Opinion ID: 2399351
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Other Petitioners' Standing

Text: The remaining petitioners are: Mary Jane Richter, Joseph Gates, III, Larry Josefowski, Susan Terry and Bonnie Johnson. Those petitioners allege that they own property within the City of Dover. In Stuart Kingston, [60] this Court held that [I]n order to achieve standing, the plaintiff's interest in the controversy must be distinguished from the interest shared by other members of a class or the public in general. [61] The decisions of the United States Supreme Court hold that adjacent landowners often have standing to challenge the governmental action if that action impairs a separate concrete interest of the plaintiff. [62] The remaining petitioners do not, however, allege that they own property either within or near the Historic District. Therefore, the Superior Court properly held that the remaining petitioners had not alleged facts that demonstrated they have an interest that is distinguishable from the public at large or that they will realize a direct harm from the decision of the Planning Commission. Nevertheless, in the interest of justice, with regard to the remaining petitioners, the judgment of the Superior Court is vacated. The remaining petitioners will have ten days following the issuance of this Court's mandate to file an amended petition in the Superior Court that alleges a concrete and particularized injury. Thereafter, the standing of the remaining petitioners to bring the amended petition will be subject to further review by the Superior Court in accordance with this opinion. If the remaining petitioners do not file an amended petition, the Superior Court's judgment of dismissal should be reinstated, as to those individuals only.