Court Opinion

ID: 9905490
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-29 17:07:38.120613+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:37.010271
License: Public Domain

Ellen M. Elbert, et al. v. Charles County Planning Commission, Nos. 1753 & 1754,
September Term 2022. Opinion by Storm, J.

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND PROCEDURE – NATURE, REQUISITES, AND
FINDINGS IN GENERAL
Administrative agency’s decisions must be accompanied by well-reasoned and articulated
administrative findings so that the parties and any reviewing court may determine the
reasons for the agency’s action.

ZONING AND PLANNING – FINDINGS REQUIRED
Meaningful articulation of findings of fact and conclusions are necessary to allow a
reviewing court to determine the basis of the agency’s action; otherwise, the agency’s
decision may be deemed arbitrary.
Circuit Court for Charles County
Case Nos.: C-08-CV-20-000505
              C-08-CV-20-000507
                                                                              REPORTED

                                                                     IN THE APPELLATE COURT

                                                                           OF MARYLAND

                                                                           Nos. 1753 & 1754

                                                                         September Term, 2022

                                                                     ELLEN M. ELBERT, ET AL.

                                                                                   v.

                                                                        CHARLES COUNTY
                                                                      PLANNING COMMISSION

                                                                Wells, C.J.,
                                                                Nazarian,
                                                                Storm, Harry C.
                                                                  (Specially Assigned),

                                                                                   JJ.

                                                                          Opinion by Storm, J.

                                                                Filed: November 29, 2023

Pursuant to the Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials
Act (§§ 10-1601 et seq. of the State Government Article) this
document is authentic.

                  2023-11-29 11:49-05:00

Gregory Hilton, Clerk
Introduction

       In 1974, this Court commented that “[t]he [Supreme Court of Maryland] 1 in recent

years has shown increasing impatience with the failure of administrative boards, whether

or not required by statute, to accompany their decisions by specific findings of fact.” Gough

v. Board of Zoning Appeals for Calvert County, Maryland, 21 Md. App. 697, 702 (1974). 2

In the case before us, the Charles County Planning Commission (“Planning Commission”)

approved two related site development plans (each referenced by the prefix “SDP”) to

develop a distribution center and associated parking. The primary question for our

determination is whether adequate factual findings accompanied these dual SDP approvals.

In other words, were the bases for the approvals sufficiently articulated?

Background

       The site development plans at issue were filed by Kaz Development, LLC

(“Applicant”). 3 SDP 20-0008 related to 65 Industrial Park Drive, Waldorf, Maryland 4 and

1
       At the November 8, 2022 general election, the voters of Maryland ratified a
constitutional amendment changing the name of the Court of Appeals of Maryland to the
Supreme Court of Maryland. The name change took effect on December 14, 2022. See also
Md. R. 1-101.1(a).
2
       See also Turner v. Hammond, 270 Md. 41 (1973); Valenzia v. Zoning Board of
Howard County, 270 Md. 478 (1973); Hooper v. Mayor and City Council of Gaithersburg,
270 Md. 628 (1974); Baker v. Board of Trustees, 269 Md. 740, 747 (1973); Adams v. Board
of Trustees, 215 Md. 188, 195 (1957).
3
       The Applicant was operating on behalf of Amazon, LLC.
4
       This application involves a 9.0-acre site on which there is an existing office
building. The application sought approval to reconfigure the property to become a vehicle
storage lot for a distribution warehouse.
SDP 20-0033 related to the adjacent property at 9 Jay Gould Court. 5 Both properties are

located in the Planned Unit Development (“PUD”) zone for Smallwood Village in Charles

County. As such, development is governed by both the Charles County Code of Ordinances

and Resolutions (“County Code”) and the Revised and Restated Docket 90 Order (the

“Docket 90 Order”) adopted by the Charles County Commissioners.

       To develop property within the Smallwood Village PUD, as provided in the Docket

90 Order, a site development plan must comport with the Smallwood Village Master Plan.

Accordingly, site development plans within the Smallwood Village PUD are reviewed by

the Smallwood Village Planning & Design Review Board (the “PDRB”). In this case, by

letter dated January 14, 2020, the Smallwood Village PDRB granted its approval of the

proposed uses. As relevant here, the PDRB approval letter simply stated:

              Kaz Development LLC is approved to operate a 24-hour
              distribution center and offsite employee parking/vehicle
              storage lot for the distribution operations at these three
              locations – 65 Industrial Park Drive, 9 Jay Gould Court and 1
              Carnegie Court, Waldorf, MD in the St. Charles Business Park.
              The uses are consistent with 7.01.120, 7.01.210 and 7.02.100
              of the Use Table for St. Charles. 65 Industrial Park Drive shall
              be posted as ”Private Property Parking for Authorized Vehicles
              Only” or ingress/egress controlled.

