Whale's Tale, Inc. v. City of Pittsburgh Zoning Administrator

27 Pa. D. & C.3d 327, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 154
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Alleghany County
DecidedNovember 22, 1982
Docketno. SA 623 of 1982
StatusPublished

This text of 27 Pa. D. & C.3d 327 (Whale's Tale, Inc. v. City of Pittsburgh Zoning Administrator) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Alleghany County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Whale's Tale, Inc. v. City of Pittsburgh Zoning Administrator, 27 Pa. D. & C.3d 327, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 154 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

PAPADAKOS, A. /.,

— This ’ matter comes before the court on petition for review filed by Whale’s Tale, Inc., appellant, (SA 623 of 1982) and on its complaint in mandamus (GD 82-16274) seeking the issuance of a permit to continue to use property at 814 South Negley Street in the City of Pittsburgh as a Group Residence Facility as defined by Section 993.01(a) of the Pittsburgh Code.

These two cases have been consolidated as the facts are not in controversy and can be easily summarized.

On November 2, 1981, appellant filed an application with the Zoning Administrator of the City of Pittsburgh seeking permission to continue its use of the subject property as a Group Residence Facility for eight residents and two staff persons. The subject property is located in an R-4 zoning district which permits group residence facilities as a conditional use under Section 993.01(a)A of the Pittsburgh Zoning Ordinance (Title Nine).

Following the procedure outlined in the ordinance, appellant’s application was reviewed by the planning commission. That body held a hearing on April 13, 1982 and, by its action of April 27, 1982, recommended to council that the application be approved.

[329]*329A resolution approving the application was presented to council and a hearing on said application was held by council on June 29, 1982. On July 12, 1982, Council voted to approve the application.

Also, on July 12, 1982, the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Richard Caliguiri, received a copy of the resolution as approved, • and by his letter of July 23, 1982, vetoed the resolution attaching reasons to the veto.

Finally, on July 26, 1982, City Council sustained the Mayor’s veto in effecting denying appellant’s application. Appellant has filed a complaint in mandamus at GD 82-16274, on August 25, 1982, seeking to compel issuance of the permit and a petition for review under the Local Agency Law, 2 Pa. C.S.A. §752 from City Council’s action in sustaining the Mayor’s veto at SA 623 of 1982.

Since both actions involve the same facts and legal issues, they were consolidated by order of court dated September 16, 1982 for full disposition. The facts in this case raise the interesting questions of (1) whether the Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh can approve or disapprove City Council’s action in granting or denying conditional use applications under the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Pittsburgh, and (2) whether the Mayor’s veto and its subsequent affirmance by City Council operates as a denial of a previously approved application.

DISCUSSION

The Home Rule Charter of the City of Pittsburgh, Article III, Section 321, sets forth the Mayor’s veto power as follows:

“Council shall submit all proposed legislation to the Mayor for approval prior to its effective date. The Mayor shall sign the legislation within ten days, if approved, but if not, shall return it to Council stat[330]*330ing objections. Council, at its next meeting, shall reconsider any legislation disapproved by the Mayor and may pass it in spite of the Mayor’s disapproval by a two-thirds vote of all the members. If the mayor fails to sign or return legislation to Council with reasons for disapproval, it shall become law as of its effective date, ten days after submission to the Mayor. The Mayor may disapprove any item in the operating budget or capital budget, subject to reconsideration by Council in the same manner as other legislation.”

By the section of the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter referred to, the Mayor may approve or veto all ordinances or resolutions of a legislative nature passed by council, but the Charter does not extend this power to other transactions of that body. If the measure be legislative in purpose or effect it is immaterial whether it be called an ordinance, resolu-' tion, by-law or rule and it clearly must be submitted to the Mayor for approval or veto. See Commonwealth v. National Bank, 9 Pa. Super. 118, (1898); Jones v. Light, Heat, Etc. Co., 202 Pa. 164, 51 Atl. 762 (1902); Eddy v. Ashley Boro, 281 Pa. 4, 125 Atl. 308 (1924); Wilkes-Barre Railroad Co. v. Kingston Boro, 319 Pa. 471, 181 Atl. 564 (1935).

It is equally clear that the Mayor’s veto power does not extend over resolutions and ordinances which are executive or ministerial in nature-. See Wilkes-Barre Railroad Co., supra.

The Appellate Courts of Pennsylvania have consistently held that mayors do not possess the veto power where its exercise would be deleterious to the conduct of government (see Nicoletti v. Veitch, 411 Pa. 216, 191 A. 383 (1963).

The case at bar involves a conditional use approval by City Council under the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Pittsburgh. If that act is legislative, then [331]*331the Mayor has the right to approve or veto same. Such is not the case here.

When council acts in approving or denying conditional use applications, it is acting in an administrative capacity and essentially is approving the issuance of a permit, nothing more. North Point Breeze Coalition v. Pittsburgh, 60 Pa. Commw. 298, 431 A. 2d 398 (1981).

Since the grant of a conditional use application is not legislative in nature, the Mayor’s approval or disapproval is a ministerial act which in no way affects the validity of the resolution or changes that body’s' decision.

Applying these principles to this case compels a conclusion that council’s approval of the. application on July 12, 1982 was a final, appealable adjudication under the Local Agency Law, 2 Pa. C.S.A. § 101 (see North Point Breeze Coalition, supra). The adju-dicátion, not being legislative, was not subject to the Mayor’s veto and his action of July 23, 1982 was a nullity and did not affect council’s grant of the application. Finally, since the Mayor’s veto had no effect, there was . nothing for council to consider in its meeting of July 26, 1982 and its vote to affirm the Mayor’s veto had no effect on the July 12, 1982, approval of the application.

With these conclusions and findings in mind, the court must fashion a remedy for appellant consistent with its complaint in mandamus and petition for review under the Local Agency Law.

MANDAMUS

Mandamus is, of course, an extraordinary writ which lies to compel the performance of a ministerial act or a mandatory duty where there is a clear legal right in the plaintiff, a corresponding duty in the defendant and no other appropriate or adequate [332]*332remedy available. Atlantic Richfield Co. v. Della Vechhia, 69 Pa. Commw. 235, 450 A. 2d 792 (1982). It does not lie, however, to compel the exercise of discretionary acts except where the exercise of discretion is arbitrary, fraudulent, or based upon a mistaken view of the law. Cohen v. Ford, 19 Pa. Commw. 417, 339 A. 2d 175 (1975).

In the present case, City Council approved the requested conditional use application on July 12, 1982. The mayor’s subsequent veto on July 23, 1982 and city council’s affirmance of that veto on July 26, 1982 had no effect on the July 12, 1982 approval. Accordingly, appellant is entitled to an occupancy permit in conformance with the conditional use application and resolution of city council approving said application.

Since appellant has a clear legal right to the issuance of a permit and the city has a corresponding duty to issue the permit (once council approved the application), this mandamus action was the proper vehicle to compel issuance of the perrhit.

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Related

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Eddy v. Ashley Borough
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Bluebook (online)
27 Pa. D. & C.3d 327, 1982 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whales-tale-inc-v-city-of-pittsburgh-zoning-administrator-pactcomplallegh-1982.