Opinion ID: 2313631
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Schultz v. Pritts

Text: In 1981, we decided Schultz v. Pritts , a case all parties to this litigation acknowledge as a bellwether case regarding special exceptions in Maryland. See Trail v. Terrapin Run, LLC, 403 Md. 523, 551, 943 A.2d 1192, 1208 (2008) (noting that some have called [ Schultz ] the seminal case in the Maryland law of special exceptions); E. Outdoor Adver. Co. v. Mayor & City Council of Balt., 146 Md.App. 283, 307-08, 807 A.2d 49, 63 (2002) (describing Schultz as the seminal case in Maryland concerning conditional uses or special exception uses); Mossburg v. Montgomery County, 107 Md.App. 1, 8, 666 A.2d 1253, 1257 (1995) (describing Schultz as the modern seminal case); Lawton T. Sharp Farm, Inc. v. Somerlock, 52 Md.App. 207, 210, 447 A.2d 500, 502 (1982) (describing Schultz as a landmark interpretation). In Schultz, Robert and Ann Pritts petitioned for a special exception to operate a funeral home in an area zoned for single-family residential homes in Carroll County. The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals denied the special exception. On judicial review, the Circuit Court for Carroll County remanded the case to the Board of Zoning Appeals on due process grounds unrelated to the special exception standard. [28] The Court of Special Appeals dismissed an appeal and cross-appeal as premature. Thus, the proper evaluative standard to be applied in special exception cases was not considered until the case reached us. The Court of Appeals issued a writ of certiorari to consider all issues raised in the case. Judge Davidson, now writing for the Court of Appeals, first cleared the way to reach the merits, holding that the Circuit Court's order remanding the case was an appealable final judgment and that the Board's actions did not violate the Prittses' due process rights. Judge Davidson then proceeded to the merits of the Prittses' other arguments. The Prittses argued that the Board of Zoning Appeals erred because it declined to apply the Gowl standard in evaluating their application for the special exception. Specifically, they contended that their proposed use, a funeral home, would generate less traffic than several permitted uses allowed in the zone in which the subject property was placed. Thus, they contended, the Board of Zoning Appeals should have approved the special exception to operate a funeral home. In finding no merit in the Prittses' argument, the Court unequivocally rejected the Gowl standard. The Court began its analysis by reviewing the proper standard to be applied by a zoning body in reviewing an application for a special exception. This Court has frequently expressed the applicable standards for judicial review of the grant or denial of a special exception use. The special exception use is a part of the comprehensive zoning plan sharing the presumption that, as such, it is in the interest of the general welfare, and therefore, valid. The special exception use is a valid zoning mechanism that delegates to an administrative board a limited authority to allow enumerated uses which the legislature has determined to be permissible absent any fact or circumstance negating the presumption. The duties given the Board are to judge whether the neighboring properties in the general neighborhood would be adversely affected and whether the use in the particular case is in harmony with the general purpose and intent of the plan. Whereas, the applicant has the burden of adducing testimony which will show that his use meets the prescribed standards and requirements, he does not have the burden of establishing affirmatively that his proposed use would be a benefit to the community. If he shows to the satisfaction of the Board that the proposed use would be conducted without real detriment to the neighborhood and would not actually adversely affect the public interest, he has met his burden. The extent of any harm or disturbance to the neighboring area and uses is, of course, material. If the evidence makes the question of harm or disturbance or the question of the disruption of the harmony of the comprehensive plan of zoning fairly debatable, the matter is one for the Board to decide. But if there is no probative evidence of harm or disturbance in light of the nature of the zone involved or of factors causing disharmony to the operation of the comprehensive plan, a denial of an application for a special exception use is arbitrary, capricious, and illegal. Turner v. Hammond, 270 Md. 41, 54-55, 310 A.2d 543, 550-51 (1973); Rockville Fuel & Feed Co. v. Board of Appeals of Gaithersburg, 257 Md. 183, 187-88, 262 A.2d 499, 502 (1970); Montgomery County v. Merlands Club, Inc., 202 Md. 279, 287, 96 A.2d 261, 264 (1953); Anderson v. Sawyer, 23 Md.App. 612, 617, 329 A.2d 716, 720 (1974). These standards dictate that if a requested special exception use is properly determined to have an adverse effect upon neighboring properties in the general area, it must be denied. Schultz, 291 Md. at 11-12, 432 A.2d at 1325. The Court then surveyed prior caselaw, focusing on Deen and Anderson. The Court concluded in an often-quoted paragraph: These cases establish that a special exception use has an adverse effect and must be denied when it is determined from the facts and circumstances that the grant of the requested special exception use would result in an adverse effect upon adjoining and surrounding properties unique and different from the adverse effect that would otherwise result from the development of such a special exception use located anywhere within the zone. Thus, these cases establish that the appropriate standard to be used in determining whether a requested special exception use would have an adverse effect and, therefore, should be denied is whether there are facts and circumstances that show that the particular use proposed at the particular location proposed would have any adverse effects above and beyond those inherently associated with such a special exception use irrespective of its location within the zone. Schultz, 291 Md. at 15, 432 A.2d at 1327. After summarizing the facts and analysis in Gowl, the Court stated that [i]n reaching this conclusion, the trial court cited only Deen, 240 Md. at 330-31, 214 A.2d at 153, and the Court of Special Appeals cited no authority at all. Indeed, there is no persuasive authority that applies the Gowl standard or supports this conclusion. Schultz, 291 Md. at 19, 432 A.2d at 1329. We concluded that the Gowl standard is logically inconsistent and in conflict with the standards established in Turner as explicated by Deen and Anderson.  Schultz, 291 Md. at 19, 432 A.2d 1319, 1329. Finally, the Court articulated the standard to govern special exception cases: We now hold that the appropriate standard to be used in determining whether a requested special exception use would have an adverse effect and, therefore, should be denied is whether there are facts and circumstances that show that the particular use proposed at the particular location proposed would have any adverse effects above and beyond those inherently associated with such a special exception use irrespective of its location within the zone. Turner, 270 Md. at 54-55, 310 A.2d at 550-51; Deen, 240 Md. at 330-31, 214 A.2d at 153; Anderson, 23 Md.App. at 617-18, 624-25, 329 A.2d at 720, 724. Schultz, 291 Md. at 22-23, 432 A.2d at 1331.