       As part of the overall development approval process in Charles County, site

development plans are also reviewed by the Charles County Department of Planning and

Growth Management (“DPGM”). Here, DPMG issued staff reports for both SDP 20-0008

5
        This application relates to a 10.4-acre parcel on which there is an existing
industrial building. The application sought approval to renovate the existing building into
a distribution warehouse.
                                             2
and 20-0033 (“Staff Reports”). The Staff Reports recommended approval of both

applications. Those approval recommendations were then forwarded to the Planning

Commission, which held separate hearings on the applications.

       At a public meeting held on June 22, 2020, the Planning Commission considered

SDP 20-0008. The Planning Commission heard from DPMG staff member Kirby Blass,

and from Ken Crouse, an engineer for the Applicant. 6 Mr. Blass described the project

related to this site as the “proposed Waldorf Distribution Center parking lot, which is

located at 65 Industrial Drive, [to be used] for the construction of a vehicle storage lot,

which will contain 551 parking spaces.” In response to questions raised at the hearing by

Planning Commission members about storm water management and how the parking on

the site was to “operate in tandem with the other properties,” Mr. Crouse provided an

explanation that was apparently satisfactory. After hearing that “staff recommend[ed]

approval of the SDP as presented, with the three proposed conditions that are specified on

page seven of the Staff Report,” the Planning Commission Chairman asked, “what’s now,

the pleasure of the Board, then?” The response was a motion to “approve the [SDP] with

the three conditions contained in the staff report to us.” The motion was seconded, and

without further discussion was approved on a voice vote.

      The Planning Commission did not issue a written decision with regard to SDP 20-

0008; rather, its decision was memorialized in Minutes of the meeting as follows:

          Staff presented an overview of the Site Development Plan. After
          the staff presentation, the Planning Commission asked several
          questions. Next the Applicant and its representatives answered

6
       No one from the public appeared at this meeting.
                                            3
           additional questions. A MOTION was made by Mr. Viohl to
           approve the Site Development Plan with the findings and
           recommendations included in the Staff Report, which was
           SECONDED by Mr. Barnes. The vote was unanimous, and the
           MOTION passed.

(Emphasis in original.)

       The Minutes from the June 22, 2020 meeting were approved at the Planning

Commission’s next monthly meeting on July 20, 2020. At the same July meeting, which

was attended by citizens owning property nearby, the Planning Commission also

considered SDP 20-0033, related to the 9 Jay Gould Court property. With regard to SDP

20-0033, testimony was offered by several witnesses, including DPMG staff members

Blass and Ben Yeckley. Lawrence Green (a traffic expert retained by the citizens) and

Craig Casangent (a representative of the Applicant) also provided testimony. 7 Mr. Green

spoke about the differences he perceived between the proposed use and the use category

under which the project was to be approved. He also addressed the traffic impact of the

project. Mr. Casangent disagreed with Mr. Green’s characterization of the proposed use

and explained how, in his view, the proposed use was in fact the same as that formerly in

existence at the site. 8

7
       The Planning Commission also heard from G. Macy Nelson, Esq., counsel for the
citizens, who described what he viewed as shortcomings in the review process and how the
proposed use was inconsistent with the use described in the Zoning Ordinance.
8
       Mr. Casangent also addressed concerns that had been expressed in written
comments to the Planning Commission from the Humane Society, an adjoining property
owner.
                                           4
          Following the testimony, members of the Planning Commission engaged in a

discussion about the nature of the proposed project and its impact on the area. One

Commission member, Ms. Sherard, commented:

                But this is a busy business, and I think we just don’t have
                enough information to say that we can make an informed
                decision saying that what we’re presented with tonight is not
                going to be an adverse impact on APF [adequate public
                facilities]. So I think that earlier in this conversation there was
                some discussion or requests maybe by Mr. Yeckley [staff
                member] to talk with his colleagues, and I agree that maybe we
                need to have a little bit more information so that this can be the
                best vote that we can provide for this project tonight and
                welcome them into the community as they should be
                welcomed.

