Biggers v. City of Bainbridge Island

103 P.3d 244
Court of Appeals of Washington·Decided December 21, 2004·No. 30752-9-II·Published·Cited by 14 cases

Opinion

103 P.3d 244 (2004)

Ray and Julie BIGGERS, husband and wife; Andy Mueller d/b/a Mueller Construction and Andy Mueller, individually; Craig and Sandy Powell, d/b/a Sealevel Bulkhead Builders; and Home Builders Association of Kitsap County, Respondents,
v.
CITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Appellant.

No. 30752-9-II.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 2.

December 21, 2004.

*245 Dawn Linette Findlay, Inslee Best Doezie & Ryder PS, Bellevue, WA, Stephanie Ellen Croll, Keating Bucklin & McCormack Inc PS, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

Traci Lyn Shallbetter, Dennis Dean Reynolds, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Seattle, WA, for Respondents.

HOUGHTON, P.J.

The City of Bainbridge Island (City) appeals from a trial court order lifting its moratorium on certain shoreline development. We affirm.

FACTS

Forty-five miles of waterfront surround the City. Numerous homes and businesses sit along its shoreline and the area teems with wildlife.

In 1996, acting under the Shoreline Management Act of 1971 (SMA), the City adopted its Shoreline Management Master Program (SMP). At that time, City staff recommended to the City Council's Operations Committee that it place a "temporary nearshore moratorium for all applications for Shoreline Substantial Development Permits and Shoreline Substantial Development Exemptions until the adoption of a revised Shoreline Master Program and Critical Areas Ordinance in late August 2002." Clerk's Papers at 414. The City's SMP did not authorize imposing a moratorium on development and it allowed property owners to apply for permits to build piers, docks, floats, and bulkheads.

On August 22, 2001, the City enacted Ordinance No.2001-34, which imposed a moratorium through September 1, 2002, to preserve the status quo. On October 10, 2001, after holding public hearings and acting under RCW 35A.63.220 and RCW 37.70.390, the City enacted Ordinance No.2001-45, which placed a restriction on applications for new overwater construction (piers, docks, floats) and new shoreline armoring (bulkheads and revetments) because these structures had the "greatest potential to impact shoreline habitat." CP at 19.

Business owners and private citizens[1] (Citizens) sued for a declaratory judgment invalidating *246 Ordinance No.2001-45. On August 14, 2002, after a public hearing, the City enacted Ordinance No.2002-29 and extended the moratorium through March 1, 2003. In response, the Citizens amended their complaint to include Ordinance No.2002-29.[2]

Both sides moved for summary judgment on the moratorium's validity. The trial court issued a memorandum decision in which it determined that: (1) the moratorium was not valid as a de facto amendment to the City's SMP; (2) the City did not have implied authority to impose the moratorium under the SMA; and (3) even if the City had implied authority, its moratorium was invalid because it was an unconstitutional violation of Washington Constitution article XI, section 11 as a local law in conflict with the state's general laws. The trial court entered an order granting the Citizens' motion and the City appeals.

ANALYSIS

In reviewing an order granting summary judgment, we engage in de novo review, taking all facts and inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. Boag v. Farmer's Ins. Co., 117 Wash.App. 116, 121, 69 P.3d 370 (2003).

We begin by noting that shoreline development commenced after June 1, 1971, must conform with the SMA and local government shoreline master programs.[3]Buechel v. Dep't of Ecology, 125 Wash.2d 196, 203, 884 P.2d 910 (1994); Bellevue Farm Owners Ass'n v. State of Wash. Shorelines Hearings Bd., 100 Wash.App. 341, 350, 997 P.2d 380, review denied, 142 Wash.2d 1014, 16 P.3d 1265 (2000). The SMA seeks to protect fragile shorelines through appropriate utilization, protection, restoration, and preservation. RCW 90.58.020; Bellevue Farm Owners Ass'n, 100 Wash.App. at 350, 997 P.2d 380. We construe the SMA broadly to serve its underlying purpose of protecting and fostering proper use. RCW 90.58.020; Bellevue Farm Owners Ass'n, 100 Wash.App. at 350, 997 P.2d 380 (quoting RCW 90.58.020).

Standing

The City first contends that two of the Citizens lack standing and their claims must be dismissed. The City asserts that the moratorium ordinances do not directly affect Sealevel Bulkhead Builders, Inc. or Home Builders Association of Kitsap County (HBA) and that they cannot seek a declaratory judgment.[4]

The Citizens sought a declaratory judgment regarding the validity of the ordinance. The Uniform Declaratory Judgments Act allows a party to ask the court to determine an enactment's authority. Chapter 7.24 RCW; Superior Asphalt & Concrete Co. v. Dep't of Labor & Indus., 121 Wash.App. 601, 605, 89 P.3d 316 (2004). To claim standing, a party must allege a justiciable controversy based on allegations of substantial, rather than speculative or abstract, personal harm. Grant County Fire Prot. Dist. No. 5 v. City of Moses Lake, 150 Wash.2d 791, 802, 83 P.3d 419 (2004); Superior Asphalt, 121 Wash.App. at 605-06, 89 P.3d 316.

Washington uses a two-part test to determine standing in a declaratory judgment action. Grant County Fire Prot. Dist., *247 150 Wash.2d at 802, 83 P.3d 419. First, the interest to be protected must arguably fall within "`the zone of interests to be protected or regulated by the statute ....'" Grant County Fire Prot. Dist., 150 Wash.2d at 802, 83 P.3d 419 (citation omitted). Second, the action challenged must have caused "injury in fact." Grant County Fire Prot. Dist., 150 Wash.2d at 802, 83 P.3d 419; Save a Valuable Environment (SAVE) v. City of Bothell, 89 Wash.2d 862, 866-67,

Biggers v. City of Bainbridge Island, 103 P.3d 244 (Wash. Ct. App. 2004).

103 P.3d 244 (Biggers v. City of Bainbridge Island) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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