Land Use Protections

7/31/2019 Land Use Protections

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Overview Disclaimer:Educational NotLegalAdvice

Whataretownsauthorizedtoprotect?

Whatformofactionscantownstake?

Answersto

some

typical

questions.


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Restrictions on Local Power

Amunicipalitycannotadoptlocallawsthatareinconsistent

withtheStateConstitutionoranygenerallawoftheState.

MHRL10(1)(ii)

Preemptionmaybeexpressorimplied.

Whendealingwithanexpresspreemptionprovision,aswe

dohere,

it

is

unnecessary

to

consider

the

doctrines

of

implied

orconflictpreemption.Instead,theresolutioninthiscase

turnssolelyuponproperstatutoryconstructionofTILAs credit

cardapplicationandsolicitationpreemptionprovision.PeopleoftheStateofNewYorkv.AppliedCardService,11N.Y.3d105(2008)(citingFrew Run,citationsomitted).


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Preemption

NewYorkStateOil&GasLaw,ECL230303(2):

Theprovisions

of

this

article

shall

supersedealllocallawsorordinances

relatingtotheregulationoftheoil,gasand

solution

mining

industries

;

butshallnotsupersedelocalgovernment

jurisdictionover

local

roads

or

the

rights

of

localgovernmentsundertherealproperty

tax

law.


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Requirements for Local Actions

Consistent,Rational.

Determinationmusthavearationalbasis notarbitrary

andcapricious.

Ordinancemustbedesignedingoodfaithtoaccomplish

thegeneralpublicgoodforwhichtheordinanceis

adopted. Courtscannotinquireintomotivesinducinglegislative

act (absentfraud/corruption)butwillconsiderpurpose.

Considerproblems

presented

and

reasonable

and

uniformprovisionstodealwiththem,thattendto

promotethegeneralcommunitywelfare(ascomparedto

individuals).


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What are some impacts from

gas drilling?Thereareissueswithdrillingwells,buttheydontcomefrom

fracking.

...We

can

tear

up

aroad,

we

can

be

noisy,

we

can

createdust,wecanhurtsomebody,andsometimesthereisa

lackoftransparencyaboutoperations.Allthosearelegitimate

concerns,butfracking isnotthestory.

ChesapeakeCEOAubreyMcClendononApril8,2011.

http://sabew.org/2011/04/mcclendonto

business

journalists

getthestory/


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Can we protect our townsagainst these kinds of impacts?


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Public Health, Safety & Welfare

Anordinanceregulatingpropertyusewillthereforebeupheld

unlessitisclearlyarbitraryandunreasonable,havingno

substantialrelationship

to

the

public

health,

safety,

moral,

or

generalwelfare.VillageofEuclidv.AmblerRealtyCo.,272US365(1926)


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Lack of Adequate

Infrastructure

Mayuse

zoning

to

prevent

uses

for

which

the

physical

andfinancialresourcesofthetownareinadequate.

Goldenv.TownofRampano,30NY2d359(1972)


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Thereforeitseemstousquiteinaccordancewiththe

decisionsand

principles

to

which

we

have

referred

that

zoning

authoritiesshouldhavetherightinaresidentialdistrictto

promotethesepurposes[thesafe,healthful,andcomfortable

familyliferatherthanthedevelopmentofcommercial

instinctsand

the

pursuit

of

pecuniary

profits]

and

to

protect

thepeopledesiringtoenjoytheseconditions.tosay

nothingofotherthingssuchasthedestructionofthe

characterofthedistrictasaresidentialoneandthe

impairmentinvalueofpropertyalreadydevotedtoprivate

residences.

Wulfsohnv.Burden,241NY288(1925)

Character and Value of

Residential Property


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Traffic Congestion

ZoningOrdinancesmaybedesignedtolessencongestionsin

thestreets.TownLaw 263,VillageLaw 7704,CityLaw

20(24)

Theinterestofthegovernmentinpreservingcomparative

tranquilityin

residential

areas

is

unquestionably

legitimate

andprotectsquietplaceswheremotorvehiclesarerestricted.

VillageofBelleTerrev.Boraas,416US1(1974) Localgovernmentmayconsiderandrespondtohealthand

safetyconcernsfromdieselexhaust,truckaccidents,dangers

topedestrians.


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Destruction of Highways Publichighwaysareavailableforordinaryuse,

transportation,andtrafficinanyreasonablemanner.

the[government]

has

the

right

to

consider

the

convenience

of

thegreatmajorityofthecitizensandtheburdensthatmaybe

imposeduponthembytaxationforconstructionand

maintaininghighways.