Planning Commission Chairperson Magoon replied: “Ms. Sherrard, I would agree with

you.”

          Further discussion transpired, with Vice-Chairperson Murray stating, among other

things:

                So, I can’t see under Docket 90 where we could require a road
                study or traffic study. I believe the Staff Report was correct by
                not doing it according to Docket 90. I don’t see where it would
                have been required. I don’t see where we can hold this up over
                traffic because it’s not required.

To that, Chairperson Magoon replied, in part:

                Well, frankly, I was also impressed with the fact that they do
                the staggered delivery and schedules. You know, I think they
                addressed traffic pretty well. … I was impressed with the fact
                that they were addressing traffic that way and the sound wall
                being a 20-foot barrier. I think they’re trying to be a good
                neighbor right off the bat and agreeing to help with the Humane
                Society. So those are just my thoughts on it. I think I let
                everybody else go first. I hope I did.

                                                5
Ms. Sherard responded:

              You did. I don’t think we’re talking about good neighbor/bad
              neighbor. I’m just talking about information that we did not
              have. We learned a lot tonight in this meeting that was left out
              of the Staff report. Had we known what we know now, maybe
              there would be a different attitude toward how we go forward
              in addressing the traffic. Yes, we did learn about staggered
              times that the employees will be coming and going from work.
              But we didn’t know that before. We didn’t have that
              information.

       Further discussion ensued regarding the questions that had been raised at the hearing

and Chairperson Magoon recognized that “we have more information than we started

with.” Another speaker, unidentified in the transcript but apparently a Planning

Commission member, asked the question “[t]o what degree is it appropriate to reflect this

– the results of this conversation in motions or other approvals that might come out of this

permit process?” Planning Commission member Mr. Barnes then stated:

              Well, I was going to say that I do agree that more information
              has come out than we had coming into this, but I think we have
              gotten information that was appropriate to answering the
              questions of Staff -- of, you know, the Board and in our quest
              to try and protect the people here as well as, hopefully, you
              know, put planning into place that allows for economic engines
              to come into the county. So I think that – at least I am satisfied
              that I’ve gotten enough information in this to put a motion on
              the floor. So I would like to make a motion that the Planning
              Commission approve the site development plan entitled St.
              Charles Industrial Park Waldorf Distribution Center SDP
              200033. This motion shall include the findings that the site
              development plan will not adversely affect the adequacy of
              public facilities served in the area, the project or other
              development, and that the Planning Commission adopt the
              findings and the recommendation within the Staff Report
              presented today, 7/20/2020.

                                              6
       The motion was seconded, whereupon further discussion ensued, including about

the legality of proceeding. Ultimately, a vote was taken and the motion passed

unanimously. No written decision was issued regarding SDP 20-0033. Rather, the Planning

Commission’s action was again simply memorialized in Minutes that were approved at the

Planning Commission’s meeting on August 31, 2020. Those Minutes state in relevant part:

              Staff presented an overview of the Site Development Plan.
              After the staff presentation…[n]ext, the Planning Commission
              asked and staff addressed several questions. A MOTION was
              made by Mr. Barnes to approve the Site Development Plan
              with the findings and recommendations included in the Staff
              Report, which was SECONDED by Mr. Wedding. After
              further discussion, a vote was taken. The vote was unanimous,
              and the MOTION passed.

(Emphasis in original.)

       Appellants, 9 citizens who claim to be aggrieved by the Planning Commission’s

decisions, sought judicial review in the Circuit Court for Charles County. The circuit court

affirmed the Planning Commission’s decisions, after which Appellants noted timely

appeals to this court. 10 In these consolidated appeals, Appellants present two issues for our

review, which we rephrase as follows:

       1. Did the Planning Commission sufficiently articulate the bases for its decisions?

9
       Appellants include Ellen M. Elbert, Paul J. Elbert, II, Ellen M. Elbert Trustee for
the Ellen M. Elbert Revocable Trust, Paul J. Elbert, II, Trustee for the Paul J. Elbert, II,
Revocable Trust, Elbert’s Enterprises, LLC, Lawrence S. Lathrop, Jr., Christi K. Lathrop,
and Tybee Properties, LLC (collectively, “Citizen-Petitioners”).
10
      The appeals in the Circuit Court (C-08-CV-20-000505 and C-08-CV-20-000507)
have been consolidated into a single appeal before this Court.
                                              7
       2. Are the proposed uses permitted under the Charles County Code of Ordinances

            and Resolutions?

