Court Opinion

ID: 9651721
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 16:32:57.467864+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:38.125314
License: Public Domain

DISSENTING OPINION BY
President Judge COLINS.
I respectfully dissent. I fear the majority has allowed the esthetic unpleasantness of billboard clutter to cloud its legal judgment. Section 17.1 of the law known as the First Class City Home Rule Act,1 53 P.S. § 13131.1 (Act 193), clearly states that city taxpayers that are not detrimentally harmed by a decision of the zoning hearing board are not aggrieved persons for purposes of appeal. The Pennsylvania Constitution does not guarantee continued standing once the General Assembly has *980spoken. Act 198 makes it clear that taxpayers who are not individually harmed by a zoning decision do not fall within the definition of aggrieved persons. I would grant Preston Ship & Rail’s motion to quash as the taxpayers no longer have standing to appeal.
Judge LEADBETTER joins in this dissent.

. Act of April 21, 1949, P.L. 665, as amended, added by Section 2 of the Act of November 30, 2004, P.L. 1523.