Thompson v. City of Palestine

502 S.W.2d 570, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2580
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedOctober 25, 1973
Docket714
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 502 S.W.2d 570 (Thompson v. City of Palestine) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thompson v. City of Palestine, 502 S.W.2d 570, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2580 (Tex. Ct. App. 1973).

Opinion

DUNAGAN, Chief Justice.

This is an appeal from a judgment rendered in behalf of the City of Palestine upholding the validity of an amendatory zoning ordinance. The appellants are neighborhood property owners who in the initial trial attacked City Ordinance No. 36-72. Ordinance No. 36-72 is an amendatory Si Ik zoning ordinance passed in -I960 and re-¿ zoned the area of property in ^question. ~ The trial court, sitting without a jury, denied all the relief that the plaintiffs had sought and gave judgment to the City, the appellee herein. Appellants duly perfected their appeal.

Appellants’ primary contention is that the zoning is illegal and void because it amounted to spot zoning.

Because the facts are somewhat complex, a summary will be necessary to obtain a complete picture of the circumstances leading to this suit. On September 26, 1960, the City of Palestine enacted Ordinance No. 23-60 as its basic comprehensive zoning ordinance. The 1960 comprehensive zoning ordinance had five classifications or types of zones. Two of these zones were residential consisting of one and two family dwellings and multiple family dwellings respectively. The southeast quadrant of the City was almost totally zoned residential as in the above two classifications by the 1960 ordinance. The major thoroughfare which transverses this southeast quadrant was Crockett Road. Crockett Road which is also U. S. Highway 287 and State Highway 19, travels in a northerly direction through this residential area. In 1960, and up until 1965, Crockett Road consisted of only two lanes, but subsequently it was widened into a four-lane road with a parking lane on each side. Also commercial-type street lights were added to the highway.

The property in issue is an area 620 feet by 420 feet or approximately 4.1 acres and rectangular in design. It is located at the southwest corner of Crockett Road and Huffsmith Street. Huffsmith Street is an east-west street which intersects Crockett Road from the west. The 4.1 acre tract is found south of the Huffsmith Street and Crockett Road intersection on the west side of Crockett Road. The property itself is a vacant parcel of land, covered by weeds, bushes and tall grass. The area fronting upon Crockett Road is relatively level but ‘jptó'it progresses to the west there is a gradual downward sloping. Backing the property on the west is a row of moderate size 6 houses. To the north is Huffsmith Street and a group of trees which separates the 4.1 acre tract from the residence of one of the appellants in this case. To the east, across Crockett Road, residences are present, but none face the property. To the south there is a small area of undeveloped vacant property. There are residences adjacent to this vacant property. This 4.1 acre tract is generally located in the southwest part of the southeast quadrant of the city. The central business district is located approximately ten blocks to the north past a railroad overpass. Six blocks to the south is another railroad overpass. Residences are found for seven blocks to the north, six blocks to the south, five to six blocks to the west and ten to twelve blocks to the east. No commercial or business property is found within the *573 area described, with the exception of a church and a small beauty shop. The church is located on the east side of Crockett Road several blocks to the south of the property in question. It existed prior to the passage of the first comprehensive zoning ordinance in 1960. The beauty shop which is operated from a residence is five blocks from the 4.1 acre tract and is located on a side street running into Crockett Road from the east.

The 4.1 acre tract along with a large area surrounding that same property was zoned “residential” by the original comprehensive zoning ordinance of 1960. In 1965, an abortive attempt was made to rezone the property as commercial; however, ’on December 9, 1968, the original comprehensive zoning ordinance was amended by City Ordinance No. 34-68 which had the effect of establishing a new comprehensive zoning plan. The land surrounding the 4.1 acres in question remained residential under the 1968 amended ordinance. The 4.1 acre tract was purportedly rezoned (PD-NS-2), the “PD” being an abbreviation for Planned Development District, and the “NS” standing for Neighborhood Service District. Under this new zone, the property could be used for a number of purposes including commercial pursuits. 1 In July of 1972, the 173rd District Court of Anderson County, in Cause No. 132, styled William Bible, et al. v. City of Palestine, held Ordinance No. 34-68 void insofar as it designated the 4.1 acres south of Crockett Road and Huffsmith Street as “PD-NS-2” on the basis of inadequate notice, and held that the satrfe property was still “residential” under the City’s 1960 comprehensive zoning ordinance. On August 17, 1972, the City of Palestine passed Ordinance No. 36-72 once again designating the area as “PD-NS-2.” Subsequent thereto the City of Palestine approved plans for the building of a shopping center on the rezoned property. The suit which resulted in this appeal was filed on August 28, 1972. The question to be resolved on this appeal is whether Ordinance No. 36-72 is invalid because of the alleged illegal and unjustified spot zoning as contended by appellants. Judgment adverse to the appellants was rendered on October 25, 1972.

Before we can reach the merits of this case it is necessary to dispose of appellee’s motion to dismiss. Because it is apparent from the plaintiffs’ first amended original petition that appellants have sought more than just injunctive relief, appellee’s motion to dismiss based upon mootness is hereby overruled.

There being no findings of fact or conclusions of law filed by the trial court, it must be presumed upon this appeal that the trial court found every disputable fact proposition for the appellee, considering only the evidence favorable to the judgment disregarding all evidence in conflict therewith. North East Texas Motor Lines v. Dickson, 148 Tex. 35, 219 S.W.2d 795, 11 A.L.R.2d 1065 (1949); Quinn v. Dupree, 157 Tex. 441, 303 S.W.2d 769 (1957); Longhorn Flying Club, Inc. v. Dragoo, 464 *574 S.W.2d 189 (Tex.Civ.App., 1971, writ ref’d n. r. e.); McDonald, Texas Civil Practice, Vol. 4, sec. 16.10, p. 30 (1971).

The appellate court must affirm the judgment if it can be sustained on any reasonable theory which can find support in the evidence. Seaman v. Seaman, 425 S.W.2d 339 (Tex.1968); Bishop v. Bishop, 359 S.W.2d 869 (Tex.1962); Longhorn Flying Club, Inc. v. Dragoo, supra.

The City of Palestine unquestionably possesses the power to pass comprehensive and amendatory zoning ordinances. This power was given to the legislative body of the cities and incorporated villages by the enactment of Tex.Rev.Civ.Statute, Vernon’s Ann., Article 1011a, et seq. The purpose of this legislative delegation was to promote the health, safety, morals or the general welfare of the community. Tex.Rev.Civ.Statute, Article 1011a et seq. /"The adoption of a zoning ordinance by j the city’s governing body represents an \ exercise of this legislative discretion and ^therefore is presumed to be valid. City of Waxahachie v. Watkins, 154 Tex.

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Related

Thompson v. City of Palestine
510 S.W.2d 579 (Texas Supreme Court, 1974)

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Bluebook (online)
502 S.W.2d 570, 1973 Tex. App. LEXIS 2580, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-city-of-palestine-texapp-1973.