Opinion ID: 2365726
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Procedural Approach

Text: In cases challenging the validity of municipal legislation, the traditional equitable remedy has been to enjoin operation and enforcement of the offending provisions. As noted in Part II, supra, this remedy is wholly inadequate in the context of exclusionary zoning. It makes no provision for vindicating and redressing past wrongs; skillful draftspeople will be able to circumvent it by devising new exclusionary devices, requiring prolonged litigation to achieve desired results; and, finally, an unqualified injunction against operation of the ordinance may subvert the legitimate, nonexclusionary function of land use planning, to the detriment of the entire community. Therefore, I conceive that the remedial stage of most exclusionary zoning cases will require both affirmative relief and close judicial supervision, almost as a matter of course. The need for a deliberate approach implementing this relief is apparent. As I noted in Mt. Laurel, effective relief can be achieved only if the trial court proceeds steadfastly in following these four steps: (1) identify[ing] the relevant region; (2) determin[ing] the present and future housing needs of the region; (3) allocat[ing] these needs among the various municipalities in the region; and (4) shap[ing] a suitable remedial order. [67 N.J. at 215-216] In order to effectuate each of these steps, the procedural guidelines which follow might be utilized by the trial court. Upon entering a judgment against the municipality, the trial court should, at the earliest practical point, join all municipalities located in the region surrounding the defendant community. Mt. Laurel, 67 N.J. at 216 (Pashman, J., concurring). If necessary, this may be on the court's own motion. R. 4:28-1, 4:30. Not only is this necessary in order to equitably allocate housing needs among municipalities in a region, but it is essential if conflicting decisions are to be avoided in cases involving communities in the same region. 67 N.J. at 216 (Pashman, J., concurring). The trial court should then order the affected towns (if it has not already done so) to undertake a study identifying local and regional housing needs. This study would analyze, inter alia, the number of substandard and overcrowded units within the town and surrounding region, the number of people employed but unable to reside there, and the number of people likely to migrate there absent exclusionary zoning. The court would then ask the municipality to submit a recommendation as to what number of new low and moderate income residential units (over what period of time) would constitute its fair share of the regional housing need. See Part III (C) infra. Upon receipt of this recommendation, the court would fix and specify the municipality's fair share of that need. However, if prior to assessing each municipality's fair share the trial court finds that statistical data or independent testimony would be of assistance, the trial court may appoint its own zoning and planning experts to aid in its judgment. See Matter of Walter Peterson, 253 U.S. 300, 312, 40 S.Ct. 543, 64 L.Ed. 919, 925 (1920) (finding that a court possesses the inherent power to appoint persons unconnected with the court to aid in the performance of specific duties arising in a case); Mt. Laurel, 67 N.J. at 216 (Pashman, J., concurring); Handleman v. Marwen Stores Corp., 53 N.J. 404 (1969); Pascack Ass'n v. Washington Tp., supra; Polulich v. J.G. Schmidt Tool Die & Stamping Co., 46 N.J. Super. 135 (Cty. Ct. 1957); Scott v. Spanjer Bros., Inc., 298 F. 2d 928 (2 Cir.1962). See generally, Wigmore, Evidence § 2484 at 270 (3 ed. 1940); Botter, The Court Appointed Impartial Expert in M. Kraft, Using Experts in Civil Cases (PLI 1977) at 73. Or, the court might appoint an independent expert if it finds that municipal recommendations are inadequate. Such consultants are to be appointed at the expense of the defendant; they should be allowed to consult with defendant, other parties, and the trial court; and ultimately, they should file a report and testify in any proceedings. This would provide the best way of ensuring a dialogue designed to meet Mt. Laurel obligations. Additionally, discussions with all parties should have the valuable