City of Montclair v. Green Lotus Entertainment CA4/2 (2021) · DecisionDepot
City of Montclair v. Green Lotus Entertainment CA4/2
California Court of Appeal Jan 28, 2021 No. E072768Unpublished
Filed 1/28/21 City of Montclair v. Green Lotus Entertainment CA4/2 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
DIVISION TWO
CITY OF MONTCLAIR,
Cross-complainant and E072768 Respondent, (Super.Ct.No. CIVDS1827316) v. OPINION GREEN LOTUS ENTERTAINMENT, INC., et al.,
Cross-defendants and Appellants.
APPEAL from the Superior Court of San Bernardino County. David S. Cohn,
Judge. Affirmed.
The Law Offices of Stanley H. Kimmel and Stanley H. Kimmel for Cross-
defendants and Appellants.
Dapeer, Rosenblit & Litvak, William Litvak and Caroline Karabian Castillo for
Cross-complainant and Respondent.
A small group of individuals and entities seek to operate a marijuana dispensary in
Montclair, a city which has banned such establishments. After litigation commenced, the
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city sought and obtained a preliminary injunction prohibiting the dispensary from
operating. The dispensary appeals the injunction, and we affirm, finding no abuse of
discretion.
I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY
Charles Hohman and Elizabeth McDuffie submitted a zoning and use application
Third, MMC section 11.11.080 states that “[t]he establishment, maintenance or
operation of a medical cannabis dispensary . . . [or] any commercial cannabis activity
. . . in violation of this chapter within the City is hereby declared to be a public nuisance
and may be abated as such by all available means.”
And fourth, MMC section 11.04.090 allows the Montclair City Attorney to
“institute any necessary legal proceedings to enforce the provisions of this title [i.e., title
11 of the MMC, which includes sections 11.11.030, 11.11.060, and 11.11.080], and
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he/she is authorized, in addition to any other remedy provided, to institute an action for
an injunction to restrain or any other appropriate action or proceeding to enforce such
provisions.”
Taken together, these provisions specifically prohibit commercial and medical
marijuana businesses, declare them to be public nuisances, and allow the City to seek
injunctive relief as a means of abatement. Accordingly, the City is seeking to enjoin
violations of ordinances which “specifically provide[] for injunctive relief” (IT Corp.,
supra, 35 Cal.3d at p. 72), so if the City demonstrates a reasonable probability of 1 prevailing on the merits, a rebuttable presumption of public harm applies.
C. Reasonable Probability
In granting the preliminary injunction, the trial court agreed with the City’s
contention that it has a reasonable probability of prevailing on the merits. On appeal,
cross-defendants renew their argument, first made in trial court, that MMC sections
11.11.030 and 11.11.060 are invalid because they were not adopted in accordance with
the Planning and Zoning Law. Specifically, cross-defendants contend that MMC sections
11.11.030 and 11.11.060 were “not presented to the [City’s] Planning Commission” and
1 A separate section, MMC section 1.12.010(D), states that “any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any provision, restriction, or requirement of this Code; [or] any ordinance of the City . . . shall be deemed a public nuisance and may be summarily abated by the City by any and all means (civil, administrative, and/or equitable) as provided by law or in equity.” For purposes of considering whether the IT Corp. test applies here, MMC section 1.12.010(D) has the same effect as MMC sections 11.11.080 and 11.04.090, even if MMC section 1.12.010(D) does not expressly use the term injunctive relief.
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that “[n]o public notice of Ordinance 17-968,” which added MMC sections 11.11.030
and 11.11.060 to the municipal code, “was given by Montclair.” Put another way, cross-
defendants do not contend that the City can never impose a ban on marijuana dispensaries
(see City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patients Health & Wellness Center, Inc. (2013)
56 Cal.4th 729, 762 [holding that the state statutes at issue did not preempt “the authority
of California cities and counties, under their traditional land use and police powers, to
allow, restrict, limit, or entirely exclude facilities that distribute medical marijuana”]).
Rather, cross-defendants contend that this specific ban was procedurally improper.
