
Topanga Association for a Scenic Community v. County of Los Angeles
Supreme Court of California
11 Cal.3d 506 (1974)
Relevant factsFree
The Commission (defendant) granted a large mobile-home-park variance based on findings about the proposed development's own features (natural preservation, affordable housing, hilly terrain) but never addressed the ordinance's requirement of special circumstances distinguishing the 28-acre property from other identically zoned surrounding properties; the Association (plaintiff) unsuccessfully challenged the variance through administrative appeal and mandamus before reaching the state supreme court.
IssueFree
Whether an administrative grant of a zoning variance must be accompanied by administrative findings of fact sufficient to satisfy the variance's requirements.
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