Opinion

Marple Township Appeal

  • 430 Pa. 113
  • 243 A.2d 357
  • 1968 Pa. LEXIS 679
Court
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Filed
Mar 15, 1968
Status
Published
On the bench
Bell, Musmanno, Jones, Cohen, Eagen, O'Brien, Roberts
Cited by
16 cases
Authority
More cited than 94.0%

The opinion

Opinion

Per Curiam,

Appellees initiated these proceedings by filing an application with the building inspector of Marple Township for a building permit to construct two apartment buildings with 60 apartment units in each building on a five acre tract of land owned by them in Marple Township. The application was refused on the ground that apartment buildings were not permitted in an area zoned E-A Eesidential. Appellees then filed an appeal with the board of adjustment seeking, inter alia, the grant of a variance permitting them to construct apartment buildings. The board refused to grant the requested variance and appellees appealed. After additional testimony the court below reversed the board and this appeal followed.

“In order to establish a right to a variance an applicant must prove (1) unnecessary hardship upon and which is unique or peculiar to the applicant’s property, as distinguished from the hardship arising from the impact of the Zoning Act or regulations on the entire district; and (2) that the proposed variance is not contrary to the public safety, health, morals or general welfare: Ferry v. Kownacki, 396 Pa. 283 , 152 A. 2d 456 ; Moyerman v. Glanzberg, 391 Pa. 387, 397 , 138 A. 2d 681 ; Michener Estate, 382 Pa. 401, 406 , 115 A. 2d 367 . . . .”

J. B. Simon & Co. v. Zoning Bd. of Adj.,

403 Pa. 176, 178 , 168 A. 2d 317 (1961).

Accord: Jasy Corporation v. Board of Adjustment,

413 Pa. 563 , 198 A. 2d 854 (1964). Here, the record is completely barren as to any evidence demonstrating that the land in question cannot possibly be used within the permissible uses enumerated under the present zoning classification. Since appellees have failed to so demonstrate, the variance should have been denied by the court below. In addition, we feel compelled to indicate that this decision in no way

*115

should be construed as sanctioning the lower court’s reliance upon the possible future location of the proposed Blue Route as having any relevance whatsoever in determining the question of unnecessary hardship.

1

Decree reversed.

1

Appellees argue that the proposed highway (Blue Route) would deleteriously affect the use of the land in that it would not be possible to use it for residential purposes. We need not decide the relevancy of a future condemnation in determining present unnecessary hardships since our decision is bottomed upon ihe apparent lack of evidence indicating the inability to use the property for other permissible uses.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.