<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="; charset=UTF-16"> <title>ORDINANCE - NOTICE OF ENACTMENT : PA Land Use</title> <meta name="author" content="Ripple Effects Interactive"> <meta name="description" content="Valianatos v. ZHB of Richmond Township, 766 A.2d 903 (Pa. Commw. January 30, 2001)"> <meta name="keyword" content="Governor's Center Local Government Services Growing Smarter sound land use management Pennsylvania PA Harrisburg forums laws legislation award grants LUPTAP Governor Tom Ridge Executive Order 1999-1 Municipalities Planning Code MPC Advisory Committee Interagency Team local agency agencies reports publications Pennsylvanians citizens residents township borough practices tools trends inventory growth housing financial technical assistance PASATS PASAB peer-to-peer programs municipal statistics infrastructure rural urban residential transferable development rights TDRs landowner Court Common Pleas Act 67 68 state statute streams mining mine coal refuse disposal agriculture agricultural oil gas conservation preservation reclamation nutrient historic heritage flood storm water single application shared multi-municipal joint workshops educational directory revitalization zone zoning environmental environment Commonwealth Keystone Building DCED community economic development"> <meta name="robots" content="index,follow"> <meta name="revisit after" content="31 days"> <style type="text/css"> <!-- BODY, TD { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 13px; } --> </style> <style type="text/css"> <!-- STRONG { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 13px; } --> </style> <style type="text/css"> <!-- B { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 15px; } --> </style> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" marginwidth=0 leftmargin=0 topmargin=0 marginheight=0> <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td bgcolor="#003399" colspan=3>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td background="../images/background904.gif" valign=top width="30%"> <p><img src="../images/landuse.gif" width="162" height="86" alt="Pennsylvania Land Use Law Library"></p> <p>&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="../images/jt.jpg" width="160" height="106"> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="../images/jt2.gif" width="160" height="14"> </p> <p><a href="http://www.inventpa.com" target="_blank"><img src="../images/c_home_invent2.gif" width="200" height="45" border="0"></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.landuseinpa.com" target="_blank"><img src="../images/growing.gif" width="125" height="61" border="0"></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.inventpa.com/default.asp?path=Communities in PA/Governor's%20Center%20for%20Local%20Government%20Services" target="_blank"><img src="../images/govs.gif" width="127" height="62" border="0"></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> <td valign=top width="4%">&nbsp;</td> <td valign=top width="66%"> <table width=90% cellspacing=0 cellpadding=2 border=0><tr><td> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="../images/search.gif" width="227" height="13"><br> </p> <form METHOD="POST" ACTION="http://www.picosearch.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl"> <input TYPE="HIDDEN" NAME="index" VALUE="121242"> <table CELLSPACING=2 CELLPADDING=0 BORDER=0 width="90%" align="center"> <tr> <td width="177"> <div align="center"> <input TYPE="TEXT" NAME="query" VALUE="" SIZE="14"> </div> </td> <td width="230"> <div align="center"> <select NAME="opt"> <option SELECTED VALUE="ANY">Search ANY word <option VALUE="ALL">Search ALL words <option VALUE="EXACT">Search EXACT phrase </select> </div> </td> <td width="101"> <div align="center"> <input type="SUBMIT" value="Search" name="SEARCH"> </div> </td> <td width="101"><a href="http://www.picosearch.com/cgi-bin/ts.pl?index=121242&help=help">Help</a></td> </tr> </table> <ul> <li><a href="../index.html#dis">Disclaimer</a><br> </li> <li><a href="../index.html#proposed_legislation">Proposed Legislation</a><br> </li> <li><a href="../index.html#state_statutes">State Statutes</a><br> </li> <li><a href="../index.html#state_statutes2">State Statutes Referenced in MPC</a><br> </li> <li><a href="../index.html#other">Other State Statutes</a><br> </li> <li><a href="index.html">Land Use Case Law - Court Rulings</a></li> </ul> <p><b>ORDINANCE - NOTICE OF ENACTMENT</b></p> <p> <a href="http://www.courts.state.pa.us/OpPosting/CWealth/out/1298CD00.pdf"><u>Valianatos v. ZHB of Richmond Township</u>, 766 A.2d 903 (Pa. Commw. January 30, 2001)</a><br> Distinguished by Schadler, 814 A.2d 1265, rev'd 850 A.2d 619 and distinguished in Residents Against Matrix 802 A.2d 712- Also move this case from Appellate procedure to Municipal Procedure<br> <a href="ordinance2.html">Cranberry Park Assoc. v. Cranberry Twp.</a> <p> Cross Reference: MPC 609 <p> The public notice for an amendment to the zoning ordinance must strictly comply with the MPC and any ambiguities in the notice will be construed against the township, thus possibly voiding the ordinance. The notice scheduling a public hearing on an amendment to the zoning ordinance was advertised in the newspaper and posted on the affected properties. The notice stated that the township at the hearing would consider the proposed amendment. At the hearing the amendment was approved. <p> A landowner whose property was rezoned by the amendment appealed contending that the notice only referenced that the township would be "considering" and not "enacting" the proposed amendment. Although the township made a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of section 609 of the MPC, the Commonwealth Court found that the notice did not adequately put the general public on notice that the amendment would be acted on at the public hearing. Because there was inadequate notice, the ordinance was void. The township further argued that the appeal was untimely because it was filed over thirty days after passage of the amendment. This argument was dismissed because of the court's finding that the ordinance had never became effective because of the inadequate notice. <p><br> <center> <a href="index.html"><img src="../images/back.gif" border=0 width=70 height=27 alt="Back"></a> </center> <br> <br> <p><br> <strong><font size="1">DISCLAIMER:</font></strong><font size="1"><br> This site is designed to provide summary review of selected Pennsylvania and Federal Court decisions related to land use and land use controls. The information contained herein, although produced by professionals, is not intended to render any legal service. Nor should the materials herein be utilized as a substitute for professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the service of an attorney or other professional should be sought. DCED makes no representations, warranties or guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information provided herein.</font> <p align="right"><a href="#top">Back to Top</a> <p> </form> </td></tr></table> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>