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<br />~{~ ~_~ 879 t3~6aj- TI>ese dec~tons involve two key ekmatts: the finding of facet regarding the spedfic proposal and ti4e
<br />exerctSe Of some dlsattion in~ applying the standards of the ordinance.
<br />AdrrrRnisfiaatlve decisions are routine, nondiscretionary zantng ord?f4ance implemerrCation, matters, canted out by the staff.
<br />lrxdttding issuance of p~n~ for Permimed uses. Ph1tRp P. Green, ]r., Legal ResparrstblAtk; [+~**23] of the Local Zon4-g
<br />.4dm&Nstrator in North C,arnltna 3t) (2d ed.1987). In generai, the zorNng administrator ie a purely admintstrative or ministerial agent
<br />fotiowhg the literal ptaviatons oP the ordinance. The zonhig
<br />adndnistrabor may weft engage to some fact fin>~ng, as in makk4S ~+ indfiat debermk4afion as to a twrroonforrning uss 4vas in
<br />extuenoe at the time a inning provistoit was adopted. DrnelFv_ crev~am• 221 N_G as'-,,an s.E.Z '{gyp t oa9S. But, in state
<br />Irrstanoes, this involves determining objedlfve facts that do not involve an element of discretion.
<br />'t'he dfstl4c'lion i& important bocause due requ{rements far gtiast~udklaf zoning decNlons fiandate drat alt fair trial
<br />standards ba abswved when these decisions are made.'t'his dudes an evidentiary hearing wRh the right of the panties bo offer
<br />evidence; cross-examine adverse wiirresses;. fr>Specl dogrments; have sworn testimony; and have wi~tett findings of fact supported
<br />by ~nPe~nt. rsgflgy sut~ntisl, and material evidence, ttr~tilrt~ $.8f~ttS ~. *. t3ea~ of Afdermn_n. 284 nf_c at 470.20z
<br />e ~,~~; [***24] sae gerteraNy DBVId W. Owen3, zonng ff~rings: JGrowing yYhltxr auks m lipply, Popular Governmart,
<br />Spring 1993, at 28. eY contrast, an adminiat+ative inning ded~ori Is made wittiouk a heaNr-g at all, with the staff rr>arriber reviewing
<br />an appfiration to determine if K is wmptete and wh~xlvr R compiles with objective standards set forth in the zoning ordinance.
<br />Early zoning ordinances established dtstr3chs In width spedfied fated uses were eittrer perrMtted or prohibited. However, iE s430Ii
<br />be®me apparent that adrltional uses might be appropriate wttMn a particular toning.dtsbict under certain cirwn>stanrxa• These
<br />add&[ohal uses -- variously t~rtted "special v&es," "oonditlonal uses," or "spacial exoapt3ons" -are specified In the inning ordinance
<br />along with the standards for determining when ttrey may be allowed. ttobert M. Anderson, Arrterlcan Lew ofZorrbrQ 3d g Z1.oi
<br />(1~)•
<br />~~A spedal exc~tiat within this meaning of a zoning ordkiarice Is are which is expn43ssly permiCted in a given zgne
<br />upon proof that certain facts and c~ncltions detailed in the ordinance ¢x>st. It k 9rar4ted try the boats, after a public
<br />hearhg, upon a finding that the specified condttians have been [***?5] sattsfied. .
<br />standards for the decision are set forth in the
<br />[*SD9l Further, ~xz*quaN-judicial SPA use Permit ded~orw may not be a~i9ned to the zpnfng adminisGator. ilre zoning
<br />enabling statutes a~w spaniel and conditional are petm~ decisions to be made by tfie'board of adjustment or the governing board_
<br />fJ_C.G.S. f§ i53A-340 (199i),1fipA-381(1987). •C.G_ ~,153A.346 and ~:~$$ furd-er slow tiffs duties afthe board of
<br />adJustment M bt assigned to a "Planning agency." ~'~A "planning agency" Is defir-ed by !ll.~ Scs• ->: t;?s__szi
<br />An agency created or de~gnabed pursuant to tl4i5 section may ir-dude but shell rat be Umited to one of mac of the
<br />fo8owing, with any staA` that tits board at commissioners considers appropNate:
<br />(1) A pbnning board or commission of any size (not less tlran tlu4r8 nrembars} or cce4pOSltion considet'ed
<br />appropriate, organized in any manner tanddered appropriate;
<br />(Z) A joint planning board . _ _ ,
<br />iY C.G.a [**_3'i &„~53a-~?~, para. 2 (arnpha5ls added). (N S„Sz.SSt'=6Si,A-;61 defines "p~nn~g agency' in wb#araiat[y simtiar
<br />[anguege.) Thus, -~~while j~S r. ~$-.1~1 gtv~ local govemmerrt corls{deraWe latitude, that tagtuda does not extend far
<br />enough W aNow the des[gnation of the inning administrator in~vidually to constitute a "planning agency" for tttta purpose of makbsg
<br />spedai and oondRlonai use penrdt dedsions, ~sasWhite N.C.C.„G. s6 ~ 53A-4 and lixQB~ mandate that grants of augiarly bo los~i
<br />governmerrts be tNOadly inter~e6ad. zoning autisaity wnnat be exerdsed in a manner contrary M ti4e expr~ Provisions of the
<br />zoning enabling authority. ~
<br />(FOOTNOTES
<br />~ e There is ianguage in the Jed(sorr case regarding delegation of special use permits: "The legWeGve body may confer upon an
<br />;administrative offloet; or board, the authority ixt determine whetirer the specified tlona do, in fbGt, exist ... '275 N.C. at
<br />i ~ ~, + 66 sus, In that case, however, the deUsion tied been deiegabed to the board of ac~ustmetrt. so a delegation to a
<br />: staff member was not betort the court. Also, in that case, rile Standards bo Ue met were (with the exceptiar of the one standard
<br />i invalidated by the cowl) objective facts that involved no discretion;
<br />[***88~ Therefore, a aiticai quesYon for this case is wtretls~ this degstat to permit a sanitary iandfitl should be dtaractdized as a
<br />quasi-jrudclal derision or as an administrative zoning dec}~on. Since the deds~rt was made by the Zoning Administrator alone,
<br />[*51t1j witiiout following the n4andate far a fidi evtdecWary hearing. it cannot stand as a quasi-iudtdat dedslan.
<br />Some of the confusion In this case ES semantic. The Meddenburg t„o4nrsty zartng ordinance atone point treated sanHary iandfils as
<br />quest judicial special use permits. However, the 1 May i989 amendment in the zoning ordinance puriwrted to piece these in an
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<br />~s~Speaal and condidonei ust permk dec{siorrs are quart-iudicial zoning de5lsiorrs- "When a board of aldermen, a dty eau, or
<br />zorrkrg board gars evidence to determine [*e*g8~ the exisoence of facts and conditions upon which the ordinance expressly
<br />. sutitorixes ~ to tsSUt a spedat use permtr, it acts in a quas€3rrdldal capacRy." H ,nrbh. [NI 8! 1teNn nn v Searrn etaleermen. 28a
<br />"J C ~ 469. 2t~,~,t? Zdslt 6-~
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