Because we answer “no” to the first question, we need not, and do not, address the second

question.

Standard of Review

       “When reviewing a decision of an administrative agency, [this court] will ‘look

through’ the circuit court’s decision and ‘evaluate the decision of the agency.’” Hayden v.

Maryland Dep’t of Nat. Res., 242 Md. App. 505, 520 (2019) (citing Kor-Ko, Ltd. v.

Maryland Dep’t of the Env’t, 451 Md. 401, 409 (2017)). The agency’s decision is reviewed

in the light most favorable to it, and the agency’s decision is deemed prima facie correct

and presumed valid. Critical Area Comm’n for Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays v.

Moreland, LLC, 418 Md. 111, 123 (2011). “In general, ‘[a] court’s role is limited to

determining if there is substantial evidence in the record as a whole to support the agency’s

findings and conclusions, and to determine if the administrative decision is premised upon

an erroneous conclusion of law.’” Catonsville Nursing Home, Inc. v. Loveman, 349 Md.

560, 568 (1998) (emphasis supplied) (citing United Parcel Serv., Inc. v. People’s Counsel,

336 Md. 569, 577 (1994)).

       Administrative decisions, however, must not be “arbitrary, capricious, or

unreasonable” – there must be “substantial evidence from which the board could have

reasonably found as it did.” Baker v. Bd. of Trs. of Emps. Ret. Sys. of City of Balt., 269 Md.

740, 744 (1973). In that regard, “[a] reviewing court ‘may not uphold the agency order

unless it is sustainable on the agency’s findings and for the reasons stated by the agency.’”

                                              8
McDonell v. Harford Cnty. Housing Agency, 462 Md. 586, 620 (2019) (emphasis supplied)

(citing United Parcel Svc., 336 Md. at 577 (1994)). “Where the agency’s factual findings

are inadequate, the necessary facts may not be supplied by the parties, and neither we nor

the circuit court will scour the record in search of evidence to support the agency’s

conclusions.” Relay Improvement Assoc. v. Sycamore Realty Co., Inc., 105 Md. App.

701,714 (1995). As described in Mortimer v. Howard Research and Development Corp.,

83 Md. App. 432, 442 (1990):

              A reviewing court may not, however, uphold an agency’s
              decision if a record of the facts on which the agency acted or a
              statement of reasons for its action is lacking. Without this
              reasoned analysis, a reviewing court cannot determine the basis
              of the agency’s action. If the agency fails to meet this
              requirement, the agency’s decision may be deemed arbitrary.
              In such an instance, the case should be remanded for the
              purpose of having the deficiency supplied.
(Citations omitted.)

Discussion

       As described above, the Planning Commission did not issue a written decision with

a “reasoned analysis” with regard to either site development plan. Rather, it memorialized

its action approving the SDP in each instance through Meeting Minutes. Those Minutes,

however, simply confirm that “a MOTION was made … to approve the Site Development

Plan with the findings and recommendations included in the Staff Report…” There was no

recitation of the findings made by Staff or quotations from the Staff Report. Instead, there

was simply the blithe reference to the Staff Report’s “findings and recommendations.”

                                             9
There was no separate finding, analysis or conclusion articulated by the Planning

Commission.

        This case is unlike Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission v.

Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Assoc., 412 Md. 73 (2009). In Greater Baden, the

Supreme Court of Maryland affirmed the decision of this Court but commented that its

decision was

                more narrow than that expressed in the opinion of our brethren
                on the intermediate appellate court. We do not subscribe to the
                view that the Planning Board did not engage otherwise in
                meaningful fact-finding because its Resolution approving the
                Preliminary Plan was a ‘rote repetition’ of the Technical Staff
                Report. It is not unreasonable for the Planning Board to rely on
                a Staff Report as the Planning Board did in this case if the Staff
                Report is thorough, well-conceived, and contains adequate
                findings of fact.
Id. at 110.

