Common Council v. Fort Wayne Plan Commission

443 N.E.2d 843, 1982 Ind. App. LEXIS 1514
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 13, 1982
DocketNo. 3-282A21
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 443 N.E.2d 843 (Common Council v. Fort Wayne Plan Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Common Council v. Fort Wayne Plan Commission, 443 N.E.2d 843, 1982 Ind. App. LEXIS 1514 (Ind. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

GARRARD, Judge.

The City Common Council appeals from a judgment wherein a tract of real estate was held to be rezoned by action of the Plan Commission.

The owner of real estate located at the intersection of Highways 14 and 24 in Fort Wayne sought a zoning classification that would have permitted the development of a shopping center on the property. In 1977 the Plan Commission voted to grant a permit to allow construction of the shopping center. Neighborhood residents sought review by writ of certiorari of the Plan Commission’s action. Subsequently, the trial court affirmed the Plan Commission’s actions and the residents appealed. In Wildwood Park Community Assoc. v. Fort Wayne City Plan Commission (1979), Ind. App., 396 N.E.2d 678 we determined the Plan Commission had exceeded its statutory authority when it granted the shopping center permit. We concluded that final authority over the development of the real estate rested with the Fort Wayne City Council. The cause was remanded to the trial court with instructions to refer the application for the shopping center permit to the Fort Wayne City Council for its ultimate disposition.

In Wildwood at 396 N.E.2d 682-3 we noted these facts:

“Prior to 1968, the Fort Wayne City Council had adopted a master plan and zoning map wherein the municipality was partitioned into zones designated for particular uses. According to that comprehensive scheme, the land surrounding the intersection of highways 14 and 24 was zoned ‘RA,’ denoting general residential use. Fort Wayne Zoning Map FF-1 (1968). In July of 1968, however, the zoning plan was amended by the placement of a ‘B-2’ shopping center symbol (a star) at the intersection of highways 14 and 24, as depicted on the city’s zoning map. Fort Wayne Ordinance No. Z-26-68 (1968).
The placement of the symbol on the city’s zoning map signified the Council’s determination that the establishment of at least one shopping center in the vicinity of the intersection would be consonant with the city’s land use plans. It was not the office of the symbol to designate any particular tract of land for use as a shopping center site; in fact, those properties surrounding the intersection retained their original ‘RA’ (general residential use) classification on zoning map FF-1. The implementation of the symbol — the construction of a shopping center near the intersection — remained a contingency dependent upon the application of a landowner for permission to use his or her property for that purpose.”

In January of 1981 the Fort Wayne Zoning Code was amended. The use of shopping center symbols was discontinued. The existing shopping centers, the zoning of which had been approved under the old “symbol” method, were reclassified by ordinance into sub-categories depending on particular size. The Plan Commission submitted to the Common Council a reclassification petition on the tract of real estate, Apple Glen, which is located at the intersection of Highways 14 and 24. The Common Council was not satisfied with this procedure and ordered that the form of petition be amended to conform with the requirements for a rezoning petition.

As such, the petition constituted a request to change the zoning of the tract from “residential agricultural” to “regional shopping center.” The council accepted the petition as sponsored by the Plan Commission and it was referred to the Plan Commission for a recommendation. The Plan Commission gave notice and held a public hearing. The Commission then recommended to the council that the petition for rezoning be approved.

On February 11 and 12, 1981 the council held public hearings on the petition for rezoning of Apple Glen. On February 12, 1981 the petition was placed before the council for final vote. The petition was denied by a vote of 5 against and 4 in favor.

[845]*845After the council had adjourned, the presiding officer of the council directed the council’s attorney to prepare a summary of reasons given by the majority for rejecting the rezoning petition. The summary was signed by the presiding officer and addressed to the Plan Commission, requesting that the Plan Commission take action as required under the provisions of IC 18-7 — 4-510.

At the next session of the Common Council a motion was made and adopted that the defeated ordinance not be sent back to the Plan Commission, but that the documents be physically retrieved from the Plan Commission by the city clerk. The clerk, however, did not retrieve the petition.

Once the Plan Commission had possession of the petition, it re-voted on the petition with the result being 6 in favor, 2 against and 1 abstention. The Plan Commission then resubmitted the petition to the Common Council. The council responded by tabling the petition indefinitely and taking no further action.

The Plan Commission then proceeded as if the zoning ordinance had been passed. The Plan Commission’s actions prompted the Common Council to file suit seeking a declaratory judgment that its rejection of the Apple Glen rezoning petition and other rezoning petitions constituted final and effective rejections of the proposed rezonings, and injunctive relief to enjoin the Plan Commission from entertaining final development plans for Apple Glen.

The Plan Commission counterclaimed, urging that the failure of the Common Council to reject the re-submitted rezoning petition within 120 days constituted an approval thereof as a matter of law. It also sought a declaratory judgment that Apple Glen was rezoned as a regional shopping center by virtue of the inaction by the Common Council.

Trial to the court without intervention of a jury was held on July 29, 1981. On August 27, 1981 the court entered its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and judgment.

The trial court found that pursuant to Town of Merrillville v. Collins (1978), Ind. App., 382 N.E.2d 188 and IC 18-7-4-508— 511 the ordinance was passed because the council had failed to confirm its rejection of the rezoning ordinance.

The Common Council raises these issues:

(1) Where a Plan Commission has recommended enactment of an ordinance to rezone a particular tract of land, is the Common Council required to report to the Plan Commission the reasons for its rejection of the rezoning ordinance and return it to the Plan Commission for further consideration?
(2) Where a Common Council has rejected a proposed rezoning, may the Plan Commission reapprove the proposed zoning and thereby cause the change unless within 120 days after resubmission the Common Council shall reject the rezoning as resubmitted by a % negative vote?
(3) Even if such actions constitute an approval of the proposed zoning change, does not the ordinance require the timely signature of the mayor in order to become effective?

Our planning and zoning laws have undergone several recent revisions and compilations. When we considered the zoning of this property previously in Wildwood Park, supra, the applicable laws were found in IC 18-7-5. After the case was remanded, IC 18-7-5, as well as IC 18-7 — 4-1 through IC 18-7 — 4-99 were repealed by Acts 1979, P.L.

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Estate of Himelstein v. City of Fort Wayne
898 F.2d 573 (Seventh Circuit, 1990)
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530 N.E.2d 730 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1988)
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Bluebook (online)
443 N.E.2d 843, 1982 Ind. App. LEXIS 1514, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/common-council-v-fort-wayne-plan-commission-indctapp-1982.