Opinion ID: 879541
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: S. Highway 2

Text: The trial court order stated that by driving down U.S. Highway 2: Commencing where 6th Avenue North intersects with U.S. Highway No. 2, you go West on Highway No. 2 for 1.9 miles before Green's Salvage can be noticed. Then for a distance of 3.2 miles the salvage yard can be noticed, then for a distance of .6 miles it is out of view and then can be noticed again for a short distance of .2 of a mile... The facility could be noticed but not within public view as contemplated by ARM 16.14.202(1). Section 16.14.202(1) of the Administrative Rules of Montana states: All junk vehicles, motor vehicle wrecking facilities, and county motor vehicle graveyards are required to be shielded from public view. Public view is any point six feet above the surface of the center of any public road from which the wrecking facility and junk vehicles can be seen. Department employees Mitchell and Geach on a number of occasions viewed Green's Salvage from U.S. Highway 2. Both have testified that Green's Salvage is in public view from U.S. Highway 2. Green neither admits nor denies that his facility can be seen from U.S. Highway 2. He testified that he failed to obtain a license because of certain individual property rights guaranteed by the Constitution and not because of the cost of shielding his facility. The defendant gave the following written response to an interrogatory posed by the Department: INTERROGATORY NO. 12: (a) Please state whether it is your position that your facility cannot be seen from Highway 2. (b) If you admit that your facility can be seen from any point on Highway 2, please describe whether you believe it should be shielded to some degree. (c) If you object to a shield from public view from Highway 2, please state the basis for your objection. ANSWER NO. 12: (a) What can be seen is not always comprehended and what is sometimes seen and comprehended is not always seen. At night, during blizzards and due to heavy fog my business cannot always be seen from Highway 2. (b) I do not believe shielding is necessary, neither do the approximately 2,500 people that signed the petition. (c) Prejudice on the part of the State of Montana over my choice of property to acquire and possess. In the judge's chambers prior to trial, the Department contends Green described that all but 50 cars can be seen from U.S. Highway 2.