County entered October 10, 2002 at Nos. SA02-738 and SA02-720. SUBMITTED: July 20, 2004 ORDER PER CURIAM DECIDED: AUGUST 15, 2005 AND NOW, this 15th day of August, 2005, the Order of the Commonwealth Court affirming the Order of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County is reversed based upon our prior decisions in Valley View Civic Association v. Zoning Board of Adjustment, 462 A.2d 637, 639 (Pa. 1983) (holding, inter alia, that where no additional evidence is presented subsequent to the determination of a zoning hearing board, the scope of review of an appellate court is limited to determining whether the zoning board committed a manifest abuse of discretion or an error of law in rendering its decision); In re Petition of [J-146-2004] - 2 Dolington Land, 839 A.2d 1021, 1026 (Pa. 2003) (noting that the zoning board, as factfinder, is the sole judge of credibility with the power to resolve conflicts in the testimony and to reject even uncontradicted testimony that it finds to be lacking in credibility); and Nettleton v. Zoning Hearing Board of Adjustment of the City of Pittsburgh, 828 A.2d 1033, 1041 (Pa. 2003) (same). The decision and order of the Zoning Hearing Board of the Borough of West Mifflin dated June 19, 2002 is reinstated.