Title: City of Colby v. Hurtt

State: kansas

Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court

Document:

212 Kan. 113 (1973)
509 P.2d 1142
CITY OF COLBY, KANSAS, Appellee,
v.
TOMMY S. HURTT, Appellant.
No. 46,751

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed May 12, 1973.
Jack L. Burr, of Goodland, argued the cause, and Selby S. Soward, of Goodland, was with him on the brief for appellant.
Gary E. Cooper, of Colby, argued the cause and was on the brief for appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
FATZER, C.J.:
This is an appeal from a conviction under a zoning ordinance restricting the location of mobile homes. The facts are not in dispute.
In 1969 the governing body of the city of Colby adopted an ordinance providing for the location and services for mobile homes. The ordinance is too lengthy to be presented in full, but it is sufficient to say mobile homes were restricted to designated areas. We quote the three pertinent sections:
The provision defining mobile homes reads:
A provision defining a "mobile home community" in which a mobile home could be lawfully placed, states:
The ordinance contained other provisions for the convenience, health and welfare of those locating in mobile home communities.
The appellant is the owner of a 1964 model Van Dyck mobile home, twelve feet by sixty feet, which he placed at its present location at 735 East Summitt Street, Colby, Kansas, on August 25, 1970. The mobile home has its wheels removed and is placed upon railroad ties and leveled with cinder blocks which were placed beneath the perimeter of the mobile home to form a foundation upon which the structure rests. It is supplied with water and electricity by the city of Colby in that the appellant has hooked onto the customer's side of his father's water and electric meters. It has a septic tank sewer system and is currently using bottled or L.P. gas.
The mobile home is located on a seven acre tract of land owned by the appellant's father, Tom Hurtt, Sr. The tract is located in Southview Addition to the city of Colby. The Addition is separated from the city proper by the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way on the north and west; it is bounded on the east by the city limits, and on the south by a cemetery and a large tract of land owned *115 by the city. It is platted and contains approximately 26 square blocks. The area is zoned for light industry, but remains unimproved except for three residential homes and the mobile home in question.
Nine mobile home communities have been granted permits by the governing body of the city of Colby. However, those mobile home communities do not comply in all respects with the requirements of the present ordinance since they were established before its adoption.
Prior to placing his mobile home at 735 East Summitt Street, the appellant appeared before a representative of the city, asking for permission to locate his mobile home at its present location. The appellant was shown a copy of Section 22-201 of the ordinance and was informed he could not so locate his mobile home. Notwithstanding the advice from the city official, the appellant located his mobile home at its present location. On September 1, and September 10, 1970, the city notified the appellant by letters that he was in violation of the city ordinance. On September 23, the appellant requested a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals, and the following day the Board unanimously denied his request.
On November 23, 1970, a complaint was filed in the police court charging the appellant with a violation of Section 22-201. On December 1, 1970, he was tried, found guilty, fined $100, and fined an additional $10 per day for each day of noncompliance with the ordinance.
On December 2, the appellant filed his notice of appeal to the district court of Thomas County where the conviction was affirmed. In a memorandum opinion the district court stated in part:
The appellant then perfected this appeal. Although he sets out five points of error, the main thust of his complaint is that the ordinance is unreasonable and arbitrary, and, therefore, unconstitutional.
It is the rule of law in this jurisdiction relating to reasonableness of zoning ordinances that a court may not substitute its judgment *116 for that of the governing body. In Moyer v. Board of County Commissioners, 197 Kan. 23, 415 P.2d 261, it was said:
The above rule was quoted with approval in Scherrer v. Board of County Commissioners, 201 Kan. 424, 441 P.2d 901. Again, in Creten v. Board of County Commissioners, 204 Kan. 782, 466 P.2d 263, we stated:
There appears to be no case in this state which has decided this particular question. Nonetheless, we are of the opinion the ordinance under consideration bears a substantial relationship to public health, safety, and general welfare.
Mobile homes are used for residences but they possess special characteristics which warrant their separate regulation. They involve potential hazards to public health if not properly located and supplied with utilities and sanitary facilities. Mobile homes scattered promiscuously throughout the residential district of a city might well stunt its growth and certainly stifle development of an area for residential purposes.
A careful study of the record convinces this court that the appellant has failed to produce any evidence which tends to show the ordinance was not enacted to promote the health and general welfare of the citizens of the city, conserve the value of property, and encourage the most appropriate use of land.
*117 The appellant next contends the ordinance violates his right to the use and enjoyment of his property and constitutes a taking of his property without due process of law. The point is not well taken. The ordinance was a proper exercise of the police power in protecting the public health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of the city of Colby. In Martin v. Davis, 187 Kan. 473, 357 P.2d 782, appeal dismissed 368 U.S. 25, 7 L. Ed. 2d 5, 82 S. Ct. 1, we stated:
Other alleged errors have been considered and found to be without merit. Those wishing to research the question further should see State v. Murray, 471 S.W.2d 460 [Mo. 1971], a case clearly in point, where it is stated in the headnote:
In the opinion it was said:
The judgment is affirmed.