Court Opinion

ID: 9792261
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:25:57.466851+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:41.513330
License: Public Domain

Mallery, J.
(dissenting) — I dissent. The respondent brought this action to restrain the city of Pasco from leasing a tract of its land for a parking lot. He predicated his cause of action upon the damage the parking lot would do to his residential property five blocks away by reason of decreasing its market value, and the damage to his construction business resulting from the construction by a competitor of a contemplated private shopping district adjacent to the parking lot. No zoning violation is alleged.
*236Parking is a police power problem to be solved by the legislative, not the judicial, branch of the government.
This action does not lie because (1) the city acted within its legislative authority, and (2) the respondent has no justiciable interest in the public policy here in question.
(1) RCW 35.24.290 [cf. Rem. Rev. Stat., § 9127] provides, inter alia:
“The city council of each third class city shall have power: . . .
“(18) To make all such ordinances, bylaws, rules, regulations and resolutions, not inconsistent with the Constitution and laws of the state of Washington, as may be deemed expedient to maintain the peace, good government and welfare of the corporation and its trade, commerce and manufactures, and to do and perform any and all other acts and things necessary or proper to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and to enact and enforce within the limits of such city all other local, police, sanitary and other regulations as do not conflict with general laws;- . . . ”
RCW 35.24.300 [cf. Rem. Rev. Stat., § 9128] provides, inter alia:
“The city council of such city shall have power to purchase, lease, or otherwise acquire real estate and personal property necessary or proper for municipal purposes and to control, lease, sublease, convey or otherwise dispose of the same; ...”
The appellant has ample statutory authority to lease the land for a parking lot.
(2) The respondent cannot maintain his action. Minorities have many constitutional rights which maljorities cannot violate with impunity, but no such right is here involved. His only constitutional right, in the instant situation, is to advance his cause in the legislative field where the majority rules. He has no right to obstruct the orderly legislative processes of the city of Pasco by recourse to the courts, in the absence of a justiciable issue.
Schwellenbach and Finley, JJ., concur with Mallery, J.