Coates v. City of Cripple Creek

865 P.2d 924, 17 Brief Times Rptr. 1725, 1993 Colo. App. LEXIS 283, 1993 WL 454567
CourtColorado Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 4, 1993
DocketNo. 92CA1681
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 865 P.2d 924 (Coates v. City of Cripple Creek) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Colorado Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coates v. City of Cripple Creek, 865 P.2d 924, 17 Brief Times Rptr. 1725, 1993 Colo. App. LEXIS 283, 1993 WL 454567 (Colo. Ct. App. 1993).

Opinion

Opinion by

Judge REED.

Plaintiffs, Richard W. and Margery C. Coates, appeal from the judgment of the trial court upholding a zoning ordinance enacted by defendants, City of Cripple Creek, its City Council, and the members thereof, Henry Hack, William Fox, Steve Robb, Albert Stephens, and Terry Wahrer, in their official capacity. We affirm.

In November 1990, the Colorado voters passed a constitutional amendment allowing limited stakes gambling in the City of Cripple Creek and two other small mining towns. In response to this amendment, the City of Cripple Creek adopted Zoning Ordinance # 1991-19 to accommodate the future needs and development of the city. That ordinance made “sweeping changes” to the pre-existing zoning ordinances governing the City of Cripple Creek.

The new ordinance created several different zoning districts to regulate the use of [926]*926land and the location and use of buildings erected within the city. As pertinent here, one zoning district changed the use of a strip of land from Historic Residential Zone (R-1H) to Business Buffer Historic Zone (BBH). That new zoning classification had the effect of allowing certain businesses to be constructed within the district, including offices, banks, commercial parking lots, and service businesses such as barber shops. This district serves as a buffer zone to the newly created gambling locations lying further to the south.

Plaintiffs’ residence adjoins the north boundary of the property which was rezoned. Plaintiffs’ district was not rezoned. However, plaintiffs claim that as a result of the ordinance, their property was adversely impacted. Accordingly, pursuant to C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4), plaintiffs brought suit against defendants, arguing that, in enacting the ordinance, the City Council abused its discretion, exceeded its jurisdiction, and failed to meet certain statutory requirements.

The trial court ruled that, in enacting the zoning ordinance, the City Council substantially complied with all statutory requirements. Further, the court found that pursuant to C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4)(I), the City Council did not exceed its jurisdiction or abuse its discretion in enacting the zoning ordinance.

I.

We initially address defendants’ contention that plaintiffs lack standing to bring their complaint. They reason that plaintiffs failed to establish by clear and convincing evidence either that the zoned land is “not susceptible to any reasonable or lawful use under the zoning ordinance or that the restrictions are so discriminatory that they are unconscionable as being violative of due process.” We conclude that this contention lacks merit.

Our supreme court has determined that an owner of property adjacent to rezoned land has standing to challenge rezoning which adversely affects such property. Board of County Commissioners v. City of Thornton, 629 P.2d 605 (Colo.1981); see also Fedder v. McCurdy, 768 P.2d 711 (Colo.App.1988). Implicit in this determination is the conclusion that complaining property owners have a “legally protected interest” in insulating their property from “adverse effects caused by the legally deficient rezoning of adjacent property.” Board of County Commissioners v. City of Thornton, supra, 629 P.2d at 609.

Here, plaintiffs’ residence adjoins the north boundary of the property rezoned BBH and is separated from it only by an existing alley. Plaintiffs assert that because of the rezoning of that strip of land, their property is adversely affected.

Plaintiff Richard Coates and several other owners of property in proximity or adjacent to plaintiffs attended the council hearings to object to the rezoning. In so doing, they described the adverse effects the rezoning would have on their properties, including a change in character of the area from residential to primarily business, thus detracting from their lifestyle; a change in the usage of their alley to a commercial route with attendant trash and its removal problems; and a decrease in the available parking for their homes.

They further explained that instead of operating as a “buffer” to their adjoining residential property, the rezoned area would cause the opposite result because the ordinance permitted types of commercial business use inconsistent with the intended purpose.

Contrary to defendants’ contention, the city council recognized and conceded that adverse effects would be visited upon plaintiffs, and others similarly situated, by passage of the ordinance.

Thus, the record establishes the requisite adverse effects of the rezoning upon plaintiffs to grant them standing to challenge the validity of the ordinance.

II.

Plaintiffs first argue that the trial court erred in ruling that the City Council substantially complied with § 31-23-303, C.R.S. (1986 Repl.Vol. 12B) in amending the zoning ordinance. We perceive no error.

[927]*927The scope of review on appeal from a judgment entered in a C.R.C.P. 106(a)(4) proceeding is limited to determining whether the tribunal, here the City Council, exceeded its jurisdiction or abused its discretion. Empiregas, Inc. v. County Court, 713 P.2d 937 (Colo.App.1985).

Section 31-23-303 states in pertinent part:

Such regulations shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan and designed to lessen congestion in the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic, floodwa-ters, and other dangers; to promote health and general welfare; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to promote energy conservation; and to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public requirements. Such regulations shall be made with reasonable consideration, among other things, as to the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular uses and with a view to conserving the value of buildings and encouraging the most appropriate use of land throughout such municipality.

Assuming that § 31-23-303 is applicable here, see Snyder v. City of Lakewood, 189 Colo. 421, 542 P.2d 371 (1975) (prior statute similar to § 31-23-303, held applicable to enactment of rezoning ordinance), we conclude that the City Council adopted the challenged ordinance only after weighing the elements enumerated in § 31-23-303 in light of the factual information presented to it at the public meetings, and thus satisfied the requirements of that statute.

Specifically, transcripts of the City Council meetings demonstrate that the ordinance was enacted pursuant to a comprehensive plan. At those meetings, the City Council representatives considered many factors, including the preservation of an historical district, the preservation of property values, the development of flood plains, the compatibility of adjoining properties, and the development of parking provisions. City Council representatives also presented comprehensive maps of the city which illustrated the various zoning districts.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Rangeview, LLC v. City of Aurora
2016 COA 108 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 2016)
N.M. Cattle Growers' Assn. v. N.M. Water Quality Control Comm'n
2013 NMCA 46 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 2012)
Western Paving Construction Co. v. Beer
917 P.2d 344 (Colorado Court of Appeals, 1996)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
865 P.2d 924, 17 Brief Times Rptr. 1725, 1993 Colo. App. LEXIS 283, 1993 WL 454567, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coates-v-city-of-cripple-creek-coloctapp-1993.