Kulin v. Deschutes County

872 F. Supp. 2d 1093, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75626, 2012 WL 1965773
CourtDistrict Court, D. Oregon
DecidedMay 31, 2012
DocketNo. 6:08-CV-6293-TC
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 872 F. Supp. 2d 1093 (Kulin v. Deschutes County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kulin v. Deschutes County, 872 F. Supp. 2d 1093, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75626, 2012 WL 1965773 (D. Or. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

COFFIN, United States Magistrate Judge:

INTRODUCTION

Plaintiff brings claims in this action pursuant to the American with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Sections 12131 -133)(ADA) and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. Sections 3601-3631)(FHAA).1

[1096]*1096Presently before the court is plaintiffs motion (# 90) for partial summary judgment on the ADA claim and defendant’s motion (# 114) for summary judgment on both claims.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

This case appears to have been one of first impression for the County, and the controversy between the parties has at times been contentious. The issues have been proliferated to the point where the record is voluminous, but the essence of the case is that plaintiff is a severely disabled individual who supports himself and his family by operating a business on his residential property, and the ultimate question is whether he is entitled to a modification of the County’s rules on the permissible space allocated to the business and the number of employees working there as an accommodation for his disabilities.

In more detail, Steven Kulin (Kulin) operates his business from his home on a five acre lot that he purchased in 1998. Kulin has had retinitis pigmentosa since birth and is legally blind. Additionally, at the age of 12, Kulin sustained permanent and disabling leg injuries in an automobile accident which has resulted in the development of osteoarthritis of his tibia and ligamentous laxity. Further, Kulin suffers from low and mid back pain as well as neck pain as the result of a severe back injury that he sustained as a young adult.

Since owning his five acre lot, Kulin has made several improvements to the property including the construction of a 900-square-foot detached residential garage in 2001, the construction of a 1,700-square-foot barn/shop in 2004, and the construction of a 4,940 square-foot warehouse in 2006. Each of these improvements was completed only after Kulin had obtained planning and building permits from defendant Deschutes County (“the County”).

On December 14, 2006, after the warehouse had been constructed at a cost of $120,000, Kulin received a notice of violation from the County asserting that construction of the warehouse violated the County’s Home Occupation Code (“the Code”). The violation had first been filed as an interoffice complaint by a county code enforcement technician with the County on August 7, 2006.

After receiving the notice of violation, Kuhn contacted the Deschutes County Community Development Department, advised them that he was blind and running a business as a home occupation on his property, and asked what he needed to do to bring his business into compliance. Kulin was advised to comply with the requirements of the Code or to propose a text amendment to allow an exception for the disabled.

In early 2007, Kulin’s attorney submitted a proposed amendment to authorize exceptions to the Home Occupation Code to accommodate persons with disabilities. On March 8.2007, the County Planning Commission considered the proposed amendment in a staff report. On March 22, 2007, and April 26, 2007, the Planning Commission considered the proposed amendment at public hearings that Kulin and his attorney attended. On June 14, 2007, the Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Commissioners approve amendment of the Home Occupation Code without a provision addressing accommodations for the disabled.

On January 4, 2008, Kulin filed a variance application with the County to request an accommodation pursuant to the ADA. Under the Home Occupation Code, a home occupation participant may not employ more than two employees on his property, and the home occupation may not occupy more than 35 percent of the combined floor area of the participant’s dwell[1097]*1097ing, including an attached garage and one accessory structure. In his variance application, Kulin requested an exception to these two limitations. Specifically, Kulin requested that he be allowed to employ a total of five employees. Kulin also requested that he be allowed to use the warehouse on his property to store inventory on approximately six times the normal amount of permitted floor area.

On February 26, 2008, a Deschutes County Hearings Officer held a public hearing on Kulin’s variance application. On May 16, 2008, the Hearings Officer issued her decision, denying Kulin’s variance request for additional square footage in which to store inventory and approving only two of three additional employees that had been requested.

Plaintiff alleges in this action that the variance he obtained from the County’s “Home Occupation Code” was insufficient to provide him with meaningful access to government programs and services and rendered him unable to use and enjoy his dwelling. Plaintiff also alleges, among other things, that the County should have established a specialized “accommodation procedure” to permit him to obtain his requests.

The parties’ Joint Status Report states as follows:

Comes now plaintiff and defendant and make this Joint Status Report:

A partial variance to Deschutes County Zoning Ordinance home occupation standards was approved by the County hearings officer based upon the ADA as a reasonable accommodation. The variance allows Mr. Kulin to have a total of four employees on site (two employees under the home occupation ordinances plus two additional employees due to the partial grant of the requested variance by the hearings officer). The County hearings officer denied Mr. Kulin’s ADA variance application for the business floor area requirements of the County’s home occupation standards and also denied his request for one additional employee. The County did not appeal the decision and Mr. Kulin ... dismissed] his LUBA appeal.
It is the County’s understanding that 1) Mr. Kulin will apply to the County for a conditional use permit upon the completion of this litigation and 2) the County would process such application consistent with its established practice, except that the decision would reflect what the court has ruled in this case as to whether or not under the ADA and as a reasonable accommodation Mr. Kulin is entitled to one additional employee (beyond what is described ... above) and whether or not he is entitled to the use of more floor area for a home occupation than is allowed under Deschutes County Zoning Ordinance home occupation standards.
Mr. Kulin’s understanding is that the court has authority to issue a mandatory injunction requiring a conditional use permit to be issued immediately consistent with his request for reasonable accommodation.
A landscape management decision has been issued approving the reconstruction of [a] building that was damaged by fire in January 2011. Mr. Kulin is now applying for a building permit. It is the County’s position that these issues are not a part of this lawsuit However, both parties agree that the ultimate outcome of this federal court litigation as described ... above will apply to the use of the building for a home occupation.

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872 F. Supp. 2d 1093, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75626, 2012 WL 1965773, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kulin-v-deschutes-county-ord-2012.