Hall v. Tn. Conc. M., Tn., S. Kingstown, Tuckertown Vlg. P., 02-0285 (2003)

CourtSuperior Court of Rhode Island
DecidedApril 2, 2003
DocketC.A. No. WM02-0285.
StatusPublished

This text of Hall v. Tn. Conc. M., Tn., S. Kingstown, Tuckertown Vlg. P., 02-0285 (2003) (Hall v. Tn. Conc. M., Tn., S. Kingstown, Tuckertown Vlg. P., 02-0285 (2003)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hall v. Tn. Conc. M., Tn., S. Kingstown, Tuckertown Vlg. P., 02-0285 (2003), (R.I. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

DECISION
In the instant appeal, Julia and Raymond Hall (collectively Plaintiffs) request that this Court invalidate the April 22, 2002 amendment to Appendix B of the South Kingstown Zoning Ordinance (Zoning Ordinance), which permitted the age restricted manufactured home use as approved for Tuckertown Village to expand from the R-401 portion of the parcel, known as Lot 4 on Tax Assessor's Plat 60, to the contiguous R-802 portion of that parcel, subject to various stipulations. Plaintiffs, who are landowners in the Town of South Kingstown, also claim that the amendment to the Zoning Ordinance constitutes a taking of their property and thus request just compensation. Plaintiffs further request attorney's fees. Tuckertown Village Park, LLC (Tuckertown), the applicant in the application for the amendment to the Zoning Ordinance, has been granted permission to intervene. Town Councilors of the Town of South Kingstown and Tuckertown (collectively Defendants) request that this court uphold the said amendment. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to G.L. 1956 § 45-24-71.

FACTS/TRAVEL
Tuckertown is the owner and operator of an adult manufactured home park which is situated on a parcel of property located in South Kingstown on the southerly side of Worden's Pond Road, and designated as Lot 4 on Tax Assessor's Plat 60 (subject property). The subject property consists of approximately 246.7 acres of which approximately 69.92 acres are zoned R-80, and the balance is zoned R-40. The R-80 portion of the subject property lies in close proximity to Worden's Pond.

The manufactured home park, known as Tuckertown Village, was established around 1981, after the Zoning Board granted a special exception allowing manufactured homes on the R-40 portion of the subject property. The special exception contained several stipulations, which included that the park was to be expanded in phases; future development was subject to zoning board approval; and there could not be more housing units than would be permitted by the Zoning Ordinance for the entire parcel. Accordingly, development is capped at around 235 units. Between 1981 and 1997, the Zoning Board has approved 205 units. Since the Zoning Ordinance did not permit manufactured homes in a R-80 zone, all units are situated in the R-40 portion of the subject property; however, a storage area, which has been the subject of a zoning violation issued by the Building Official, is located on the R-80 portion of the subject property.3

Looking towards future phases of development, Tuckertown sought an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance which would allow the use of manufactured homes by special permit in the area designated as R-80. To that end, on August 5, 2001, Tuckertown simultaneously filed applications for an amendment to the Town of South Kingstown Comprehensive Community Plan (Comprehensive Plan) and for an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance, with regards to the R-80 portion of the subject property. Tuckertown sought through these applications to change the Comprehensive Plan designation of the R-80 portion of the subject property from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential and to change the zoning designation of the R-80 portion to R-40.

Tuckertown's applications were reviewed by the Technical Review Committee (TRC)4 on December 27, 2001. The TRC was not in favor of allowing an increase in density in an area that was in close proximity to Worden's Pond, and thus suggested that Tuckertown consider alternatives to amending the Comprehensive Plan and changing the zoning designation. Acccordingly, on January 7, 2002, Tuckertown revised its application to amend the Zoning Ordinance and withdrew its application for an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan. Tuckertown's revised application proposed that the zoning designation remain R-80, and instead sought:

"An amendment to Appendix B of the Zoning Ordinance ("Parcels Subject to Special Conditions of Previous Zoning Amendments") providing that the age restricted manufactured home use as approved for Tuckertown Village be allowed to expand from the contiguous R-40 portion of the parcel to the R-80 portion subject to all the conditions of the existing approval of Tuckertown Village for said use; and subject to the further limitation that the density of any development of the R-80 portion of the parcel be in no event greater than one dwelling per 80,000 S.F." (January 7, 2002 letter from William Landry to Town Clerk.)5

The TRC was generally supportive of the revised application and noted that "given the environmental characteristics of the land in question the expansion potential into the R80 portion of the lot is quite limited and unifying the zoning of the parcel under these circumstances would not be averse to the public interest." (See 1/17/2002 Planning Department Memorandum from Vincent Murray to Planning Board at 3.)

On January 22, 2002, the Planning Board considered Tuckertown's revised application at a public hearing. Discussion ensued regarding the possibility of an expansion of the storage area, buffer issues, and wetland/ISDS issues. At their February 12, 2002 meeting, the Planning Board voted to recommend that the Town Council approve Tuckertown's revised application. With regard to the Comprehensive Plan, the Planning Board found:

"Said amendment is found to be consistent with the Comprehensive Community Plan as follows:

A. Overall Goal of the Housing Element: `To encourage a range of housing choices in order that the Town can continue to be a home to a vital mix of people.'

B. Housing Element Policy 1.1 — `The Town supports providing housing opportunities for people of varying ages, lifestyles, and stages of the life cycle, including: singles, couples, single parents, families, senior citizens, the handicapped, and students.'

C. Housing Element, Policy 1.3 — `The Town supports providing housing opportunities for year-round renters, first time buyers, and homeowners who need or choose to change their living arrangements due to lifecycle and/or altered physical and financial capabilities.'" (February 12, 2002 Planning Board Minutes at 4.)

With regard to the purposes of zoning, the Planning Board found that

"the proposed amendment is consistent with the following general purposes of zoning as contained in RIGL 45-24-47, Rhode Island Zoning Enabling Act of 1991 as amended. 1. `Promoting the public health, safety, and general welfare.' 8. `Promoting a balance of housing choices, for all income levels and groups, to assure the health, safety and welfare of all citizens and their right to affordable, accessible, safe and sanitary housing.'" Id.

The Planning Board also made the following "Recommended Conditions of Approval:"

"(1) Any expansion of the age-restricted manufactured home use and associated accessory uses into the R80 zoned portions of AP 60, lot 4 shall be subject to the issuance of a special use permit by the Zoning Board of Review.

(2) The permitted density on the entire site shall be in accord with the Zoning Board of Review limitation established on November 16, 1981.

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Bluebook (online)
Hall v. Tn. Conc. M., Tn., S. Kingstown, Tuckertown Vlg. P., 02-0285 (2003), Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hall-v-tn-conc-m-tn-s-kingstown-tuckertown-vlg-p-02-0285-2003-risuperct-2003.