Ithasthepowerandrighttoexcludefromtheuseofthehighwayspersonsusingvehiclesconstitutingadangertothe

integrityofthehighwayitself....

[Theserestrictions

are]

intended

to

protect

and

preserve

for

ordinaryandcommonusetheimprovedhighwaysconstructed

atgreatexpense. (cont nextslide)TownofWaterfordv.LBBrockettLumberCo.,237NYS436(3rd Dept.1929)


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Peace and Quiet

Publicsafety,publichealth,morality,peaceandquiet,law

andorderthesearesomeofthemoreconspicuousexamples

ofthe

traditional

application

of

the

police

power

to

municipal

affairs.Yettheymerelyillustratethescopeofthepowerand

donotdelimitit.

Bermanv.Parker,348US26(1954)Mayexcludeindustrialusesfromresidential,commercialand

agricultural

districts.VillageofBelleTerre, 416US1(1974)


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Negative Impacts on Neighbors

Applicablecaselawdrawsadichotomybetweenthose

regulationsthatdirectlyrelatetothephysicaluseoflandand

thosethat

regulate

the

manner

of

operation

of

abusiness

or

otherenterprise.Inthefirstgroupareregulationsrelating

eithertotheuseofsuchlandortothepotentialimpactof

land

use

on

neighboring

properties.

Courts

generally

uphold

suchregulations,includingthosedirectedatphysicalexternalities suchaslight,airquality,safety,population

density,traffic,andevenlesstangibleexternalitiessuchas

propertyvalues,

aesthetic,

or

environmental

values.

LouhalProperties,Inc.v.Strada,743NYS2d810(NassauCty2002),affd 763NYS2d773(2nd Dept.2003)


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Community Rights

Amunicipalityisnotobligedtopermittheexploitation

ofany

and

all

natural

resources

within

the

town

as

a

permitteduseiflimitingthatuseisareasonableexercise

ofitspolicepowerstopreventdamagetotherightsof

othersand

to

promote

the

interests

of

the

community

as

awhole.

Gernatt AsphaltProducts,Inc.v.TownofSardinia,87NY2d668

(1996)


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What form of action can wetake?


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Moratorium

Maybeadoptedasastopgaporinterimmeasurewhereitis

reasonablydesignedtotemporarilyhaltdevelopmentwhile

themunicipality

considers,

inter

alia,

comprehensive

zoning

changes.CellularTelephonev.VillageofTarrytown,624NYS2d170(2nd Dept.1995)

Enactmentof

moratorium

requires

following

same

legal

proceduresashadtobefollowedwhenthelegislationthatit

suspends.

MoratoriumisaTypeIIActionandisexemptfromSEQRA

6NYCRR 617.5(c)(30)


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Stand Alone Police Power Law

Withorwithoutzoning

Thelocallaw(prohibitingwastedisposalfacilitieswithinthe

town)isnotazoningordinance;itdoesnotinvolvea

comprehensiveormasterplanfordividingthecommunityinto

zoneswhere

specified

uses

are

permitted

but

rather

is

directedatoneparticularactivitynomatterwhereinthe

townitiscarriedout. NiagaraRecyclingInc.v.TownofNiagara,443NYS2d939(2nd Dept1981)


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Amendment to Zoning

Amendmentsthatmakeitclearthatallnonpermitteduses

areprohibited.

Amendmenttospecificallyprohibitallgasdrillingand/or

relatedindustrialactivities.

Amendmenttoprohibithighimpactindustrialuses.


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Typical Questions


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Must we Update the

Comprehensive Plan? Appellantsfirstmaintainthatthestatementsofpurposeinthe

zoningordinanceandMasterPlanrelatingtothe

establishmentof

aconservancy

district

are

too

generalized

tosustainthelegitimacyoftheamendedordinanceasapplied

[inthiscase].Specifically,theycomplainthat[p]rohibition of

theextractionofstoneisnotevensuggestedbytheMaster

Plantoberelatedtothispurpose(ortoanyother).They

seemtosaythat,inorderfortheprohibitionofquarryingto

berelatedlegitimatelytotheCity'sstatedaimsofmaintaining

flexibilityregarding

future

land

use,

the

Plan

or

the

zoning

ordinancemusthavegivenexplicitreasonsforthatparticular

prohibition.