Earlier in its Greater Baden opinion, the Supreme Court noted that

                the Planning Board did not simply incorporate by reference the
                Technical Staff Report. It included large portions of the report
                in the Resolution and added additional findings of fact and
                conclusions. The Board’s adoption of a substantial portion of a
                Staff Report does not give rise, in and of its mere adoption, to
                an adverse inference that the Board abdicated its task to
                exercise independent judgment. The omission in the findings
                of a required consideration is the focus of our analysis here.
Id. at 82 n.9. 11

11
      In Greater Baden, the referenced omission related to a failure to consider the
“General Plan‘s numeric residential growth objective in the Rural Tier in determining
whether the Preliminary Plan conformed to the Master Plan.” Id. at 110.

                                               10
       In contrast, the Planning Commission in this case did simply incorporate by

reference the Staff Report. Significantly, it made no “additional findings of fact and

conclusions” separate from that report, notwithstanding that in the case of SDP 20-0033

additional information and evidence was presented at the July 20, 2020 Planning

Commission hearing and indeed one member commented about how “[w]e learned a lot

tonight in this meeting that was left out of the Staff report.” 12

       Moreover, as related to the significant issue of compliance with the Docket 90

requirements, the Staff Reports upon which the Planning Commission relied (some of

which differed from testimony at the hearing on SDP 20-0033), simply incorporate the

findings of the Smallwood Village PDRB, as contained in the one-page approval letter.

That letter concludes, without analysis or explanation, that the proposed use is “consistent

with” the County Use Table. The Staff Report references the PDRB letter and states that

the site plans “received final approval from the PDRB.” 13 Here again, there is no analysis,

explanation or basis given for the conclusion reached. The Planning Commission could not

satisfy its articulation obligations by the simple expedient of referencing a Staff Report that

was itself inadequate given its incorporation of a PDRB letter that was devoid of analysis.

See Colao v. County Council of Prince George’s County, 109 Md. App. 431, 458-62

(1986).

12
       Another member commented about what Docket 90 did or did not require, and yet
another member commented that “[h]ad we known what we know now, maybe there would
be a different attitude toward….addressing traffic.”
13
      All PUD zones require compliance with Docket 90. See Code of Charles County,
Maryland § 297-93.
                                               11
       In Bucktail v. County Council of Talbot County, 352 Md. 530, 552 (1999), a case

involving the review of an agency decision, the Supreme Court stated that “[l]ogically, the

next step in our analysis [after determining the standard of review] would be to determine

if the facts found by the Council are supported by substantial evidence. The difficulty here,

however, is that the Council’s ‘findings’ are insufficient to permit judicial review.” 14 The

same is true here. “Courts require specific findings and well-articulated conclusions

because citizens are entitled to something more than [a] boilerplate resolution.” Colao, 109

Md. App. at 453. The Meeting Minutes here fall woefully short of that directive.

Conclusion

       Because the Planning Commission failed to articulate adequately the basis for its

decisions, the judgments of the circuit court will be reversed. The cases will be remanded

to that court with directions to vacate the decisions of the Planning Commission and to

14
       Later in its the Bucktail decision, the Court quoted R.M. Anderson, American Law
of Zoning, §16.41 at 242 (1968) as follows:

              Given express findings, the court can determine whether the
              findings are supported by substantial evidence, and whether the
              findings warrant the decision of the board. If no findings are
              made, and if the court elects not to remand, its clumsy
              alternative is to read the record, speculate upon the portions
              which probably were believed by the board, guess at the
              conclusions drawn from credited portions, construct a basis for
              a decision, and try to determine whether a decision thus arrived
              at should be sustained. In the process, the court is required to
              do much that is assigned to the board, and the latter becomes a
              relatively inefficient instrument for the construction of a
              record.

(Emphasis in original.)
                                             12
remand these cases to the Planning Commission for further proceedings consistent with

this Opinion.

                                THE JUDGMENTS OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
                                FOR CHARLES COUNTY ARE REVERSED AND
                                THE CASES ARE REMANDED TO THAT
                                COURT WITH DIRECTION TO VACATE THE
                                DECISIONS OF THE CHARLES COUNTY
                                PLANNING COMMISSION AND REMAND THE
                                CASES    TO  THE    CHARLES     COUNTY
                                PLANNING COMMISSION FOR FURTHER
                                PROCEEDINGS CONSISTENT WITH THIS
                                OPINION. COSTS TO BE PAID BY APPELLEE.

                                         13