Opinion ID: 1936774
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Testimony of Grant and Hefner.

Text: As mentioned, the Board of Adjustment had to find five conditions existed before it could issue the conditional use permit. As also mentioned, at the Board of Adjustment hearing, one of its members asked McConnell, Director of Planning and Development, his opinion as to whether the five conditions had been met. Contrary to his previous statements of support for Martin Marietta's permit application, McConnell did not feel he could recommend approval. His opinion was based on a feeling that condition (a) may not have been met and because of the adverse cumulative effect resulting from two sand and gravel pits existing side by side. Condition (a) states: The value and qualities of the area (or neighborhood) surrounding the conditional use are not substantially injured, and the establishment of a conditional use will not impede the normal and orderly development and improvement of surrounding undeveloped property for uses predominant in the area. Dallas County, Iowa, Ordinances § 45.09(3)(C)(a). The Board of Adjustment found, among other things, that condition (a) had not been met. It also found that the cumulative environmental impact of two such large mining uses on adjacent sites would result in substantial injury to the values and qualities of the area surrounding the two operations, would significantly impede the normal development of surrounding undeveloped property for uses predominant in the area, would result in significantly greater levels of vehicular traffic, odor, fumes, dust, noise, and vibration than would be generated by a single mining operation, alone and would adversely impact public health, safety and general welfare. The district court found there was substantial evidence to support both findings. It is safe to assume McConnell's opinion played a role in the Board of Adjustment's decision as well as the district court's decision. We review these facts as background for the remaining issue. As mentioned, Hefner filed an affidavit shortly before the certiorari trial about McConnell's alleged statement that the opinion he gave at the Board of Adjustment meeting was the product of a threat that he would be fired had he not recommended against Martin Marietta's permit application. At the start of the certiorari trial, the district court sustained the County's motion in limine as to Hefner's testimony. Martin Marietta then made an offer of proof with Hefner about the threat. Hefner also testified in the offer of proof that because the Board of Adjustment had asked McConnell for his opinion, that opinion was critical to the Board's decision. Hefner further testified in the offer of proof that McConnell told him that one of the intervenors was pressuring Shirley, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, to bring pressure on McConnell to oppose Martin Marietta's application. In fact, in one e-mail, McConnell simply stated the political pressure continues to mount. Hefner also testified that Shirley said publicly one month before the Board of Adjustment hearing that he was opposed to the Martin Marietta application. Martin Marietta also made an offer of proof with Neil Grant. Grant was a Martin Marietta employee and had held the position of West Des Moines city planner. Grant testified in the offer of proof that McConnell had made public statements that the best use of the Pearson property was for sand and gravel operations, but for political reasons, that would never happen. The court sustained a relevancy objection to this testimony because the statement was made after the Board of Adjustment had made its decision. The testimony of both witnesses supported Martin Marietta's claim that the Board of Adjustment decision was the product of bad faith or improper conduct. If McConnell's true opinion was what Hefner and Grant claimed and had McConnell rendered that opinion to the Board of Adjustment, its decision may well have been different. Moreover, the testimony, if believed, would support a finding that the proceedings before the Board of Adjustment and its decision were so tainted that the decision could not stand. See United States Cellular Corp. v. Bd. of Adjustment, 589 N.W.2d 712, 719 (Iowa 1999) (affirming district court's finding that Board of Adjustment denial of applicant's request for special use permit was made in bad faith); see also Jarrott, 225 F.Supp. at 833-34 (holding that fair and impartial hearing was denied where three Board of Zoning Adjustment members of District of Columbia, two of whom were subordinate government employees, were secretly informed that highly placed persons in government wanted Board to grant foreign government's application for exception to erect embassy building in residential zone; such action rendered Board's favorable decision void). For these reasons, we conclude the district court abused its discretion in not allowing the testimony of both witnesses. See Mercer v. Pittway Corp., 616 N.W.2d 602, 612 (Iowa 2000) (We review a district court's decision concerning the admission of relevant evidence for an abuse of discretion.).