Court Opinion

ID: 9567528
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 19:55:00.124334+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:00:39.308700
License: Public Domain

*306Justice Webb
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by the majority but I do not agree with its reasoning. I believe the Court of Appeals was correct in its conclusion that the action taken by the City Council in this case was illegal contract zoning under Blades v. City of Raleigh, 280 N.C. 531, 187 S.E. 2d 35 (1972) and Allred v. City of Raleigh, 277 N.C. 530, 178 S.E. 2d 432 (1971). The majority in this case and in Chrismon v. Guilford County, 322 N.C. 611, 370 S.E. 2d 579 (1988), quotes from a law review article to the effect that a zoning authority must bind itself not to alter the zoning change for a specified period of time in order to have contract zoning. I have read Blades and Allred in vain to find any such requirement. I believe the majority in this case and in Chrismon have overruled Blades and Allred without saying so.
I believe Blades and Allred stand for the proposition that zoning authorities prior to the adoption of N.C.G.S. § 153A-342 and N.C.G.S. § 160A-382 did not have the authority to contract zone. It is hard to imagine a case in which a zoning authority will bind itself not to change a zoning law. In fact it is doubtful a zoning authority has such power. For that reason I believe the majority has eliminated the ban on contract zoning in this state. This is regrettable because it can be a useful tool in protecting property owners from exceptions to the zoning laws which protect their property.
I would hold in this case that the Durham City Council has engaged in illegal contract zoning and the zoning change is void.
Justice Mitchell joins in this concurring opinion.