Wanamaker v. City Council

200 Cal. App. 2d 453, 19 Cal. Rptr. 554, 1962 Cal. App. LEXIS 2732
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedFebruary 19, 1962
DocketCiv. 25329
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 200 Cal. App. 2d 453 (Wanamaker v. City Council) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wanamaker v. City Council, 200 Cal. App. 2d 453, 19 Cal. Rptr. 554, 1962 Cal. App. LEXIS 2732 (Cal. Ct. App. 1962).

Opinion

FRAMPTON, J. pro tern. *

This is an appeal from a judgment of dismissal entered after demurrer to the first amended complaint as amended was sustained without leave to 1

Plaintiff, El Monte-L. A. Airport, a corporation, occupies certain land under a lease from plaintiff, Bobert Wanamaker. Such land was originally situated in unincorporated territory of the county of Los Angeles. On or about June 2, 1947, a major portion of such land was annexed to the City of El Monte, a municipal corporation, organized and existing under the provisions of the Government Code, title IY. Such land, since 1938, has been in continuous use as an airport. Between November 17, 1954, and August 4, 1958, Wanamaker purchased additional parcels of land adjacent to the original parcel, some within and some without the territorial limits of defendant-city, and all for the purpose of enlarging and improving the airport facility.

On or about February 6,1948, the City of El Monte adopted a comprehensive zoning plan by its ordinance Number 252, wherein that portion of the subject property lying within its territorial limits was zoned as M-2. The use of the property for airport purposes in an M-2 zone under ordinance Number 252, was proper. On June 27, 1955, the City of El Monte’s Planning Commission adopted a resolution instituting proceedings to consider and recommend to the city council “The Adoption of an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of El Monte Amending the El Monte Municipal Code by Adding to Article IX Thereof, a New Chapter 2 Entitled 'Zoning Eegulations’, Establishing Classifications of Land Uses ; Begulating the Use of Land ; The Use, Bulk, Height, Area and Yard Spaces of Buildings ; Adopting a Zoning Map and Providing for Adjustment, Enforcement and Amending of the Foregoing and Bepealing Ordinance No. 252 of Said City and All Ordinances Amendatary [s-ic] Thereof.” The minutes of the meeting show that notice of hearing of said proceedings had been duly published in the manner prescribed by law; that affidavit of publication was on file and that no protest had been filed. The minutes further *455 show that the chairman of the meeting then asked if anyone present wished to protest or speak regarding the proposed zoning and no one protested. On August 5, 1955, the city planning commission, by resolution, recommended to the city council the adoption of the new zoning ordinance and the repeal of ordinance Number 252. On August 15, 1955, the city council set the first public hearing on the adoption of the new zoning ordinance for September 6, 1955, and directed the clerk to cause notice to be published of such hearing. A public hearing was held on September 6, 1955, and the matter was continued from time to time for further hearings, and such hearings were held. On December 19, 1955, the city council adopted the new zoning ordinance as theretofore proposed by the city planning commission, except for minor changes relating to off-street parking. The new zoning ordinance became effective, according to the terms of the resolution of adoption, on January 20, 1956. Such ordinance placed that portion of appellant’s property within the boundaries of the city in zone M-2, and prohibited the use thereof for airport purposes unless a conditional use permit was first applied for and obtained.

Appellants claim that the new zoning ordinance is void, and that its enforcement as against them will result in the taking of their property without due process of law. In this connection they assert that the failure of the city planning commission and the city council to give appropriate notice, according to law, of the hearing in connection with the adoption of the new zoning ordinance, renders it invalid.

With respect to the adoption by the city planning commission of its resolution of June 27, 1955, for the consideration of and the making of recommendations concerning the adoption of the new ordinance and the repeal of the old, the minutes of the commission show that the clerk announced in open meeting, that notice of the hearing had been duly published in the manner prescribed by law and that affidavit of such publication was on file. The minutes of the city council show that the recommendation of the city planning commission was received by the former on August 15, 1955, and the clerk was directed to cause a publication of notice of public hearing thereon before the city council for September 6, 1955.

Appellants do not claim that notice of the hearings was not published in accordance with the law, and in the absence of a direct allegation to this effect, it must be presumed that the requirements of the law with respect to publication of such *456 notice have been complied with. (Irvine v. Citrus Pest Dist., 62 Cal.App.2d 378 [144 P.2d 857] at 383; People v. City of Whittier, 133 Cal.App.2d 316 [24 P.2d 219] at p. 324; Code of Civ. Proc., § 1963, subd. 15.)

Appellants urge, however, that the City of El Monte, its city council and its planning commission, could not properly adopt the new zoning ordinance without giving a notice by mail as required by section 65805 of the Government Code. This section provides: “If the planning commission mails in the United States mail a written notice of a hearing on a change in or addition to any zoning ordinance, not less than five days prior to such hearing, to every person whose name and address appears on the latest available assessment roll or other list approved by the legislative body as an owner of any property within the territory covered by such proposed change and within not less than 300 feet of the outer boundaries thereof, the legislative body may enact an ordinance adopting any change or addition recommended by the planning commission after holding a public hearing thereon. ’ ’ This section was repealed by the statutes of 1957.

Respondents contend that where a complete new overall expression with respect to zoning, as distinguished from a change in or addition to any zoning ordinance, is contemplated, the provisions of section 65803 control the manner of giving notice, and the provisions of section 65805 have no application. Section 65803 provides: “Except as otherwise provided in this article, a zoning ordinance shall be initiated and adopted in the same manner as a precise plan, pursuant to Chapter 3. This section does not require the adoption of a master plan prior to either the initiation or adoption of a zoning ordinance.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
200 Cal. App. 2d 453, 19 Cal. Rptr. 554, 1962 Cal. App. LEXIS 2732, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wanamaker-v-city-council-calctapp-1962.