Opinion ID: 1983988
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Zoning Regulations

Text: Petitioner argues that the Commission's regulations require that (1) each owner in the PUD sign any application and that (2) an application shall not be processed until the application is complete. 11 DCMR § 2404.3 (1994). Therefore, petitioner contends that each owner within a PUD must consent by signing the application before it can be considered to be complete for processing. Intervenor argues that, since there are no regulations to the contrary, the Commission's practice of limiting the authority to sign applications to the owners of the land to be developed or the property to be modified within the PUD should be controlling. Thus, intervenor contends that petitioner is not an owner of property to be developed within the PUD for purposes of a request of an owner to modify only its solely-owned building. We consider these issues in light of the applicable regulations and the referenced agency practices. Ordinarily, the PUD process occurs in two stages. 11 DCMR § 2402.1 (1994). The first stage involves a general review of the site for use as a PUD; the second involves a detailed site plan review for compliance with the intent and purposes of the PUD process. [6] Id. Applications for modifications to the PUD must meet the requirements for and be processed as a second-stage application. 11 DCMR 2407.9 (1994). The regulations contain no notice provisions addressed specifically to applications for modification. However, during the initial application process, the regulations provide for the application to include the name, address, and signature of each owner ... of property included in the area to be developed. 11 DCMR § 2404.5 (1994). Petitioner contends that these regulations require that each owner of property within the PUD be included in every phase or type of PUD proceeding and that the process must be terminated if any owner within the PUD does not consent to the application for modification. The Commission has not interpreted its regulations and authority to act on an application for modification in accordance with petitioner's position. First, the Commission has limited ownership to mean the owner of land. At the public hearing in this case, the staff explained that the Commission's consistent practice has been to have an applicant request a list of property owners from the Department of Finance and Revenue. That department furnishes a list of persons responsible for real estate taxes, who are typically the owners of the land. [7] Petitioner does not deny that intervenor owns all the land in the PUD and that petitioner only leases the land upon which its building is situated. Thus, despite petitioner's significant leasehold interest in the land, the Commission's interpretation of owner of property in the area to be developed as owner of the land as designated on the records of the tax assessor, would not include petitioner. Moreover, the Commission ruled in this case that an application for modification of one building may be considered without the other owners in the PUD joining in or consenting to it. Section 2404.5 of the regulation requires that an application contain the signature of each owner ... of property included in the area developed  (emphasis added). The terms owner and property included in the area to be developed are not defined in the regulations. [E]ach owner ... of the property included in the area to be developed could refer to each owner within the PUD or only to each owner of the specific property that is the subject of development or of a modification request. The Commission's practice has been to require only the signature of the record owner of the property to be developed or modified. For purposes of a modification within a PUD, the Commission's practice has been to limit the definition of owner within the area to be developed to include only the owner of the particular property that is the subject of consideration. Consequently, the signatures of other owners within the PUD have not been required on an application to modify a property within the PUD. The regulations insure, however, that other owners within the PUD or neighboring owners will not be foreclosed from participating in the proceeding in order to protect their interests. There is a separate provision for notification of neighboring property owners, 11 DCMR 3013.6 (1994). [8] Moreover, affected parties, other than the applicant, may participate as parties under § 3022.3 (1994) of the regulations. Such parties may be represented in the proceeding by counsel, present witnesses and otherwise demonstrate how they will be affected by action on the pending application. Id. [9]