Deer Creek Developers, LLC v. Spokane County

236 P.3d 906, 157 Wash. App. 1
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 27, 2010
DocketNo. 27832-8-III
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 236 P.3d 906 (Deer Creek Developers, LLC v. Spokane County) 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
Deer Creek Developers, LLC v. Spokane County, 236 P.3d 906, 157 Wash. App. 1 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Kulik, C.J.

¶1 The Deer Creek Project (Project) contemplated 280 residential units in 23 buildings built in two phases on property near Spokane International Airport (SLA) and Fairchild Air Force Base (FAFB). The property is [6]*6zoned light industrial (LI). Deer Creek Developers LLC (Deer Creek) obtained a building permit for phase I of the Project during a time when the Spokane County Code (SCC) permitted residential uses in the LI zone. Deer Creek filed an environmental checklist stating that its SEPA1 checklist covered phase I and phase II but that only phase I would be built at that time. Deer Creek also submitted a unified site plan. Later, the Board of County Commissioners of Spokane County (Commissioners) amended the LI zone to prohibit single family, duplex, and multifamily residential uses for all LI zones located in the “West Plains, West Plains/Thorpe UGAs [urban grown areas].”2 This area included phase II of the Deer Creek property. Deer Creek then submitted an application for a conditional use permit for phase II. Spokane County issued a mitigated determination of nonsignificance (MDNS). Following a public hearing, the hearing examiner denied Deer Creek’s request for a conditional use permit. Deer Creek appealed to superior court, which affirmed the decision of the hearing examiner.

¶2 On appeal, Deer Creek contends the hearing examiner erred by (1) concluding that Deer Creek’s development rights in phase II had not vested, (2) denying the conditional use permit, and (3) concluding that phase II conflicts with comprehensive plan policies for the LI zone.

¶3 We affirm the decision of the hearing examiner denying the conditional use permit.

FACTS

¶4 The Deer Creek property is located near SLA and FAFB. The property is zoned LI. In May 2005, the Commissioners adopted an amendment to the Spokane County Zoning Code that affected the LI zone by allowing all uses permitted in the regional commercial zone to also be permitted in the LI zone. All residential uses — including mul[7]*7tifamily, duplex, and single family dwelling — were now allowed in the LI zone. Because expanded uses were now allowed in the LI zone, residential development was increasingly proposed and approved near SIA and FAFB.

¶5 The Project contemplated 280 residential units (located in 23 buildings) garages, carports, recreational amenities, and green space. Deer Creek submitted the Project as two phases. On February 9, 2006, Deer Creek filed an application to the Spokane County Division of Building and Planning (Building and Planning) to obtain grading permits for phase I. That same day, an environmental checklist was submitted to Building and Planning for review of the Project under SEPA. The checklist stated that

[t]here is Phase I & Phase II which we are doing a SEPA report for both phases, however, Phase I will only be constructed at this time.

Administrative Record (AR) at 995.

¶6 Deer Creek submitted building permit applications for phase I. A unified site plan was prepared on July 27, 2006, and submitted on February 4, 2008, depicting phases I and II. Between July and September 2006, building permits were issued for phase I. Deer Creek began construction of the buildings in phase I as well as the infrastructure that would support phase I and phase II. Deer Creek states that it expended millions of dollars on the infrastructure and several million dollars on roads and utilities, including water and sewer for both phase I and phase II.

¶7 On October 3, 2006, approximately 18 months after the Commissioners adopted the amendment allowing residential uses in the LI zone, the Commissioners imposed a six-month moratorium on the acceptance of land use applications for residential development in the LI zone. The Commissioners extended the moratorium for additional six-month periods. On January 1, 2008, the Commissioners amended the LI zone to prohibit single family, duplex, and multifamily residential uses for all LI zones located within [8]*8the “West Plains, West Plains/Thorpe UGAs” (West Plains/ Thorpe UGAs). Clerk’s Papers at 89. The amendment to the LI zone was limited geographically to a certain area, while all other LI zones retained the right to construct residential property. And residential use was allowed in the West Plains/Thorpe UGAs only for the period between May 25, 2005 and October 3, 2006.

¶8 On February 4, 2008, Deer Creek submitted an application for a conditional use permit to Building and Planning. On April 15, 2008, Building and Planning issued a MDNS for the application. A hearing examiner conducted a public hearing on the application. On July 3, the hearing examiner entered findings of fact and conclusions of law denying the conditional use permit application.

¶9 Deer Creek timely filed a land use petition in Spokane County Superior Court challenging the hearing examiner’s decision. The superior court denied the petition and affirmed the hearing examiner’s decision. Deer Creek appeals.

ANALYSIS

¶10 Under the Land Use Petition Act, chapter 36.70C RCW, this court stands in the same position as the superior court, limiting its review to the record before the hearing examiner. Pavlina v. City of Vancouver, 122 Wn. App. 520, 525, 94 P.3d 366 (2004); RCW 36.70C.120. We apply the standard of review set forth in RCW 36.70C.130(1)(a) through (f) to the hearing examiner’s decision. Here, Deer Creek challenges the hearing examiner’s decision under RCW 36.70C.130(1)(b), (c), (d), and (f). These provisions read:

(1) The superior court, acting without a jury, shall review the record and such supplemental evidence as is permitted under RCW 36.70C.120. The court may grant relief only if the party seeking relief has carried the burden of establishing that one of the standards set forth in (a) through (f) of this subsection has been met. The standards are:
[9]*9(b) The land use decision is an erroneous interpretation of the law, after allowing for such deference as is due the construction of a law by a local jurisdiction with expertise;
(c) The land use decision is not supported by evidence that is substantial when viewed in light of the whole record before the court;
(d) The land use decision is a clearly erroneous application of the law to the facts;
(f) The land use decision violates the constitutional rights of the party seeking relief.

RCW 36.70C.130.

¶11 We review de novo questions of law under RCW 36.70C.130(1)(b) and (f). Cingular Wireless, LLC v. Thurston County, 131 Wn. App.

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DEER CREEK DEVELOPERS v. Spokane County
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
236 P.3d 906, 157 Wash. App. 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/deer-creek-developers-llc-v-spokane-county-washctapp-2010.