CAPR v. Sims

187 P.3d 786
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedJuly 7, 2008
Docket59416-8-I
StatusPublished

This text of 187 P.3d 786 (CAPR v. Sims) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
CAPR v. Sims, 187 P.3d 786 (Wash. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

187 P.3d 786 (2008)

CITIZENS' ALLIANCE FOR PROPERTY RIGHTS; Jeffrey Wright; Stan Alderman; Alan Stuart; Dan Covey; and J. Thomas Bernard, Appellants,
v.
Ron SIMS, in his official capacity as King County Executive; King County, a municipal corporation of the state of Washington; and the Metropolitan King County Council, Respondents.

No. 59416-8-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

July 7, 2008.

*788 Brian Trevor Hodges, Pacific Legal Foundation, Bellevue, WA, Sonya D. Jones, Evergreen Freedom Foundation, Olympia, WA, for Appellants.

Darren E. Carnell, Stephen Paul Hobbs, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Seattle, WA, for Respondents.

Keith Patrick Scully, Gendler & Mann LLP, Seattle, WA, for Amicus Curiae on behalf of Futurewise, People for Puget Sound, Transportation Choices Coalition, Citizens for a Healthy Bay, Wild Fish Conservancy, Sierra Club.

PUBLISHED IN PART

COX, J.

¶ 1 The primary issue on appeal is whether King County Ordinance 15053 § 14 (KCC 16.82.150), which limits clearing on property zoned rural area residential (RA) to a maximum of 50 percent, depending on the size of the parcel, violates RCW 82.02.020. The state statute generally prohibits counties from imposing "any tax, fee, or charge" on the development of land, subject to certain exceptions. The parties also address constitutional claims that we need not reach.

¶ 2 Because the clearing limitations of the ordinance fall within the scope of an in kind indirect "tax, fee, or charge" on development, and the County has failed in its burden to show that the limitations fall within any of the statutory exceptions, we reverse.[1]

¶ 3 Washington adopted the Growth Management Act (GMA) in 1990.[2] King County enacted its Clearing and Grading Critical Areas Ordinance in 2004 pursuant to a GMA mandate that local jurisdictions adopt regulations to protect critical areas.[3] King County *789 Code (KCC) 16.82.150, at issue here, limits the amount of land that may be cleared on a given parcel of property zoned as rural. Clearing limits vary depending on parcel size.[4] These limits may be modified by an approved farm management or rural stewardship plan.[5] The standards of this ordinance do not apply if more restrictive standards apply through other provisions of the KCC or through critical drainage area designations.[6] The Director of King County's Department of Development and Environmental Services[7] may modify or waive subsections of the ordinance, subject to conditions stated in the ordinance.[8]

¶ 4 In March 2005, Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights, a political action committee, and five individuals whose lands are subject to the ordinance (collectively "CAPR") commenced this action against King County and others. They alleged that KCC 16.82.150 violates RCW 82.02.020. They also alleged that the ordinance violates substantive due process and other provisions of the Washington constitution.

¶ 5 In its answer, King County raised the affirmative defense of lack of ripeness to the claim based on RCW 82.02.020. The County based its defense on the lack of any evidence that CAPR had first sought relief from the Growth Management Hearings Board to contest the scientific validity of the clearing limits of the ordinance.

¶ 6 CAPR moved to dismiss this affirmative defense, asserting that it neither pled nor would argue that King County failed to properly apply the best available science under the GMA. CAPR also asserted that it would not argue that the County failed to properly balance goals under the GMA.[9]

¶ 7 Based on these representations, the trial court granted CAPR's motion and dismissed King County's affirmative defenses relating to the statutory claim. The court also granted King County's summary judgment motion dismissing CAPR's substantive due process claim as unripe.

¶ 8 In late 2006, the parties made cross-motions for summary judgment on CAPR's RCW 82.02.020 claim. CAPR also moved to strike one of King County's declarations and all but one of its exhibits. It also sought a continuance pursuant to CR 56[10] to conduct discovery with respect to one expert. The court denied CAPR's motions to strike and continue. Thereafter, the court granted King County's cross-motion for partial summary judgment, dismissing CAPR's RCW 82.02.020 claim. The court entered final judgment in favor of King County.

¶ 9 CAPR appeals.

RCW 82.02.020

¶ 10 CAPR claims that the trial court erred in entering summary judgment in favor of King County and dismissing its claim. Specifically, CAPR argues that KCC 16.82.150 violates the limitations of RCW 82.02.020. We agree.

¶ 11 A motion for summary judgment may be granted when there is no genuine issue as to any material fact, and the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.[11] We review a summary judgment order de novo, viewing the facts and reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party.[12]

*790 ¶ 12 An appellate court should normally refrain from deciding constitutional issues where alternate grounds for decision exist.[13] "RCW 82.02.020 generally provides, with some exceptions, that the state preempts the field of imposing certain taxes."[14] The statute states in relevant part:

Except as provided in RCW 82.02.050 through 82.02.090, no county, city, town, or other municipal corporation shall impose any tax, fee, or charge, either direct or indirect, on . . . the development, subdivision, classification, or reclassification of land.[15]

¶ 13 There are exceptions to this general prohibition. RCW 82.02.020 "does not preclude dedications of land or easements within the proposed development or plat which the county, city, town, or other municipal corporation can demonstrate are reasonably necessary as a direct result of the proposed development or plat to which the dedication of land or easement is to apply."[16]

¶ 14 "RCW 82.02.020 requires strict compliance with its terms. A tax, fee, or charge, either direct or indirect, imposed on development is invalid unless it falls within one of the exceptions specified in the statute."[17]

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Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights v. Sims
187 P.3d 786 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
187 P.3d 786, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/capr-v-sims-washctapp-2008.