The validity of cross-defendants’ contention here depends on three questions:
whether they are time-barred from making the contention in the first place, whether
Ordinance 17-968 was in fact adopted in accordance with the Planning and Zoning Law,
and, if it was not, whether any such error was prejudicial. The parties devote significant
portions of their briefs to the first of these questions. However, even if we were to
assume that cross-defendants are not time-barred from asserting the ordinances are
invalid, and even if we additionally determine that Ordinance 17-968 was not enacted in
accordance with the Planning and Zoning Law—both of which we do below—cross-
defendants have failed to demonstrate prejudicial error.
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1. Prejudicial Error
Section 65010, subdivision (b) prohibits a court from invalidating an action made
pursuant to the Planning and Zoning Law due to procedural errors unless such errors
were prejudicial. The provision expressly provides that “[t]here shall be no presumption 2 that error is prejudicial or that injury was done if the error is shown.”
Although the provision states that no prejudice will be presumed, our courts have
held certain procedural errors to be so substantial that invalidation was necessary,
whether or not there was an affirmative showing of prejudice. Cross-defendants focus on
two cases finding such errors, contending that the circumstances here are similar. As we
explain, we find both cases distinguishable.
2. Environmental Defense Project
The general procedural framework required by the Planning and Zoning Law was
described in Environmental Defense Project of Sierra County v. County of Sierra (2008)
158 Cal.App.4th 877, 890-891 (Environmental Defense Project), the first case cross-
defendants rely on. “In the usual case, the Planning and Zoning Law establishes a two-
2 In full, Government Code section 65010, subdivision (b) reads as follows: “No action, inaction, or recommendation by any public agency or its legislative body or any of its administrative agencies or officials on any matter subject to this title shall be held invalid or set aside by any court on the ground of the improper admission or rejection of evidence or by reason of any error, irregularity, informality, neglect, or omission (hereafter, error) as to any matter pertaining to petitions, applications, notices, findings, records, hearings, reports, recommendations, appeals, or any matters of procedure subject to this title, unless the court finds that the error was prejudicial and that the party complaining or appealing suffered substantial injury from that error and that a different result would have been probable if the error had not occurred. There shall be no presumption that error is prejudicial or that injury was done if the error is shown.”
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stage process for a proposed zoning ordinance or amendment to a zoning ordinance. (See
§§ 65854, 65855.) In the first stage, the planning commission holds a noticed public
hearing on the proposed zoning ordinance or amendment to a zoning ordinance.
(§ 65854.) After the hearing, the planning commission must make and transmit a written
recommendation to the legislative body that includes ‘the reasons for the
recommendation, [and] the relationship of the proposed ordinance or amendment to
applicable general and specific plans.’ (§ 65855.) In the second stage, the legislative
body, ‘[u]pon receipt of the recommendation of the planning commission’ holds a public
hearing. (§ 65856.) At that point, the legislative body ‘may approve, modify or
disapprove the recommendation of the planning commission.’ (§ 65857.)”
(Environmental Defense Project, supra, 158 Cal.App.4th at pp. 890-891, fns. omitted.)
At issue in Environmental Defense Project was a “streamlined zoning” process
whereby notice of a county legislative body’s hearing on a zoning ordinance (i.e., the
second stage) could be given before the planning commission had made a
recommendation to that legislative body regarding the ordinance (i.e., the first stage).
(Environmental Defense Project, supra, 158 Cal.App.4th at p. 881.) There, Sierra
County gave notice that its board of supervisors would hold a public hearing on Tuesday,
February 1 for a zoning ordinance amendment. (Id. at p. 882.) This notice related to the
second stage of the framework described above. At the time the notice was given,
however, the county’s planning commission had yet to meet, decide on, and transmit a
written recommendation to the board of supervisors regarding the ordinance, the first
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stage of the required process. (Ibid.) In addition, the planning commission did not hold
its meeting until the Thursday prior to the February 1 board of supervisors meeting, and
the planning commission did not transmit its written recommendation, which included
substantive changes to the proposed ordinance, to the board of supervisors until “[l]ate in
the day on” the Friday before the meeting. (Ibid.) “Effectively, then, the public was
given only one full business day to prepare comments on the planning commission’s
recommendation and changes for the board of supervisors’ hearing on Tuesday, February 3 1.” (Id. at p. 892.)
