Opinion ID: 2543536
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Roadway Standards

Text: ¶ 32 The County also contends that plaintiffs failed to exhaust their administrative remedies on their roadway standards exceptions claim by not voicing particular objections at either the planning or the county commission hearings on the exceptions. Specifically, the County asserts that by not arguing in those hearings that no unusual topographic or aesthetic condition existed to justify an exception, as required by the ordinance, plaintiffs failed to give the County an opportunity to address those issues at the County level. One of the plaintiffs attended those hearings and argued against the granting of the exceptions, but she did not articulate that particular argument to the planning commission or the county commission. Before determining whether plaintiffs' exceptions claim is barred for failure to exhaust, we must review the applicable legislation to determine whether exhaustion was required. ¶ 33 Chapter 14.12 of the Salt Lake County Ordinances is entitled Standards for Roadway Development, and it provides guidelines for all public and private roadway development located within the unincorporated county. Salt Lake County Code of Ordinances § 14.12.020 (1992). Section 14.12.150 of this chapter provides: In cases where unusual topographical, aesthetic, or other exceptional conditions or circumstances exist, variations or exceptions to the requirements of this chapter may be approved by the county commission after receiving recommendations from the planning commission and the public works engineer; provided, that the variations or exceptions are not detrimental to the public safety or welfare. Salt Lake County Code of Ordinances § 14.12.150 (1992). We note the absence of any requirement of exhaustion before seeking review of the commission's decision in district court. The County has not referred us to nor have we discovered any other ordinance or statute requiring a party to exhaust any remedies before challenging the grant or denial of a request for exceptions to the county roadway standards in district court. ¶ 34 Because there is no statute or ordinance mandating exhaustion before seeking review of exceptions to county roadway standards, we must determine whether exhaustion is required in this case. Cf. McCarthy, 503 U.S. at 144, 112 S.Ct. 1081 (stating that court has discretion to mandate exhaustion when Congress silent on the issue). We decide that it is not required. Moreover, the County could not have been prejudiced by any failure of plaintiffs to articulate the precise argument that they are now making to this court. The County had its ordinance before it and does not assert that it was unaware of the standard it had to meet to grant the exceptions. See Salt Lake County Code of Ordinances § 14.12.150 (1992).