Opinion ID: 877492
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the question of whether the trial court properly interfered with a continuing legislative process

Text: In preventing the county commissioners from adopting their resolution of intent, the County claims that the trial court violated the long-standing rule that a court will wait for the completion of the legislative process before acting to enjoin enforcement of the legislation. Although the County recognizes an exception to this rulethat a court may enjoin enforcement of the proposed legislation where the threatened harm will be irreparable and where there is no adequate remedythe County argues that this exception does not apply here. We have no quarrel with this abstract statement of the law, but it has no application here. The plaintiffs were challenging not only the result that the commissioners intendedthey were also contesting the procedures used in reaching that result. The County fails to acknowledge the Catch-22 bind in which the plaintiffs had been placed. The plaintiffs were faced not only with the obvious attempt by the county commissioners to zone Cameron Tract as commercial. They were also faced with an imminent decision by the City to issue a building permit to the Developers. If the plaintiffs had waited any longer, they would have taken the chance that the building permit would be issued, and that construction would begin. The Developers would then undoubtedly have argued that it would be inequitable to deny them the right to build a shopping center after they had already in the beginning stages of construction, spent so much money. These were the realities when the plaintiffs filed their lawsuits. This situation was a sufficient basis for the trial court to grant a restraining order preserving the status quo. The County dignifies form over substance by arguing that the county commissioners were engaged in the legislative process when acting on the Developers' request to zone Cameron Tract as commercial. The commissioners were not involved in adopting a general policy of zoning for the area. Rather, they were involved in selecting a specific tract of land for a special zoning consideration for a particular owner. This activity is more of a quasi-judicial decision-making process than a legislative-zoning process. The commissioners have no power to engage in such a process. See South of Sunnyside, Etc. v. Bd. of Commissioners, Etc. (1977), 280 Or. 3, 569 P.2d 1063. The quasi-judicial power under the zoning laws applicable to counties is reserved to the County Board of Adjustment (sections 76-2-221 through 76-2-228, MCA). However, even the Board of Adjustment could not have granted the relief required here. The Board of Adjustment can act only in relation to zoning regulations already in effect for an area, but here the area had not yet been zoned. The failure of the county commissioners to implement the comprehensive plan (master plan) by creating zoning districts and promulgating applicable zoning regulations, brings us to the issue of spot zoning. Neither the County nor the Developers have discussed this issue in their briefs, even though the trial court specifically held that the policy inherent in Resolution 291 leads to the worst kind of spot zoning.