Noting that the Legislature “‘recognize[d] the importance of public participation’”
at “‘every level of the planning process’” in passing the Planning and Zoning Law,
Environmental Defense Project struck down the county’s streamlined zoning process.
(Environmental Defense Project, supra, 158 Cal.App.4th. at pp. 891, 893.) The court
agreed with the plaintiff’s contention, first made at the board of supervisors’ meeting,
that “because of the county’s streamlined zoning, [the plaintiff] did not have sufficient
time to ‘conduct a meaningful review of the project recommended for approval by the
[planning c]ommission,’ which ‘detract[ed] from the public’s participation in the
process.’” (Id. at p. 892.) It also held that section 65010, subdivision (b), the provision
requiring procedural errors to be prejudicial, was “irrelevant to the question of whether
notice of the legislative body’s hearing may be given before receipt of the planning
3 The Planning and Zoning Law requires that notice for the legislative body meeting be given at least 10 days prior to the meeting. (§§ 65856, 65090, subd. (a); see Environmental Defense Project, supra, 158 Cal.App.4th at pp. 890, 893.)
statute’ enacted by the Legislature for the purpose of ‘terminating recurrence of judicial
decisions which had invalidated local zoning proceedings for technical procedural
omissions’”] (Rialto Citizens); Roberson v. City of Rialto (2014) 226 Cal.App.4th 1499,
1508 [disagreeing with the assertion that “‘case law presumes substantial injury and the
probability of a different result as a matter of law’” given that the “proposition is contrary
to the language of section 65010, subdivision (b)”].) In addition, the record does not
show that cross-defendants attended either of the public City Council meetings held 4 regarding Ordinance 17-968. There is also nothing in the record indicating that cross-
4 On our own motion, we take judicial notice of the City’s City Council meeting minutes from September 5, 2017, and September 18, 2017. (See Evid. Code, §§ 452, subd. (b), 459; American Contractors Indemnity Co. v. County of Orange (2005) 130 Cal.App.4th 579, 581, fn. 1 [taking judicial notice of documents on reviewing court’s own motion]; Social Services Union v. City and County of San Francisco (1991) 234 Cal.App.3d 1093, 1098, fn. 3 [noting that minutes of a city commission meeting “are clearly a matter of which we can take judicial notice”].) The minutes show that Ordinance 17-968 was publicly discussed at both of these meetings. We make no inference as to whether cross-defendants attended these meetings based on the minutes, which do not mention any cross-defendant. Rather, we conclude from the minutes only that the City Council held two public meetings discussing Ordinance 17-968. In concluding as a matter of law that cross-defendants did not attend the meetings, we rely only on the fact that the parties have not set forth any evidence in the record on appeal indicating that cross-defendants (or anyone acting on their behalf) attended either meeting.
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defendants, like the plaintiff in Environmental Defense Project, had minimal time to
prepare for either City Council meeting. In this regard, we note that cross-defendants
contend that “[n]o public notice of Ordinance 17-968 was given by Montclair,” which we
construe to mean that there was no public notice of either of the City Council meetings,
but the portion of the record cross-defendants cite to on this point does not support the
contention. To the contrary, the evidence they rely on here—that is, the City’s response
to cross-defendants’ public records request—suggests there was public notice, as it lists
“Council Proof of Publication for NPH related to Ord 17-968” as a responsive document
(or documents) to cross-defendants’ records request.
Thus, despite the lack of a Planning Commission meeting, cross-defendants had
sufficient time and opportunity to prepare for and attend the “legislative body” hearing
(Environmental Defense Project, supra, 158 Cal.App.4th at p. 891), of which there was
more than one, and they point us to no evidence that would support a finding of prejudice
on this record. We therefore do not find Environmental Defense Project to be applicable
here. (See also Roberson v. City of Rialto, supra, 226 Cal.App.4th at p. 1508 [finding
that plaintiff “did not demonstrate to the trial court that the defect . . . was prejudicial,
resulted in substantial injury . . . , or that a different result was probable absent the
defect”]; Rialto Citizens, supra, 208 Cal.App.4th at p. 921.)
