Hill v. Zoning Hearing Board

597 A.2d 1245, 142 Pa. Commw. 539, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 531
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 27, 1991
Docket1509 C.D. 1990
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 597 A.2d 1245 (Hill v. Zoning Hearing Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hill v. Zoning Hearing Board, 597 A.2d 1245, 142 Pa. Commw. 539, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 531 (Pa. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

SILVESTRI, Senior Judge.

Clifford R. Hill and Joan M. Hill (collectively, Hills) appeal from the order of the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, dated June 25, 1990, which dismissed their appeal from the determination of the Zoning Hearing Board of Maxatawny Township (Board).

The Hills own a tract of land, comprised of eight acres, in a C — 1 Commercial District as established by the Zoning Ordinance which was adopted by Maxatawny Township (Township) on July 9, 1984. 1 Since 1967, the Hills operated *544 a sanitation collection service, which is a non-conforming use in that district. 2

In November, 1985, the Hills applied for and received a building permit from the Township for construction of a “storage building.” The building was used for storage of equipment, such as trucks, tractors, portable toilets and trash containers, which had previously been stored in open space on the property.

In December, 1986, the Hills submitted an application to the Department of Environmental Resources (DER) for a permit to operate a trash transfer station to be located in the “storage building.” Notice of the application was given to the Township as well. On June 11,1987, the Hills filed a “zoning appeal” with the Board in which they requested a variance from Section 404 of the Zoning Ordinance (C-l Commercial Permitted Uses) or a special exception under Section 404.3 of the ordinance (uses permitted by Special Exception) or a determination that operation of the trash transfer station was a limited expansion of the pre-existing non-conforming use, and/or a determination that the ordinance unconstitutionally excludes such use of the property. 3 On June 24, 1987, DER issued a permit to the Hills for operation of the trash transfer station, 4 and its operation commenced.

*545 The Board conducted hearings on the Hills’ “zoning appeal” and on November 18, 1987, the Board issued a decision in which it found that the trash transfer station is a permissible reasonable expansion of the pre-existing nonconforming use as a sanitation collection service. The Board imposed 15 conditions to the continued operation of the trash transfer station. The Board further stated, in relation to the application for a special exception, that because it considers the application as a reasonable expansion of a pre-existing non-conforming use, a special exception is not appropriate. The Board also determined that a variance is not relevant for the same reason. With regard to the Hills’ allegation that the zoning ordinance excludes the trash transfer station, the Board found that such a use is permitted in the “I-Industrial District,” or it may be permitted in this district as a junk yard.

The Hills appealed to the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County. The Hills alleged that the Board erred in concluding that the trash transfer station is an expansion rather than a continuation of their pre-existing non-conforming use, and then listed 29 additional reasons for their appeal. The trial court took no additional evidence and after argument addressed the reasonableness of the 15 conditions attached to the approval of the trash transfer station. On June 25, 1990, the trial court entered an order dismissing the Hills’ appeal.

Where the trial court has received no additional evidence, the scope of review of this Court as well as the trial court is limited to determining whether the zoning hearing board committed an abuse of discretion or error of law. Board of Supervisors of Upper Southampton Township v. Zoning Hearing Board of Upper Southampton Township, 124 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 103, 555 A.2d 256 (1989).

The Hills raise the following issues for our review: (1) whether the Board erred by imposing conditions on the alleged continuation of the non-conforming use; (2) whether *546 the Board abused its discretion by imposing conditions on a legal use when the conditions were unsupported by substantial evidence; (3) whether the authority of the board to impose the conditions in question was pre-empted; and (4) whether the Zoning Ordinance of Maxatawny Township excludes trash transfer stations as a legal use.

Before we address the issues raised by the Hills, we must first determine the authority of the Board to impose conditions. Section 601 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), 5 53 P.S. § 10601, provides that the power to enact, amend and repeal zoning ordinances lies with the governing body of the municipality. See, Clover Hill Farms, Inc. v. Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors, 5 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 239, 289 A.2d 778 (1972). Section 901, 53 P.S. § 10901, provides that a municipality which has enacted a zoning ordinance shall create a zoning hearing board. “Zoning boards, however, have been clearly held not to be judicial, but administrative bodies, creatures of the legislative body.” Golla v. Hopewell Township Board of Supervisors, 69 Pa.Commonwealth Ct. 377, 379, 452 A.2d 273, 274 (1982). Accordingly, it is the governing body of the municipality which has the power to enact laws to regulate land use pursuant to the police power. 6

Neither the MPC nor the Zoning Ordinance herein addresses the attaching of conditions where there is a grant of expansion of a non-conforming use. In Everson v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of the City of Allentown, 395 Pa. 168, 149 A.2d 63 (1959), our Supreme Court held that the power of a zoning board to impose reasonable conditions, restrictions or safeguards as a prerequisite to granting an extension of a non-conforming use is inherent *547 in the board. The applicable zoning ordinance in Everson provided that a non-conforming use may be enlarged or extended provided that such enlargement or extension shall not in any case be detrimental to or tend to alter the character of the neighborhood. In Silver v. Zoning Board of Adjustment, 435 Pa. 99, 255 A.2d 506 (1969), the Supreme Court held that a municipality can impose conditions on the expansion of a non-conforming use as necessary for the preservation of the health, welfare and safety of the community. In view of the foregoing, it necessarily follows that a zoning hearing board may only impose conditions on the expansion or extension of a non-conforming use if the conditions reflect the subject matter and content of an ordinance duly enacted by the governing body of the municipality.

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

Related

Slice of Life, LLC and v. Kleyman v. Hamilton Twp. ZHB and Hamilton Twp.
164 A.3d 633 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2017)
Riverfront Development Group, LLC v. City of Harrisburg Zoning Hearing Board
109 A.3d 358 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2015)
Hafner v. ZONING HEARING BD. OF ALLEN TP.
974 A.2d 1204 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
Hafner v. Zoning Hearing Board of Allen Township
974 A.2d 1204 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
Good v. Zoning Hearing Board of Heidelberg Township
967 A.2d 421 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
Greth Development Group, Inc. v. Zoning Hearing Board of Lower Heidelberg Township
918 A.2d 181 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 2007)
Township of Concord v. Concord Ranch, Inc.
664 A.2d 640 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1995)
Clinton County Solid Waste Authority v. Wayne Township
643 A.2d 1162 (Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
597 A.2d 1245, 142 Pa. Commw. 539, 1991 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 531, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hill-v-zoning-hearing-board-pacommwct-1991.