Wilkins v. City of San Bernardino

175 P.2d 542, 29 Cal. 2d 332, 1946 Cal. LEXIS 300
CourtCalifornia Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 3, 1946
DocketL. A. 19148
StatusPublished
Cited by133 cases

This text of 175 P.2d 542 (Wilkins v. City of San Bernardino) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilkins v. City of San Bernardino, 175 P.2d 542, 29 Cal. 2d 332, 1946 Cal. LEXIS 300 (Cal. 1946).

Opinions

GIBSON, C. J.

Plaintiff sought declaratory relief, claiming that, the zoning ordinance of the city of San Bernardino was unreasonable and invalid as applied to the west 112 feet of his property because that portion was placed in a single family dwelling zone. The remainder of this property is located in a small or “spot” business zone which is'in the center of a large residential district, zoned for single family dwellings. Plaintiff, in substance, is attempting to obtain an extension of one arm of this small business zone by judicial, decree, contrary to the legislative determination by which the boundaries of the zone were established. The defendants appeal from a judgment sustaining plaintiff’s claims-and en- ■ joining enforcement of the ordinance as it affects the property in- Question. ' -

The accompanying map, page 336, has been prepared in order that the fácts inay be more readily understood. It is based on the city- zoning map, exhibit “C,” with the addition of "cértain markings, such as lot numbers and lines tó indicate the boundaries of the lots. The property involved in this case is the west 112 feet of lots 69 and 70 in the block bounded by Acacia Street on the west, by 33d Street on the north, by E Street on the east and by Marshall Boulevard on the south. This block was originally divided into lots 50 feet wide, each .of which r.an.. the length of the block (about 394 feet) from Acacia.Street on the west to E Street on the east. Starting on the southerly side, the first four lots are numbered 72j 7l, 70 and 69. Plaintiff owns the whole of lots 69 and 70, and the [335]*335easterly portion of lpts 71 and 72, as well as other property bordering on the intersection of Marshall Boulevard and E Street. The portions of lots 71 and 72 owned by plaintiff, and all of lots 69 and 70 except the westerly 112 feet, were zoned for business. Plaintiff had constructed a business building on his portion of lots 71 and 72, and had erected multiple dwellings and garages on the middle portions of lots 69 and 70 (east of the disputed westerly 112 feet).

According to the record there are only three other sections in the immediate vicinity (each being but a fraction of a block) which are zoned to permit multiple dwellings. Plaintiff’s lots adjoin an area at the intersection of Marshall Boulevard and E Street which is “spot” zoned to permit business uses, but on the other three sides all contiguous property is zoned as residential; and, except as noted, all the surrounding property for a number of blocks is likewise zoned for and exclusively devoted to single family dwellings. (See map, p. 336.)

In April, 1942, after two applications for rezoning had been denied as to the westerly 112 .feet, plaintiff applied for a building permit for multiple dwellings on this property, and this application was also denied because the property was not zoned for such structures. In June, 1942, he applied for and obtained permits to erect single family two^story.dwellings and garages on the west 112 feet of these lots. The plans submitted with the applications showed single family dwellings, but instead of following the plans he erected two multiple family units, each with an apartment and garages .on the first floor and two apartments on the second floor. ' This action was admittedly in violation of the building permits and the zoning ordinance, and it clearly appears that the violations were deliberate and willful.

The trial court made a number of findings, some more in the nature of conclusions of law, to the effect that the use of the buildings for multiple dwelling purposes is in the enjoyment of a substantial property right of plaintiff; that such a use is not detrimental to health, safety, morals or welfare ; that such use does not impede, hinder or interfere with the attainment of the objectives of the zoning ordinance; that the four apartments are so placed and erected that they are more adaptable and more useful for multiple dwelling purposes than for single family dwellings in that they adjoin other property now used for business and commercial purposes ; that the enforcement of the ordinance would be an op[336]*336pressive, confiscatory and unreasonable restriction on plaintiff’s-property rights; that multiple dwelling status appears to exist on both sides of Marshall Boulevard between Acacia and F Streets; that on Marshall Boulevard between Acacia and E Streets (lots 71 and 72) there are four frontages, each [337]*337occupying less than the 5,000 square feet required by another ordinance for single family dwellings; that it is impracticable to maintain and limit the use of the westerly 112 feet of lots 69 and 70 to a single family classification; that no consideration of public health, peace, morals, safety or welfare requires that plaintiff be prohibited from using the structures as multiple dwellings; that the apartment buildings upon the middle portion of lots 69 and 70 are unsightly and no ornament to that locality; that the extension of those buildings upon the west 112 feet of those lots presents a decided improvement in the general view from the Acacia Street side; that the land values have increased because of the development of a community business center; and that there is a shortage of housing facilities in the city.

[336]

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Bluebook (online)
175 P.2d 542, 29 Cal. 2d 332, 1946 Cal. LEXIS 300, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilkins-v-city-of-san-bernardino-cal-1946.