3. Sounhein
In Sounhein v. City of San Dimas (1992) 11 Cal.App.4th 1255 (Sounhein), the
other case cross-defendants rely on in asserting prejudicial error, the city “admitted that
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[the zoning ordinance at issue] ‘was not considered by the [c]ity [p]lanning [c]omission
prior to introduction and adoption by the [c]ity [c]ouncil, and that [the ordinance] was not
noticed on the [c]ity [c]ouncil agenda as a public hearing item.’” (Id. at pp. 1259-1260.)
The Court of Appeal thus held that “the process was fundamentally flawed by the
complete omission of any public notice or hearings when adopting the zoning ordinance.”
(Id. at p. 1260.)
As noted above, here the City’s Planning Commission held no public hearing
regarding Ordinance 17-968 despite the requirements of the Planning and Zoning Law.
However, this is not like Sounhein, where the process became “fundamentally flawed” by
the “complete omission of any public notice or hearings.” (Sounhein, supra, 11
Cal.App.4th at p. 1260.) As described above, cross-defendants had an opportunity to, but
did not, participate in two City Council hearings about Ordinance 17-968. Cross-
defendants thus were not deprived of their ability to be heard, and Sounhein does not help 5 them.
In sum, cross-defendants have not pointed us to any authority justifying departure
from section 65010, subdivision (b)’s statement that “[t]here shall be no presumption
that” any error under the Planning and Zoning Law “is prejudicial or that injury was done
It is conceivable that the lack of any planning commission meeting can itself 5
make the process fundamentally flawed under cases such as Sounhein. For instance, evidence could suggest that planning commissions play essential and unique roles under the Planning and Zoning Law such that the lack of a planning commission meeting is necessarily prejudicial. Cross-defendants have not attempted to make any such point here, however, so the issue is not before us, and we express no view on the matter.
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if the error is shown.” Because cross-defendants have not argued that prejudice existed
on this record (aside from any prejudice that may be presumed under Environmental
Defense Project and Sounhein), they have not demonstrated that MMC sections
11.11.030 and 11.11.060 are likely invalid. Accordingly, they have not shown that the
trial court erred in finding that the City has a reasonable probability of prevailing on the
merits.
D. Rebuttable Presumption of Public Harm
As noted above, under IT Corp., once the City shows a reasonable probability of
prevailing on the merits, “a rebuttable presumption arises that the potential harm to the
public outweighs the potential harm to the defendant.” (IT Corp., supra, 35 Cal.3d at p.
72, fn. omitted.) “If the defendant shows that it would suffer grave or irreparable harm
from the issuance of the preliminary injunction, the court must then examine the relative
actual harms to the parties.” (Ibid.)
Cross-defendants do not contend in either their opening or reply briefs on appeal
that they would suffer grave or irreparable harm from the preliminary injunction. We 6 therefore find no error in the trial court’s conclusions regarding this second factor.
6 Two business days prior to oral argument, cross-defendants filed a request for dismissal, contending that the Benson Street property had been sold, and that the injunction and appeal were therefore moot. Because the injunction prohibited cross- defendants from “[u]sing, occupying, operating, permitting, allowing, leasing, or maintaining, by any means whatsoever, any marijuana dispensary” “on or at” the Benson Street property—activities that are not necessarily tied to ownership—we denied the request that day.
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III. CONCLUSION
The order is affirmed. The City is awarded its costs on appeal.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS
RAPHAEL J.
We concur:
MILLER Acting P. J.
CODRINGTON J.
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AI Brief
AI-generated · verify before citing
Holding. The court affirmed the trial court's grant of a preliminary injunction against a marijuana dispensary, holding that the City demonstrated a reasonable probability of success on the merits and that the appellants failed to show prejudicial error in the enactment of the municipal ordinances or irreparable harm from the injunction.
Issues
Whether the City established a reasonable probability of success on the merits to support a preliminary injunction against a marijuana dispensary.
Whether the City's failure to refer the ordinances to the Planning Commission constituted prejudicial error under the Planning and Zoning Law.
Whether the trial court correctly applied the IT Corp. framework regarding the presumption of public harm in the context of a municipal ordinance violation.
Disposition. Affirmed
Quotations verified verbatim against the opinion
“Section 65010, subdivision (b) prohibits a court from invalidating an action made pursuant to the Planning and Zoning Law due to procedural errors unless such errors were prejudicial.”