Opinion ID: 2157819
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Homeowners Have Standing to Pursue Present Action.

Text: [4,5] Standing is the legal or equitable right, title, or interest in the subject matter of the controversy. Cornhusker Pub. Power Dist. v. City of Schuyler, 269 Neb. 972, 699 N.W.2d 352 (2005). The requirement of standing is fundamental to a court's exercise of jurisdiction, and either a litigant or a court before which a case is pending can raise the question of standing at any time during the proceeding. Stevens v. Downing, Alexander, 269 Neb. 347, 693 N.W.2d 532 (2005). Prior to argument, the parties were directed to submit supplemental briefs addressing whether the Homeowners have standing to challenge the validity of the rezoning at issue in this case. For the reasons that follow, we conclude that the Homeowners have standing in the present case. In support of the Homeowners' argument that they have standing to challenge the validity of the rezoning accomplished by the city council in this case, they cite Eastroads, Inc. v. City of Omaha, 237 Neb. 837, 467 N.W.2d 888 (1991). In Eastroads, Inc., the plaintiff filed a petition for declaratory judgment against the defendants to declare a rezoning ordinance invalid and enjoin construction on the property in question. The district court found that the plaintiff had no standing to bring the action and granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants. On appeal, the plaintiff argued that the ordinance was arbitrary and unreasonable because of a question of ownership of the property and authority of the applicant to act for the owners in requesting the zone change. In our discussion of the issue, we cited several cases from other jurisdictions addressing irregularities in an application for rezoning property. We then concluded that although adjacent landowners have standing to object to the rezoning of property, they do not have standing to object to an irregularity in the application itself without demonstrating prejudice caused by the irregularity. Thus, we determined that the plaintiff had no standing to attack any irregularity in the application for a zoning change by reason of ownership of the property. Id. In contrast to the Homeowners' argument, the Defendants rely on the reasoning of the Nebraska Court of Appeals in SID No. 347 v. City of Omaha, 8 Neb. App. 78, 589 N.W.2d 160 (1999). In SID No. 347, the property at issue was rezoned to permit construction of a fast-food restaurant and drive-through in Greenfields Plaza in Omaha. A neighborhood resident filed an action to enjoin implementation of the zoning change. The district court voided the rezoning, and the City of Omaha and the developer appealed. In addressing whether the resident had standing to bring the action, the Court of Appeals stated: In situations where a party seeks to restrain an act of a municipal body, as is the case here, the party must show some special injury peculiar to himself aside from a general injury to the public, and it is not sufficient that the party bringing the suit has merely a general interest common to all members of the public. Id. at 85-86, 589 N.W.2d at 166. The resident lived in a residential area developed by Sanitary and Improvement District No. 347 and adjacent to Greenfields Plaza and had expressed concern for his safety and that of his children due to the anticipated increase in traffic which would be caused by the fast-food restaurant. However, the court concluded that the resident had not proved that traffic in the neighborhood was reasonably likely to increase to the point of causing him special damage. Thus, the Court of Appeals concluded that the resident did not have standing to bring a lawsuit to enjoin the enforcement of the rezoning ordinance. Id. [6] We conclude that the reasoning in SID No. 347 represents the better rule. It is generally held that an adjacent landowner has standing to object to the rezoning of property if such landowner shows some special injury separate from a general injury to the public. See, e.g., Sun-Brite v. Bd. of Zoning, 69 N.Y.2d 406, 508 N.E.2d 130, 515 N.Y.S.2d 418 (1987); Lenette Realty v. City of Chesterfield, 35 S.W.3d 399 (Mo. App. 2000); Reynolds v. Dittmer, 312 N.W.2d 75 (Iowa App. 1981). To the extent that Eastroads, Inc. v. City of Omaha, 237 Neb. 837, 467 N.W.2d 888 (1991), implies adjacent landowners have standing to object to the rezoning of property without alleging a special injury, it is disapproved. We further conclude that the Homeowners have sufficiently shown a special injury to establish standing in the present action. All of the Homeowners live in the area adjacent to the site, and it appears that 8 of the 11 Homeowners live within 300 feet of the site. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 19-905 (Reissue 1997) provides a right of protest for persons residing within 300 feet of the area of the proposed zoning change and instructs the legislative body that, instead of posting notice of the proposed rezoning change on the property at issue, it may provide notice of the rezoning by personally serving occupants of the subject property and those residing within 300 feet of the area with written notice before a hearing on the rezoning. The fact that a person would be entitled to receive notice of an administrative hearing because he or she owns property adjacent or very close to the property in issue supports the conclusion that such a person would have standing in a corresponding zoning case. See, Sun-Brite, supra (mandatory notice of administrative hearing because party owns property adjacent to property at issue gives rise to presumption of standing); Reynolds, supra (factors to be used as guide in determining sufficiency of person's interest to give standing include proximity of person's property to property to be rezoned and whether person is entitled to receive notice under zoning ordinance). Furthermore, Robert McClure, an expert in city planning, testified that the value of homes in the area immediately to the west of the site would diminish. McClure testified that uncertainty with respect to the timeline and expected completion of the construction would also cause instability in the prices of homes. Finally, the Market Pointe project is considerably larger than the fast-food restaurant construction opposed in SID No. 347 v. City of Omaha, 8 Neb. App. 78, 589 N.W.2d 160 (1999), consisting of approximately 500,000 square feet on 75 acres of land. McClure indicated that the large development planned for the site would compromise the residential character of the adjacent neighborhood. Given the scope of the Market Pointe project and the proximity of the objecting landowners to the proposed development, we conclude that the Homeowners have standing to challenge the rezoning here at issue.