In a recent unpublished decision, the Appellate Division again confirmed that a zoning board may not reverse course without justification once it has made findings regarding a specific property.
In Oster v. Zoning Board of Adjustment of the Township of Middletown (Docket No. A-0037-17T3, decided January 11, 2019), the applicant sought and obtained a hardship variance from the Zoning Board (the “Board”) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70(c)(1). The variance, which was obtained in 2009, permitted construction of an underground storage area and above-ground conservatory within the side yard setback. The Board concluded that a variance was warranted because of the construction difficulties posed by the property’s unique shape, irregular configuration and use as a vineyard.
In 2016, the applicant abandoned the original development plan approved by the Board and filed an application seeking a variance to build an underground storage area/garage with a peaked roof in the same location. The Board, however, disregarded its prior 2009 ruling concerning the property’s unique characteristics (even though the property’s shape and use remained unchanged) and denied the requested variance relief. The applicant subsequently challenged the decision in a prerogative writ action, but the trial court sided with the Board.
The Appellate Division reversed after finding that the Board was required to honor its prior ruling concerning the property’s unique character. The court held that the doctrine of collateral estoppel bars a zoning board from re-litigating any issue that was actually determined by it during a prior application. Consequently, the court instructed the Board to conduct further proceedings on the sole issue of whether the applicant had satisfied the other requirements for c(1) variance relief.
This decision underscores the importance of reviewing all prior land use applications and decisions when pursuing or objecting to variance relief for any given property.
