Pond Brook Development, Inc. v. Twinsburg Township

35 F. Supp. 2d 1025, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1739, 1999 WL 85522
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Ohio
DecidedFebruary 10, 1999
Docket5:98-cv-02159
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 35 F. Supp. 2d 1025 (Pond Brook Development, Inc. v. Twinsburg Township) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pond Brook Development, Inc. v. Twinsburg Township, 35 F. Supp. 2d 1025, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1739, 1999 WL 85522 (N.D. Ohio 1999).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

GWIN, District Judge.

This case involves a dispute over Defendants Twinsburg Township Board of Trustees (“Twinsburg Township”) decision to rezone certain property owned by the Plaintiff Pond Brook Development, Inc. (“Pond Brook”). Plaintiff sues the defendants claiming that Twinsburg Township, under color of state law, deprived Plaintiff Pond Brook of rights, privileges and immunities secured by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

In its complaint, Plaintiff Pond Brook’s states three causes of action. In Count I, plaintiff alleges Defendants Twinsburg Township failed to give Pond Brook sufficient notice of a zoning change affecting its property, therefore denying Pond Brook procedural due process and equal protection of the law. In Count II, Plaintiff Pond Brook challenges the constitutionality of the Township’s current zoning scheme as applied to the subject property. Pond Brook alleges that classifying its property as “residential” denies Pond Brook any economically viable use for its land. In Count III, Plaintiff Pond Brook contends that it has no effective administrative remedy under the Township’s current zoning scheme. Pond Brook asks for a judgment requiring Defendant Twins-burg Township to rezone the property to “limited commercial and light industrial use,” or alternatively, declaring Twinsburg Township’s current zoning scheme unconstitutional.

On October 13, 1998, Defendants Twins-burg Township filed a motion to dismiss all counts of the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted [Doc. 4]. In their motion, defendants say Plaintiff Pond Brook’s case should be dismissed because Pond Brook has not exhausted available administrative remedies. Defendants also say that despite plaintiffs claim, the Township did provide adequate notice of the zoning amendment to the extent required by law.

For the reasons that follow, the Court concludes that Plaintiff Pond Brook’s claims are not ripe for adjudication. Accordingly, the Court dismisses this cause until such time Plaintiff Pond Brook has fully utilized the available administrative procedures, including making further application for a zoning change with Defendant Twinsburg Township’s zoning authorities.

I. Facts

Plaintiff Pond Brook Development, Inc. owns approximately 230 acres of land located west of Portage County, near the City of Aurora, in Ohio. Plaintiff Pond Brook purchased this property sometime in 1991, and shortly after, was granted a zoning change from “residential” to “limited commercial and light industrial.” Plaintiff Pond Brook has yet to develop the property, or submit to the Township Zoning Commission a proposed plan for development.

Sometime in 1995, Defendant Twinsburg Township amended its zoning maps. Defendants made public notice of the zoning change. 1 However, Plaintiff Pond Brooks says that it was not aware of any public notice and that, irrespective of such public notice, it was entitled to direct notice under *1027 Ohio law. Pond Brook contends it was entitled to direct notice because its property lies within a newly zoned district. Pond Brook says the rezoning directly affected its property by reclassifying the property again as “residential.” Plaintiff urges that the “residential” classification severely inhibits the use and development of the property.

In seeking to strike down the Township’s zoning scheme, Plaintiff Pond Brook argues that it should not have to again apply to the Township for a second zoning change. First, Pond Brook complains that because Defendant Twinsburg Township failed to properly notify affected landowners of the zoning change, it should not have to pursue an unnecessary administrative remedy. Second, Plaintiff Pond Brook complains that it is being asked to apply for rezoning without knowing the allowable uses for the property.

Plaintiff Pond Brook also suggests that the Township’s current zoning process, as applied, deprives Pond Brook any viable use for its property. Here, the plaintiff says the property’s is not suitable for residential development because the property is significantly impacted by the proximity of certain electrical poles and high tension wires, gas pipelines, gas wells, and storage tanks. The property is further subject to easements for servicing these utilities. There is also a waste water treatment plant owned by the City of Aurora located across from the property.

Defendants Twinsburg Township contend that Plaintiff Pond Brook has failed to exhaust the available administrative process before complaining to this Court. Here, the Township suggests that a decision to rezone undeveloped property is not a guarantee that the zoning status will not be changed indefinitely. The Township also suggests that Pond Brook cannot show that notice of the Township’s decision to rezone certain districts was deficient. For these reasons, the defendants ask the Court to dismiss this case.

II. Standard of Review

In considering a motion to dismiss, whether on grounds of lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter or for failure to state a cause of action, the Court accepts all factual allegations as true and construes the allegations in the complaint in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974). See also U.S. ex rel. McKenzie v. BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., 123 F.3d 935 (6th Cir.1997), cert. denied, —-U.S. — , 118 S.Ct. 855, 139 L.Ed.2d 755 (1998); In re Sofamor Danek Group, Inc., 123 F.3d 394, 400 (6th Cir.1997), cert. denied, — U.S. -, 118 S.Ct. 1675, 140 L.Ed.2d 813 (1998). A court properly grants a motion to dismiss only if it appears that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts that would entitle her to relief. Hishon v. King & Spalding, 467 U.S. 69, 73, 104 S.Ct. 2229, 81 L.Ed.2d 59 (1984); Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957).

III. Discussion

Before addressing the merits of Plaintiff Pond Brook’s claims against Defendants Twinsburg Township, the Court first determines whether this case is ripe for review. Having made this review, the Court finds that the plaintiffs claims are not ripe.

A.

“The jurisdiction of federal courts in limited by Article III of the United States Constitution to consideration of actual cases and controversies.” Bigelow v. Michigan Dept. Natural Resources, 970 F.2d 154, 157 (6th Cir.1992) (quoting Adcock v. Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., 822 F.2d 623, 627 (6th Cir.1987)).

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35 F. Supp. 2d 1025, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1739, 1999 WL 85522, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pond-brook-development-inc-v-twinsburg-township-ohnd-1999.