St. Joseph's High School, Inc. v. Planning & Zoning Commission

Full Case Name
ST. JOSEPH'S HIGH SCHOOL, INC., et al. v. PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION OF the TOWN OF TRUMBULL
Description

The Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Trumball (Commission) denied the special permit of a private school for the installation of four light poles, seventy feet in height, to illuminate its primary athletic field, after considering concerns from resident neighbors of the private school that allowing the lights would adversely affect the "use and enjoyment" of their properties. The Court vacated the lower court's decision which had allowed the private school's case against the Commission because "a zoning commission has discretion to determine whether a proposal satisfies the requirements for a special permit."

Date
09-19-2017
Court
Connecticut Appellate Court
Jurisdiction
Connecticut
Incident Location
Fairfield, CT
Disputed Act

Plaintiff private school filed an application for a special permit with the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Trumball (Commission) for the installation of four light poles, seventy feet in height, to illuminate the school’s primary athletic field. The Comission denied the special permit after considering concerns from resident neighbors of the private school that allowing the lights would adversely affect the "use and enjoyment" of their properties.

Holding
The Court vacated the lower court's decision which allowed plaintiff's case against the Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Trumball. The Court remanded the case to the lower court with instructions to dismiss the case because "a zoning commission has discretion to determine whether a proposal satisfies the requirements for a special permit" and "judicial review is confined to the question of whether the commission
abused its discretion in finding that an applicant failed to demonstrate compliance."
Disposition