Yakima County v. Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board

192 P.3d 12
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedSeptember 11, 2008
Docket26783-1-III
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 192 P.3d 12 (Yakima County v. Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Yakima County v. Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, 192 P.3d 12 (Wash. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

192 P.3d 12 (2008)

YAKIMA COUNTY, a political Subdivision of the State of Washington, Respondent,
v.
EASTERN WASHINGTON GROWTH MANAGEMENT HEARINGS BOARD, an agency of the State of Washington, Respondent, and
Wenas Citizens Association and Brent Brune, Appellants,
Jim and Charlotte Caton, Respondents.

No. 26783-1-III.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 3.

September 11, 2008.

*14 David Scott Mann, Gendler & Mann LLP, Seattle, WA, for Appellant.

James Cortland Carmody, Velikanje Halverson PC, Terry Dee Austin, Attorney at Law, Paul Edward McIlrath, Yakima, WA, Martha Patricia Lantz, Office of Atty. Gen. Lic. & Admin. Law Div., Olympia, WA, for Respondents.

KULIK, A.C.J.

¶ 1 In 2002, Yakima County (County) approved Jim and Charlotte Caton's request for redesignation of 1,086 acres of land from agricultural resource to rural self-sufficient. The Wenas Citizens Association (WCA) appealed the redesignation to the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (Board), and the Board reversed. The Catons and the County appealed to superior court which reversed in favor of the Catons and the County. WCA appealed to this court, and we remanded to the Board for further review. The Board again denied the Catons' redesignation. This matter now comes before us for the second time.

¶ 2 The Board must find compliance with the Growth Management Act (GMA), chapter 36.70A RCW, unless it determines that the County's action was clearly erroneous. We conclude that the Board erred by reversing the County's decision to redesignate the Caton property from agricultural resource to rural self-sufficient. We also conclude that the County satisfied the criteria set forth in Yakima County Code (YCC) 16B.10.040(1)(e). Accordingly, we reverse the Board's order and affirm the County's redesignation of the Caton property from agricultural resource to rural self-sufficient, and rezone from agriculture to valley rural.

FACTS

¶ 3 The Catons own 1,770 acres of property near the town of Naches, Washington, in Yakima County. The property is on a ridge that separates the Naches and Wenas valleys. The dispute here concerns a 2002 amendment to Yakima's Comprehensive Plan and redesignation of 1,086 acres of the Caton property.

¶ 4 In 1997, the County adopted a GMA plan known as Plan 2015. Plan 2015 designated the Caton property as "agricultural resource" land — "`agricultural land' [of] long-term commercial significance" under RCW 36.70A.030(2). The Catons did not appeal this designation. The properties adjacent to the Caton property were also designated *15 "agricultural resource" by Plan 2015 and zoned "agriculture." 2002 AR at 276.[1]

¶ 5 In 2001, the Catons applied for an amendment to Plan 2015. Initially, the Catons sought to change 1,770 acres from agricultural resource to rural self-sufficient, including both steep slopes and flat land. At the suggestion of the Yakima County Planning Commission's staff, the Catons later modified their application to include only the flat ridge-top lands, a total of 1,086 acres. The rural self-sufficient designation allows 5-acre minimum parcel size.

¶ 6 The Yakima County Planning Commission's staff recommended that the initial application for redesignation be denied. After the application was amended to exclude the steep slopes, the Yakima County Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners approved the application and changed 1,086 acres from agricultural resource to rural self-sufficient. WCA appealed the redesignation to the Board, which reversed the County's decision. The Board's final decision and order found that the County's actions were clearly erroneous and out of compliance with the GMA.

¶ 7 The Catons and the County appealed the Board's decision to Yakima County Superior Court. The superior court reversed the Board and reinstated the County's decision. WCA appealed to this court. We remanded to the Board for proper application of the burden of proof, the standard of review, and the statutory definition of agricultural lands.

¶ 8 On remand from this court, the Board concluded that the acts of the County were clearly erroneous because the property met the statutory definition of agricultural land. The Board also determined that the County failed to follow its own criteria for amending Plan 2015. The Board remanded the case to the County to take appropriate action to comply with the GMA.

¶ 9 The Catons and the County again appealed the Board's decision to Yakima County Superior Court, which again reversed the Board. WCA then sought direct review to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court transferred the case to this court.

¶ 10 Standard of Review. Growth management hearings boards are charged with adjudicating GMA compliance and, when required, invalidating noncompliant plans and regulations. RCW 36.70A.280. Significantly, these boards must find compliance unless they determine a county action is "clearly erroneous in view of the entire record before the board and in light of the goals and requirements of [the GMA]." RCW 36.70A.320(3). An action is "clearly erroneous," if the board has a "`firm and definite conviction that a mistake has been committed.'" Lewis County v. W. Wash. Growth Mgmt. Hearings Bd., 157 Wash.2d 488, 497, 139 P.3d 1096 (2006) (quoting Dep't of Ecology v. Pub. Util. Dist. No. 1 of Jefferson County, 121 Wash.2d 179, 201, 849 P.2d 646 (1993)).

¶ 11 The appeal of a board action is governed by the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), chapter 34.05 RCW. Under the APA, the "burden of demonstrating the invalidity of agency action is on the party asserting invalidity." RCW 34.05.570(1)(a). The Catons and the County challenge the Board's order on remand based on RCW 34.05.570(3)(d) and (e). Specifically, they contend that the Board's order was an erroneous interpretation and application of law under subsection (d), and that the order was not supported by substantial evidence under subsection (e).

¶ 12 We review issues of law de novo. Thurston County v. Cooper Point Ass'n, 148 Wash.2d 1, 8, 57 P.3d 1156 (2002). Allegations under RCW 34.05.570(e) are mixed questions of law and fact; this court examines the law independently, then applies the facts to the law as found by the agency. Lewis County, 157 Wash.2d at 498, 139 P.3d 1096 (quoting Thurston County, 148 Wash.2d at 8, 57 P.3d 1156). Challenges to the evidence supporting the agency's order are reviewed for substantial evidence.

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192 P.3d 12, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yakima-county-v-eastern-washington-growth-management-hearings-board-washctapp-2008.