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No Broad Objectives Work

Werejectthiscontention.Althoughthezoningordinance,as

appliedto[thiscase],mustsubstantiallyadvancelegitimate

interestsof

the

City,

the

federal

constitution

does

not

require

ittocontainaspecificexplanationforeachprohibitionagainst

aparticularlandusewithinthedistrict.Nosuchrequirement

wasplacedontheCityofTiburon,California,inAgins,supra.The[Supreme]Courtacceptedassufficientthegeneral

purposesunderlyingtheTiburonzoningordinancewhich,like

theSaratogaSpringsdesignationofconservancydistricts,will

discouragethe

premature

and

unnecessary

conversion

of

openspacelandtourbanuses.Comparablebroadobjectives

havebeenrepeatedlyupheldasadequateinthepast.Pompa

ConstructionCorp.v.CityofSaratogaSprings,706F.2d418(1983)


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What if we require a special

use permit for an activity ? Specialusesarealloweduses theirinclusioninazoningcode

isequivalenttoalegislativedeterminationthattheyare

properfor

the

zone.

As

ageneral

matter,

atown

cannot

deny

theapplicationonthegroundthatitisnotinharmonywith

thepurposeandintentofzoning.Areviewingboardisthus

requiredtograntthepermitunlesstherearesignificant

negativeimpacts. NorthShoreSteakHouseInc.V.BoardofAppealsofIncorporatedVillageofThomaston,30NY2d238(1972)

Allowsheightened

level

of

review,

may

impose

mitigating

conditions.


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Can we really just prohibit an

activity?


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Prohibition of Transfer Station

Upheld Theexclusionofcommercialsolidwastetransferstations

fromthescheduleofpermittedusescontainedinthetowns

zoningordinance

does

amount

to

acomplete

prohibition.

However,suchaprohibitionisnotperseunreasonable;the

ordinancemustbescrutinizedtodeterminewhetheritis

clearlyarbitraryandunreasonable,havingnosubstantial

relationtothepublichealth,safety,moralsorgeneralwelfare.

Totheextentthatthisordinanceprohibitstransferstations,it

issufficientlyrelatedtothetownsconcernswiththeeffect

thatgarbage,

rubbish

and

refuse

kept,

even

temporarily,

on

privatelandswithinthetownwouldhaveonthepublichealth,

safetyandwelfare.Norcantheordinancebesaidtounduly

burdeninterstatecommerce.

TownofLaGrangev.Giovenetti Enterprises,507NYS2d54(2nd

Dept.1986)


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Prohibition of Hotel Upheld

Zoningcodeprovisionupheldthatprohibitedandexcluded

operationofhotel. Thegoaloftheamendedzoningwasto

providefor

future

needs

for

office

space

and

to

promote

an

officeparkenvironmentTheimpactonresidentialdistricts

wastobeminimizedbyprovidingusesthatwouldnot

generatetrafficintheeveningsorweekends.TheCourt

foundthattherewasareasonablerelationshipbetweenthe

endssoughttobeachievedbytheregulationandthemeans

adoptedtoachievethatendandthusconstitutesavalid

exerciseof

the

villages

police

power

compatible

with

due

processandalegitimatezoningpurpose.Mindelv.VillageofThomason,541NYS2d526(2nd Dept.1989)


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Prohibition of Storage of

Hazardous Goods Upheld ATownszoningcodeprovisiononlyallowedwarehousestostore

nonpollutingandnonhazardousmanufacturedgoods.Petitioners

desiredto

use

land

for

awarehouse

for

storage

of

lubricating

oil

and

grease.TheZBAinterpretedthezoningcodetoexcludethestorage

ofpetroleum.TheCourtupheldtheZBAs findingandrejectedthe

petitionersargumentthatthetownsprohibitionagainst was

expresslyand

impliedly

preempted

by

the

Petroleum

Bulk

Storage

Code. TheCourtfoundthatthezoningordinancedidnotpertainto

theinstallation,maintenanceandabandonment,orstorageof

petroleum. Rather,asinterpretedbytheZBA,thezoningordinance

categoricallyprohibited

the

use

sought

by

the

petitioners.

...

Moreover,theinterestoftheTowninpreventingwaterpollutionis

notinconsistentwiththeunderlyingpurposeofarticle17oftheECL,

whichis,inpart,topreventwaterpollutionarisingfrompetroleum

spillsand

leaks.

JIJRealtyCorp.v.Costello,658NYS2d92(2nd Dept.

1997)


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Denial based on trafficPlanningBoarddeniedaspecialusepermitforamine,

finding:

substantialtrafficcongestionandsafetyhazardswouldbe

createdby

trucks..

with

no

feasible

alternatives

presented

trucksnecessaryfortheoperationoftheminewouldcreate

safetyproblemstravellingthroughMainStreetintheVillage.

heavyvolume

of

pedestrian

and

vehicular

traffic

existed

at

schoolcampusbywhichthetruckroutewouldhavetopass.

Courtupheldthedenialandfoundthattheminingcompanys

promiseto

correct

or

mitigate

problems

later,

if

so

directed

by

NYSDOT,wasreasonablyfoundtobeinadequateinlightof

theimpactonthecommunity.

R.J.Valente GravelInc.v.TownofKinderhook,673NYS2d265(3rd Dept.1998)


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Are some uses special?

[E]ven religious[andeducational]institutions[must]

accommodatetofactorsdirectlyrelevanttopublichealth,

safetyor

welfare,

inclusive

of

fire

and

similar

emergency

risks,

andtrafficconditionsinsofarastheyinvolvepublicsafety

[citationsomitted]CornellUniversityv.Bagnardi,510NYS2d

861(1986)quotingJewishReconstructionist Synagoguev.IncorporatedVil.ofRoslynHarbor,379N.Y.S.2d747,[Breitel,Ch.J.,concurring]).


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What about exclusionary

zoning? ExclusionaryZoningDefined:

Exclusionaryzoningmayoccureitherbecausethe

municipalityhas

limited

the

permissible

uses

within

a

communitytoexcludecertaingroupsorhasimposed

restrictionssostringentthattheirpracticaleffectistoprevent

all

but

the

wealthy

from

living

there.

It

is

a

form

of

racial

or

socioeconomicdiscriminationwhichwehaverepeatedly

condemned.

AsianAmericansforEqualityv.Koch,72NY2d121(1988)(internal

citations

omitted).


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Are industrial uses like

disadvantaged people? Theruleagainstexclusionaryzoning,however,doesnotapply

topreventtheexclusionofindustrialuses.Gernatt Asphalt,642N.Y.S.2dat173,664N.E.2d1226.Thus,

plaintiff's

allegation

that

it

wasbarredfromestablishingasuperstoreintheTowndoes

notstateaclaim.

GreatAtlantic

&

Pacific

Tea

Co.

v.

Town

of

East

Hampton,

997

F.Supp.340(1998)


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Is an industrial use like an

adult use? Norisitsignificantthatdefinitionsofadultusesinthe

AmendedZoningResolutionarebasedinpartonthecontent

ofthe

entertainment

offered

rather

than

exclusively

on

the

ageofthebusinesses'clientele.ThetestunderbothIslipand

Rentonisnotwhethertheregulatedestablishmentsare

definedwithoutreferencetocontentbutwhetherthe

ordinance'sgoalisunrelatedtosuppressingthatcontent.That

testisplainlymethere.

Stringfellows ofNewYorkLtdv.CityofNewYork,91NY2d382(1998)

Adultusesareprotectedfromcontentregulationasfree

speech.


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Is a land use prohibition a

taking?

Asthe

United

States

Supreme

Court

has

noted,

the

submissionthat[apropertyowner]mayestablishataking

simplybyshowingthattheyhavebeendeniedtheabilityto

exploitapropertyinterestthattheyheretoforehadbelieved

wasavailablefordevelopmentisquitesimplyuntenable.BriarcliffAssociatesInc.v.TownofCortlandt, 534NYS2d215(quotingPennCentralTransp.Co.v.CityofNewYork,438US104.)


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What about equal protection?

Asageneralrule,legislaturesarepresumedtohaveacted

withintheirconstitutionalpowerdespitethefactthat,in

practice,their

laws

result

in

some

inequality.Accordingly,

this

Court'scasesareclearthat,unlessaclassificationwarrants

someformofheightenedreviewbecauseitjeopardizes

exerciseofafundamentalrightorcategorizesonthebasisof

aninherentlysuspectcharacteristic,theEqualProtection

Clauserequiresonlythattheclassificationrationallyfurthera

legitimatestateinterest.

Nordlingerv.Hahn,

505

US

1(1992)


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CommunityEnvironmentalDefenseCouncil,Inc.isa

501(c)(3)publicinterestlawfirmandis

fundedentirely

by

charitable

donations/grants.

OnlineatCedclaw.org

THANKYOU

Land Use Protections

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