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Date: 09-26-2024
Case Style:
Catherine Sullivan v. Blaine County and Megan Gruver
Case Number: 50507
Judge: Ned C. Williamson
Court: Fifth Judicial District Court, Blaine Count, Idaho
Plaintiff's Attorney:
Defendant's Attorney: Blaine County Idaho Prosecutor's Office and Heather E. O'Leary
Description:
Hailey, Idaho planning and zoning lawyer represented the Plaintiff.
Catherine Sullivan, owns residential property next to property
owned by Megan Gruver who lives on and operates an equestrian facility on her property. Sullivan
appeals the district court’s judgment affirming Blaine County’s issuance of a modified conditional
use permit (the “2021 CUP”) to Gruver to allow her to hold up to three events per year at the Silver
Bell Equestrian Center (“Silver Bell Ranch”), to board eight additional horses, and to hire one
more full-time, non-resident employee. Gruver was issued a conditional use permit in 2019 (the
“2019 CUP”) that allowed her to continue to operate her equestrian facility at Silver Bell Ranch.
The 2019 CUP was not appealed, and it became final. Following a riding clinic at Silver Bell
Ranch in 2020, Gruver applied for a modification of the 2019 CUP. Sullivan objected to the 2021
CUP during public hearings before the Hearing Examiner, and subsequently appealed the issuance
of the 2021 CUP to the Blaine County Board of Commissioners. The Hearing Examiner and the
Board granted the 2021 CUP subject to several conditions and modifications. Sullivan exhausted
her administrative remedies and petitioned the district court for judicial review. The district court
affirmed the issuance of the modified 2021 CUP. Sullivan timely appealed the district court’s
decision and seeks a reversal of that decision along with the invalidation of the 2021 CUP. For the
reasons discussed below, the district court’s decision is affirmed because Sullivan failed to show
that the Board’s decision to issue the modified 2021 CUP prejudiced her substantial right
Outcome: Affirmed
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: