Grisanti v. Cleveland

181 N.E.2d 299, 89 Ohio Law. Abs. 1, 1962 Ohio App. LEXIS 783
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 8, 1962
DocketNo. 25866
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 181 N.E.2d 299 (Grisanti v. Cleveland) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grisanti v. Cleveland, 181 N.E.2d 299, 89 Ohio Law. Abs. 1, 1962 Ohio App. LEXIS 783 (Ohio Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

Hurd, J.

This cause is here appealed on questions of law from a judgment of the Court of Common Pleas wherein the court denied an injunction sought by the plaintiff against the City of Cleveland, the City Council, and the City Planning Commission from expending any public funds for appropriation of property owned by plaintiff or any other property owners in the area known as ‘ ‘ Erieview-I-Urban Renewal Project No. Ohio R-36” (hereinafter sometimes referred to as Erieview).

The plaintiff is the owner of a commercial and residential structure located at 1205 St. Clair Avenue within the area which comprises Erieview. An appropriation action was commenced in the Court of Common Pleas by the City under its power of eminent domain which is presently a pending action. This action for injunction was brought to enjoin the City from proceeding with the appropriation proceeding, although concurrently therewith, plaintiff seeks as a taxpayer to enjoin the expenditure [3]*3of any public funds for any of the purposes of the Erieview Project.

The City of Cleveland (hereinafter referred to as the City) is a Charter City and acting under authority of its Home Eule powers and pursuant to its ordinances, through the City Planning Commission, gave notice on November 11, 1960, to all property owners within the Erieview Eenewal Project area of a public hearing to be held on November 22, 1960. The record shows that the public hearing was called for the purpose of considering the adoption of an urban renewal plan for Erie-view-I Project and a general neighborhood renewal plan. The area hereinafter referred to as Erieview comprises approximately 96 acres of land, the major portion of which is zoned as semi-industrial, and lies between Cleveland Memoi’ial Shore-way and Chester Avenue from East Sixth Street to East Fourteenth Street.

The plaintiff, as the owner of the property within this Erie-view area, was duly notified in writing of the public hearing and was represented at two such hearings by her son who is an attorney.

Subsequently.on November 25,1960, the City Planning Commission adopted the plan for Erieview and determined that the area in question was blighted and in accordance with the city ordinances, submitted the same to the City Council with its recommendation that Council adopt the plan.

Over the plaintiff’s written protest, the City Council, on December 8,1960, approved the General Neighborhood Eenewal Plan for Erieview and Erieview-I Project and also found “the existence of slum and- blighted areas- and conditions of deterioration menacing the public health and safety of the citizens of Cleveland.” Moreover, the City Council adopted an ordinance approving and authorizing the execution of a Loan and Capital Grant Contract with the -United States Government to aid in the financing of Erieview, and pursuant thereto, the City of Cleveland entered into a contract with the United States Government for this purpose. - -The Federal Government agreed to loan to the City fhe sum of $33,875,784.00 and to make a capital grant of $9,898,784.00 and relocation payments of $805,000.00.

On September 27, 1961, City commenced the aforesaid action now pending in the Court of Common Pleas to appro[4]*4priate the property of plaintiff acting pursuant to its power of eminent domain.

The City proceeded to invite bids for the redevelopment of numerous parcels of land within Erieview, including the parcel owned by the plaintiff, and subsequently accepted a bid offered by Erieview Corporation (a corporation for profit) and entered into a project agreement with it on November 9, 1961, in which the City agreed to deliver title to the Corporation “upon the acquisition thereof, and which agreement contained the condition that a forty story building be erected by said Corporation on a parcel of land of which plaintiff’s property is a part. Inasmuch as Federal money is to be used, the whole plan is to conform to standards imposed by the United States Government.

This summary of facts is a condensation of the evidence as set forth in the bill of exceptions, the admissions in the pleadings, the numerous exhibits, and the principal documentary evidence, which in capsule form, is as follows:

1) Joint Exhibit A — being the Procedural Ordinance for Urban Redevelopment — passed June 24,1959.

2) Defendant’s Exhibit A — “The Urban Renewal Plan” the general Erieview Project No. I — plan submitted November 22,1960.

3') Defendant’s Exhibit B-l “Ordinance No. 449-61”— loan and capital grant contract between City of Cleveland and the United States of America — which is an ordinance authorizing the Federal Loan and Grant Contract; accepting factual report of Erieview conditions and determining Erieview to bo a slum area. Passed February 20, 1961.

4) Defendant’s Exhibit B-2 — “Report to Council” by Director of Urban Renewals: Factual report to Council on Erie-view conditions. Received February 13,1961.

5) Defendant’s Exhibit C — Ordinance No. 2428-60 — Ordinance approving Erieview Project No. I and General Neighborhood Renewal Plan; finding plans properly adopted and in conformity with all requirements and finding entire Erieview area to be blighted, deteriorated and deteriorating. Adopted December 12, 1960.

6) Plaintiff’s Exhibit 10 — Letter of Protest by the Plaintiff.

The assignments of error are three in number, with certain subheadings, as follows:

[5]*5“1) The trial court erroneously rejected evidence proffered by the plaintiff in support of her averments that:
“ (a) The area in question is not an area blighted, deteriorated or deteriorating, nor detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare and any such finding or determination by the defendants was arbitrary, capricious, contrary to law, and constituted an abuse of discretion and of the powers of the defendants.
“ (b) That the threatened taking of plaintiff’s property by the exercise of eminent domain was for a private and not for a public use.
“2) The Court erred in failing to enter judgment in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants since this action established that:
“(a) The attempted appropriation of plaintiff’s property is not for a public use.
‘ ‘ (b) Plaintiff is being deprived of her property without due process of law. The constitutional requirements of due notice before adoption of the so-called plan and ordinances which constitute the alleged legal foundation for the City of Cleveland’s attempted exercise of the right of eminent domain as to plaintiff’s property was not given. No notice whatsoever was given by either the City Planning Commission or the City Council prior to determining that the said area was blighted or deteriorated or deteriorating so that property owners, including the plaintiff, would have an opportunity to be heard in connection therewith.
“(c) The legislative authority, that is, the defendant City Council, did not hold at least two public hearings prior to the adoption and approval of such plan with notice thereof mailed at least twenty-five days before the first hearing to the last known address of the owner of each parcel of land in said area.

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Bluebook (online)
181 N.E.2d 299, 89 Ohio Law. Abs. 1, 1962 Ohio App. LEXIS 783, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grisanti-v-cleveland-ohioctapp-1962.