Opinion ID: 2573371
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Boards Amendment to the 2010 Plan

Text: Next, the Vickers argue that the Board violated their due process rights by taking judicial notice that an amendment to the 2010 Plan Map was necessary, and in doing so bypassed the notice and hearing requirements under I.C. § 67-6509. The Board, however, argues that the amendment to the 2010 Plan Map was merely an administrative act designed to appropriately reflect the consequences of the change to the 1995 Plan Map and, therefore, should not be overturned. We hold that the Vickers have failed to point to a statute authorizing judicial review of the of the Board's sua sponte amendment to the 2010 Plan Map. Consequently, we are without jurisdiction to review the Board's action. Idaho Code § 67-6509, which governs adoption, amendment, and repeal of a county comprehensive plan, provides in pertinent part: (a) The planning or planning and zoning commission, prior to recommending the plan, amendment, or repeal of the plan to the governing board, shall conduct at least one (1) public hearing in which interested persons shall have an opportunity to be heard.... Following the commission hearing, if the commission recommends a material change to the proposed amendment to the plan which was considered at the hearing, it shall give notice of its proposed recommendation and conduct another public hearing concerning the matter if the governing board will not conduct a subsequent public hearing concerning the proposed amendment. If the governing board will conduct a subsequent public hearing, notice of the planning and zoning commission recommendation shall be included in the notice of public hearing provided by the governing board.... (b) The governing board, as provided by local ordinance, prior to adoption, amendment, or repeal of the plan, may conduct at least one (1) public hearing, in addition to the public hearing(s) conducted by the commission, using the same notice and hearing procedures as the commission. The governing board shall not hold a public hearing, give notice of a proposed hearing, nor take action upon the plan, amendments, or repeal until recommendations have been received from the commission. Following consideration by the governing board, if the governing board makes a material change in the recommendation or alternative options contained in the recommendation by the commission concerning adoption, amendment or repeal of a plan, further notice and hearing shall be provided before the governing board adopts, amends or repeals the plan. ... (d) Any person may petition the commission or, in absence of a commission, the governing board, for a plan amendment at any time. The commission may recommend amendments to the land use map component of the comprehensive plan to the governing board not more frequently than once every six (6) months. The statute first directs the P & Z Commission to provide notice and a public hearing on the applicant's request for an amendment to the county comprehensive plan map. After the P & Z Commission issues its recommendation, the statute then requires that the Board provide notice and a second public hearing on the amendment. See I.C. § 67-6509(a)-(b). If the Board declines to follow the P & Z Commission's recommendation, the Board is required to provide notice of and hold a third and final hearing on the amendment. See I.C. § 67-6509(b). The statute also imposes a limitation that the P & Z Commission may only recommend amendments to the county comprehensive plan map only once every six months. I.C. § 67-6509(d). Although the Vickers are correct that the Board bypassed at least two stages of due process requirements under I.C. § 67-6509 in amending the 2010 Plan Map through self-imposed judicial notice, they have failed to point to a statute authorizing judicial review of the Board's amendment. The Vickers filed their appeal under I.C. § 67-6521 (LLUPA), I.C. § 67-5270 (IAPA), and I.R.C.P. 84. Because LLUPA does not provide an independent statutory basis for the Court to review the Board's amendment, we may not review the Vickers' procedural due process violation claim related to the same. Likewise, the district court did not have jurisdiction to review the Board's amendment to the 2010 Plan. Therefore, we vacate that part of the district court's order affirming the Board's amendment to the 2010 Plan Map.