effect of making certain that the expert's recommendations are sensitive to legitimate local concerns. After quantifying the municipality's fair share of the region's lower income housing needs, the court would order the town to formulate and submit a remedial plan designed to enable, encourage and affirmatively attain satisfaction of its portion of the regional need. The plan should include, among other things, proposed amendments to the municipal zoning ordinance and affirmative programs deemed necessary to satisfy the municipality's obligation under Mt. Laurel. Such additional programs might involve establishment of a local housing authority, creation of a mobile home park district, imposition of inclusionary conditions upon subdivision, PUD and cluster zone developments, or provision of density bonuses and other inclusionary devices. See Part III (D) infra. The plan would then be submitted to the trial court for approval within a specified number of days. After a hearing at which all parties could comment upon the proposed plan, the trial court would either approve the plan and order immediate implementation or, upon finding it deficient, modify the plan or order the municipality to do so. Such revisions would be submitted to the court for approval at a subsequent hearing. After the remedial plan has been formulated, approved and incorporated by the court into a judicial decree the court would retain jurisdiction in order to supervise implementation of the plan. During this process, the court could require submission of progress reports from those charged with implementing the plan and could, when necessary, issue supplemental orders enforcing or modifying the remedial decree. If it has not yet done so, independent planning consultants could be appointed to assist with implementation, and additionally, suggestions and participation by all parties to the suit should be encouraged. Finally, if there is evidence of bad faith, inadvertence or neglect on the part of the municipality, the court could assume direct control over certain aspects of the plan and impose stronger remedial measures than those provided for in the initial decree. See Part III (D) infra. Ample precedent exists for this approach. It has already been utilized by several of our trial courts in cases challenging the exclusionary character of local zoning ordinances. Mt. Laurel, supra, 119 N.J. Super. at 178-180; Pascack Ass'n Ltd. v. Mayor & Council of Washington Tp., supra. 131 N.J. Super. 195; Urban League of Greater New Brunswick v. Borough of Carteret, supra, 142 N.J. Super. at 35-39. It also mirrors the relief commonly provided by federal courts in school and housing desegregation cases. See, e.g., Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenberg Bd. of Educ., supra, 402 U.S. 1, 91 S.Ct. 1267, 28 L.Ed. 2d 554. (Defendant's failure to meet a school desegregation deadline fixed by the District Court, triggered the appointment of an independent consultant whose recommendations were ultimately incorporated into a desegregation plan adopted by the court); Southern Alameda Spanish Speaking Organization ( SASSO ) v. Union City, 424 F. 2d 291 (9 Cir.1970), on remand, 357 F. Supp. 1188, 1199 (N.D. Cal. 1970) (District Court gave the city nine months within which to take steps necessary and reasonably feasible under the law to accommodate ... the [housing] needs of [its] low income residents, and also ordered the city to submit periodic reports concerning the steps it had taken to accomplish this objective); Crow v. Brown, supra , 332 F. Supp. at 395-396 (county officials and a local housing authority were ordered to appoint a joint committee to prepare a county wide plan for the development and placement of low rent public housing projects and to implement the recommendations of the joint committee after first reporting to the court); Gautreaux v. Chicago Housing Authority, supra, 296 F. Supp. 907 (N.D. Ill. 1969), supplemented 304 F. Supp. 736 (N.D. Ill. 1969) (the District Court ordered the parties to submit plans designed to prohibit the future use and to remedy the past effects of [the housing authority's] unconstitutional site selection and tenant assignment procedures; following review of these plans, the Court issued a detailed order providing for the immediate deconcentration of public