State ex rel. Department of Land Conservation & Development v. Clatsop County

260 P.3d 575, 244 Or. App. 33, 2011 Ore. App. LEXIS 919
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedJune 29, 2011
Docket082578; A144073
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 260 P.3d 575 (State ex rel. Department of Land Conservation & Development v. Clatsop County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Department of Land Conservation & Development v. Clatsop County, 260 P.3d 575, 244 Or. App. 33, 2011 Ore. App. LEXIS 919 (Or. Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

BREWER, C. J.

Petitioners Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition (OSCC) and Richard and Patricia Rowland (collectively petitioners)1 appeal from the circuit court’s judgment in a writ of review proceeding that affirmed respondent Clatsop County’s determination that respondents James and Virginia Carlson (the Carlsons) have a vested right to complete development of a residential subdivision in compliance with county and state waivers issued pursuant to Ballot Measure 37 (2004).2 We reverse and remand.

On appeal, petitioners advance three assignments of error. First, petitioners contend that the circuit court erred in concluding that the Carlsons had a vested right because the Carlsons had not “obtained preliminary approval or any building permits, nor begun construction on residential buildings” prior to the effective date of Measure 49. We reject that argument for the reasons set out in Friends of Yamhill County v. Board of Commissioners, 237 Or App 149, 166, 238 P3d 1016 (2010), rev allowed, 349 Or 602 (2011) (Friends).

Second, petitioners argue that the county and the circuit court erred by failing to consider whether the Carlsons’ use complied with the state and county Measure 37 waivers that they had obtained, as required by section 5(3) of Measure 49.3 The Carlsons respond that this issue was not [36]*36properly before the circuit court, and it is not before this court, because the question of whether the use of the property complied with the Measure 37 waiver orders was adjudicated as part of the Carlsons’ preliminary subdivision application by the Clatsop County Planning Commission. Because our resolution of the third assignment of error requires a remand in this case, we decline to address that assignment.

Third, petitioners argue that the circuit court erred in concluding that the Carlsons had established a vested right in their proposed residential subdivision because (a) the circuit court miscalculated the “expenditure ratio” by failing to consider as part of the denominator the cost of building homes on the property as of December 6, 2007; (b) the Carlsons’ expenditures indicated a “rush to vest” and demonstrated “bad faith”; (c) the Carlsons’ expenditures were adaptable to an alternative use; and (d) those expenditures did not rise above “mere preparation.” We reject petitioners’ “bad faith” argument for the reasons set forth in Friends. See id. at 176. However, as explained below, petitioners’ argument that the circuit court miscalculated the expenditure ratio is well taken, and, because that error requires a remand to afford the board the opportunity to apply the correct legal standard, we decline to consider petitioners’ arguments regarding adaptability and “mere preparation.”

In a cross-assignment of error, the Carlsons argue that the circuit court erred by declining to dismiss DLCD as a party for lack of standing. Further, the Carlsons argue that, because DLCD lacked standing to participate in the writ of review proceeding, petitioners — who intervened with DLCD — also lacked standing and, thus, the circuit court erred by not dismissing petitioners as parties as well. We reject the Carlsons’ cross-assignment without further discussion, for the reasons set forth in DLCD v. Crook County, 242 Or App 580, 588-91, 256 P3d 178 (2011)4

The material facts are uncontroverted. Since 1957, the Carlsons have owned a 75.65 acre parcel of land in rural [37]*37Clatsop County. In 2006, the Carlsons obtained state and county waivers authorizing them to divide that property into 43 parcels and to place a dwelling on each parcel. The Carlsons subsequently applied for preliminary plat approval for a 31-lot subdivision and expended approximately $244,000, of which the circuit court determined that $163,000 had been incurred before Measure 49 became effective on December 6, 2007.

Thereafter, the Carlsons applied to the county’s Director of Transportation and Development Services for a determination that they had a vested right to complete and continue the use described in the Measure 37 waivers. DLCD and petitioners submitted comments in response to the application; OSCC specifically argued that the Carlsons’ proposed subdivision was inconsistent with the Measure 37 waivers that they had obtained. The director determined that

“[T]he Carlsons have expended just over $82,000 in includable expenses, only 2% to 3% of the total cost to develop their property as a residential subdivision, and therefore do not meet the ratio test in Holmes. The Carlsons acted in good faith in the initial planning and design of their property (pursuant to their waivers), but their actions in seeking preliminary plat approval and the date on which they began development on the property indicate a rush to beat the effective date of Measure 49. * * * Furthermore, the actual construction was limited to septic test holes and approvals that took place after the effective date of Measure 49. While much of the planning and design expenditures cannot be used for a permitted use, the Carlsons could have seen a return to their investments if they had applied for 1-10 lots under Measure 49.5
“Comparing the Carlsons’ case to others in Oregon in which owners have been found to have a vested right, the Carlsons’ actions do not rise to the level of a vested right. [38]*38* * * The Carlsons have only tested for septic test holes, and this development took place after Measure 49 was effective. Finally, the proposed development, if construction takes place, is not in compliance with the Carlsons’ state Measure 37 waiver, which is required for the Carlsons to continue development.
“Considering all the Holmes factors, the Carlsons have not demonstrated a common law vested right to continue and complete the use permitted by their Measure 37 waivers.”

Significantly, unlike in other cases that we have considered,6 the director determined that, in calculating the vested right expenditure ratio, the cost of residences must be included in the denominator. The director noted that the Carlsons had not included the cost of constructing homes on each lot in the subdivision, but the director estimated that, assuming an average price per square foot of $120 and a residence with an area of between 1,500 and 2,500 square feet, the total cost to complete the project was “likely between five and eight million dollars.” It followed, the director concluded, that the Carlsons had expended between two and three percent of the total project cost.7

Pursuant to a local procedure, the Carlsons appealed the director’s decision to the board of commissioners, and, again, DLCD and petitioners submitted comments. The board’s decision examined only the vesting factors codified in Clatsop County Ordinance 08-06.8 With respect to the expenditure ratio, the board disagreed with the director, explaining that

[39]*39“[w]e find that depending upon whether the Measure 37 costs, interest costs, and appeal costs are included in the numerator, the [Carlsons] have expended between $124,000 and $244,000 toward the completion of this project. * * *

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Bluebook (online)
260 P.3d 575, 244 Or. App. 33, 2011 Ore. App. LEXIS 919, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-department-of-land-conservation-development-v-clatsop-orctapp-2011.