Johnson v. Griffiths

74 Ohio Law. Abs. 482
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedApril 27, 1955
DocketNos. 3771, 3772
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 74 Ohio Law. Abs. 482 (Johnson v. Griffiths) 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
Johnson v. Griffiths, 74 Ohio Law. Abs. 482 (Ohio Ct. App. 1955).

Opinions

OPINION

Per CURIAM.

Acting on the applications of Charles R. Smith and Geneva Markstrom, Warren C. Hegg as agent for Cecil Chambers, and John and Robert Blattman on September 24, 1953, and October 16, 1953, respectively, the Trustees of Boardman Township by amended zoning ordinance rezoned lands in accordance with applicants’ request from residence districts R-l and R-2 to industrial districts to permit erection and operation by applicant Smith of a system of warehouses and by applicant Markstrom to reestablish a lumber yard and mill previously destroyed by fire and by applicants Blattman Brothers to erect a tool and die shop [484]*484on the rezoned lands and by applicant Chambers because he had been contacted “in relation to this by John Sederland, the Boardman Township Inspector.” Such rezoning was “subject to owners filing a restrictive covenant not to strip mine, such covenant to run with the land and to be filed with the Mahoning County Recorder.”

After due notice by publication in a newspaper of general circulation in Boardman Township and Mahoning County on May 29, 1953, the Mahoning County Planning Commission after full hearing had in accordance with law disapproved such zoning changes stating in a letter to counsel for defendant dated June 1, 1953, and signed by David' Rhodes, Planning Director, that:—

“Boardman Township is largely a residential area in which ample zones available for industry and business have been already set apart under the existing zoning ordinance. Extensions thereof should not be made except where the need is clearly apparent, the proposed use (either industrial or business) is appropriate to the area involved, and would not be detrimental to the surrounding area, and the owners of adjacent or contiguous property will not be seriously damaged thereby.”

Upon appeal to the court of common pleas of Mahoning County that court affirmed the action of the Board of Trustees of Boardman Township and entered final judgment for that board.

Plaintiffs appeal from the judgment of the court of common pleas to this court on questions of law in appeals numbered 3771 and 3772 on the docket of this court, and by assignments of error contend:—

“1. Error of said Board of Township Trustees in failing to pass a resolution declaring its intention to proceed under the provisions of the County Rural Zoning Act to amend and change said regulation rezoning the aforesaid lots and lands, before availing itself of such power conferred therein, as mandatorily required by §3180-26 GC, §519.02 R. C., §3180-27 GC, §519.03 R. C., and §3180-36 GC, §519.12 R. C.
“2. Error in that the Boardman Township Zoning Commission failed to submit a plan, including both text and maps, representing the recommendations of said zoning commission for the carrying out by said Board of Township Trustees of the powers, purposes and provisions set forth in said Act, as mandatorily required by §3180-29 GC, §519,05 R. C., and §3180-30 GC, §519.06 R. C.
“3. Error in that said Boardman Township Zoning Commission arbitrarily ignored, failed and refused to make use of the data information and counsel pertinent to the rezoning of said lots and lands, which were available from and furnished to it by the Mahoning County Planning Commission and the Mahoning County Planning Engineer for the use of said Boardman Township Zoning Commission in said rezoning matters, contrary to and in violation of §3180-29 GC, §519.05 R. C.
“4. Error in that said Township Zoning Commission failed and neglected to give notice of the public hearings held by it on May 18, 1953, and on May 25, 1953, as and in the manner mandatorily required by §3180-30 GC, §519.06 R. C., in that said notices failed to ‘state the place or places and times at which the text and maps of the zoning resolution may be examined.’
[485]*485“5. Error in that said Township Zoning Commission failed to submit any proposed zoning or rezoning resolution, including text and maps, to the Mahoning County Planning Commission for approval, disapproval or suggestions and failed to certify its recommendations for a zoning or rezoning plan to said Board of Township Trustees, as and in the manner mandatorily required by §3180-31 GC, §519.07 R. C.
“6. Error of said Board of Township Trustees in failing to hold a public hearing on any such certification of a zoning or rezoning plan from said Township Zoning Commission, after receiving the same and before adoption of any such zoning or rezoning resolution, as and in the manner mandatorily required by §3180-32 GC, §519.08 R. C.
“7. Error of said Board of Township Trustees in failing to amend and change said regulation rezoning said lots and lands, in the same manner and for the same purposes as provided in said Act for the adoption of the original resolution or Boardman Township Zoning Ordinance, contrary to and in violation of §3180-36 GC, §519.12 R. C.
“8. Error of said Board of Township Trustees in failing to comply with the law in adopting, amending, rescinding, publishing and distributing said regulation.
“9. Said regulation as adopted, amended, changed and revised by said Board of Township Trustees is unreasonable and unlawful.
“10. Said Board of Township Trustees acted arbitrarily and unlawfully in amending, changing and revising said regulation; and the same constitutes invalid spot zoning or piecemeal zoning.
“11. Error in that said purported amendments to and changing of said Boardman Township Zoning Ordinance has no relation to the public health, safety, morals, comfort or general welfare, but the same is wholly foreign and detrimental thereto.
“12. Error in that said regulation as amended, changed, revised and adopted by said Board of Township Trustees is unconstitutional, invalid, void and of no legal force and effect, in that the same deprives the appellants herein of liberty and property without due process of law and denies to them equal protection of the laws, contrary to and in violation of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article I, Section 1 and Section 19, Ohio Constitution.
“13. The aforesaid omissions, proceedings, actions, orders and failures of said Board of Township Trustees and Board of Township Zoning Commission, and the aforesaid findings and final judgments of the Court of Common Pleas affirming the same are not supported by sufficient evidence and are contrary to law and the evidence adduced.
“14. The Court of Common Pleas erred in his said findings and final judgments affirming said proceedings, actions and orders of said Board of Township Trustees.”

By brief plaintiffs contend that the questions presented are;—

“1. May the Boardman Township Trustees dispense with the requisite steps provided and mandatorily required by §3180-26 GC, §519.02, et seq, R. C., and thus put into effect the aforesaid purported amendments to said Zoning Ordinance contrary to the plain mandate of said statutes?
“2. Are the aforesaid regulations as purportedly amended and [486]*486changed by said Boardman Township Trustees unlawful, unreasonable, and unconstitutional?

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Bluebook (online)
74 Ohio Law. Abs. 482, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-griffiths-ohioctapp-1955.