housing facilities in the Chicago Metropolitan area and further compelling the housing authority to revise its tenant assignment policy, submit such revisions to the Court for approval and undertake certain studies); Hawkins v. Town of Shaw, supra, 437 F. 2d at 1286 (5 Cir.), aff'd en banc 461 F. 2d 1171 at 1174 (5 Cir.1972) (town required to submit a plan for the court's approval detailing proposed cures for the long history of discrimination which the record reveals.). Cf. Brown v. Bd. of Educ., 349 U.S. 294, 299-300, 75 S.Ct. 753, 99 L.Ed. 1083, 1105-1106 (1955); Wright v. City of Emporia, 407 U.S. 451, 454-458, 92 S.Ct. 2196, 33 L.Ed. 2d 51, 57-59 (1972); Mahaley v. Cuyahago Metropolitan Housing Authority, 355 F. Supp. 1257, 1269 (N.D. Ohio 1973), rev'd on other grounds, 500 F. 2d 1087 (6 Cir.1974), cert. den. 419 U.S. 1108, 95 S.Ct. 781, 42 L.Ed. 2d 805 (1975). [18] This approach is attractive in several respects. First, placing the initial responsibility for formulating a remedial plan into the hands of municipal officials furthers the objective of assuring maximum respect for local prerogatives. Cf. Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533, 586, 84 S.Ct. 1362, 1394, 12 L.Ed. 2d 506, 541 (1964); Jackman v. Bodine, supra, 43 N.J. at 473-474. Good faith compliance with the letter and spirit of the initial court decree will obviate the need for additional judicial interference and thus guarantee the retention of municipal control and responsibility over zoning matters. Second, this approach recognizes the need to preserve local amenities. As noted above, if the municipality must accommodate low and moderate income families, it is best that this be done in a planned and orderly fashion. Intelligent use of PUD restrictions, density bonuses, landscape requirements and dispersal of different types of housing throughout the community can achieve compliance with the municipality's obligation under Mt. Laurel and still adequately protect the amenities which make the town an attractive place to live. Phased zoning, a technique which permits control over the pace and location of new development affords another means of achieving these ends. [19] Nevertheless, this technique must be used with caution. See Golden v. Ramapo Planning Bd., 30 N.Y. 2d 359, 334 N.Y.S. 2d 138, 285 N.E. 2d 291 (Ct. App. 1972), appeal dismissed 409 U.S. 1003, 93 S.Ct. 436, 34 L.Ed. 2d 294 (1972); Constr. Industry Ass'n of Sonoma Cty. v. Petaluma, 375 F. Supp. 574 (N.D. Cal. 1974), rev'd 522 F. 2d 897 (9 Cir.1975), cert. den. 424 U.S. 934, 96 S.Ct. 1148, 47 L.Ed. 2d 342 (1976); Kleven, supra, 21 U.C.L.A.L. Rev. at 1453 n. 66. All such efforts, if otherwise proper and valid, should be encouraged by the court. Third and most important, by requiring judicial review and approval of all remedial programs, this approach assures that plaintiffs' rights will be adequately protected and that the municipality's proposed plans will comply with both the trial court order and the dictates of Mt. Laurel. Moreover, by retaining jurisdiction to supervise implementation of the remedial order, the trial court will forestall the possibility of dilatory tactics or bad faith compliance on the part of the municipality. See Part II supra. As one commentator correctly notes: The mere adoption of [a remedial] plan is not sufficient to satisfy the court's duty. It must take the necessary steps to see to it that the plan becomes a reality. [Rubinowitz, supra note 8, 6 Mich. J.L. Reform at 669.] The remedial approach which I have suggested, seeks to do this by permitting courts to retain jurisdiction, require periodic reports, set time limits and, if necessary, issue supplemental orders to address problems which arise during implementation of the order. In this area, more than in most, continual supervision can be crucial. Mytelka & Mytelka, supra, 7 Seton Hall L. Rev. at 32. Cf. Green v. Cty. School Bd., supra, 391 U.S. at 439, 88 S.Ct. at 1694, 20 L.Ed. 2d at 724; Louisiana v. United States, supra, 380 U.S. at 156, 85 S.Ct. at 823, 13 L.Ed. 2d at 716; Kelley v. Altheimer, 378 F. 2d 483, 489 (8 Cir.1967); Kennedy Park Homes Ass'n v. Lackawanna, supra, 318 F. Supp. at 698; City of Miami Beach v. Weiss, 217 So. 2d 836, 838 (Fla. Sup. Ct. 1969); Casey v. Warwick Tp. Zoning Hearing Bd., supra, 328 A. 2d at 470.