In The Supreme Court of Virginia ________________ Record No. 200195 ________________ HISTORIC ALEXANDRIA FOUNDATION, Appellant, v. CITY OF ALEXANDRIA and VOWELL, LLC, Appellees. ___________________ BRIEF AMICI CURIAE OF HUGO L. BLACK LAW CLERKS IN SUPPORT OF APPELLANT _____________________ A.E. DICK HOWARD (VSB 08606) JOHN G. KESTER School of Law 313 North Saint Asaph Street University of Virginia Alexandria, Virginia 22314 580 Massie Road (703) 548-7163 Charlottesville, Virginia 22903 (202) 434-5029 (fax) (434) 466-6979 [email protected] (434) 924-7536 (fax) [email protected] GEORGE L. SAUNDERS, JR. Suite 2000 120 North LaSalle Street Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 444-9656 (312) 277-5205 (fax) [email protected] Attorneys Pro Se TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................................................................... iii INTEREST OF THE AMICI ...................................................................................... 1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE .................................................................................. 3 A. Facts ....................................................................................................... 3 B. Proceedings Below ................................................................................ 8 ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR ................................................................................. 10 STANDARDS OF REVIEW ................................................................................... 10 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ............................................................................... 11 ARGUMENT ........................................................................................................... 13 I. THE CIRCUIT COURT IMPROPERLY DISMISSED ON DEMURRER FOR LACK OF STANDING. ......................................... 13 A. The Circuit Court Misunderstood This Court’s Standing Decisions. .................................................................................. 13 1. “Particularized Harm” Was Overwhelmingly Alleged. ...................... 13 2. The Circuit Court’s Dismissal Conflicts With Rulings of Other Courts. .................................................................................. 18 B. The Circuit Court Erroneously Dismissed on Demurrer Without Leave To Amend. ....................................................................... 19 1. Dismissal on Demurrer Based on Standing Allegations Is Not Favored. .................................................................................... 19 - i - Page 2. The Circuit Court Abused Its Discretion in Denying Leave To Amend. ................................................................................ 20 II. THE CIRCUIT COURT ALLOWED NONCOMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORY MANDATES. ............................................................ 22 A. The Circuit Court Disregarded Requirements of the Alexandria City Code. .............................................................................. 22 1. Failure To Apply Mandatory Factors. ................................................. 23 2. Reliance on Impermissible Factors. .................................................... 24 3. Refusal To Consider Landmark Designation. ..................................... 28 4. Misunderstanding of “Fairly Debatable.” .......................................... 30 B. The Circuit Court Ignored the Plain Command of the Open-Space Land Act. .............................................................................. 34 III. THE DISMISSAL WOULD END MEANINGFUL REVIEW UNDER HISTORIC-PRESERVATION STATUTES. ............................... 38 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................ 39 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE AND COMPLIANCE ........................................... 40 - ii - TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page Cases: Abi-Najm v. Concord Condominium, LLC, 280 Va. 350, 699 S.E.2d 483 (2010) ............................................................................................................. 31 Alexander v. Kuykendall, 192 Va. 8, 63 S.E.2d 746 (1951) ............................... 20 Ames v. Town of Painter, 239 Va. 343, 389 S.E.2d 702 (1990) ................... 23, 33 Anthony v. Verizon Va., Inc., 288 Va. 20, 758 S.E.2d 527 (2014) ..................... 32 Assurance Data, Inc. v. Malyevac, 286 Va. 139, 747 S.E. 2d 804 (2013) ......... 32 Board of County Supervisors v. Carper, 200 Va. 553, 107 S.E.2d 390 (1959) ............................................................................................................. 33 Board of County Supervisors v. Davis, 200 Va. 316, 106 S.E.2d 152 (1958) ............................................................................................................. 25 Board of Supervisors v. Fralin and Waldron, Inc., 222 Va. 218, 278 S.E.2d 859 (1981) ................................................................................... 34 Board of Supervisors v. McDonald’s Corp., 261 Va. 583, 544 S.E.2d 334 (2001) .................................................................................. 25 Board of Supervisors v. Southland Corp., 224 Va. 514, 297 S.E. 2d 718 (1982) ............................................................................................................. 33 Board of Supervisors v. Williams, 216 Va. 49, 216 S.E.2d 33 (1975) ......... 31, 34 CaterCorp, Inc. v. Catering Concepts, Inc., 246 Va. 22, 431 S.E.2d 277 (1993) ............................................................................................................. 19 Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. v. Commonwealth ex rel. Va. State Water Control Bd., 52 Va. App. 807, 667 S.E.2d 844 (2008) ....... 19 City of Richmond v. Randall, 215 Va. 506, 211 S.E.2d 56 (1975) ..................... 33 City of Virginia Beach v. Hay, 258 Va. 217, 518 S.E.2d 314 (1999) ................ 38 - iii - Page Concerned Taxpayers v. County of Brunswick, 249 Va. 320, 455 S.E.2d 712 (1995) ................................................................................... 31 Coutlakis v. CSX Transp., Inc., 293 Va. 212, 796 S.E.2d 556 (2017) ............... 32 Covel v. Town of Vienna, 280 Va. 151, 694 S.E.2d 609 .................................... 33 Cupp v. Board of Supervisors, 227 Va. 580, 318 S.E.2d 407 (1984) ........... 17, 18 CVAS 2, LLC v. City of Fredericksburg, 289 Va. 100, 755 S.E.2d 912 (2015) ............................................................................................................. 11 Dodge v. Trustees, 276 Va. 1, 661 S.E.2d 801 (2008) ....................................... 34 Dunn, McCormack, & MacPherson v. Connolly, 281 Va. 553, 708 S.E.2d 867 (2011) ...................................................................................................... 10 Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Gaston Copper Recycling Co., 204 F.3d 149 (4th Cir. 2000) ............................................................................................... 18 Friends of the Rappahannock v. Caroline County Bd., 286 Va. 38, 743 S.E.2d 132 (2013) ............................................................. 9, 10, 15, 16, 21 Fun v. Virginia Military Institute, 245 Va. 249, 427 S.E.2d 181 (1993) ........... 32 Glazebrook v. Board of Supervisors, 266 Va. 550, 587 S.E.2d 589 (2003) ...... 31 Goldman v. Landsidle, 262 Va. 364, 552 S.E.2d 67 (2001) .............................. 18 Harris v. Kreuzer, 271 Va. 188, 624 S.E.2d 24 (2006) ...................................... 11 Howell v. McAuliffe, 292 Va. 320, 788 S.E.2d 706 (2016) .......................... 17, 20 Hubbard v. Dresser, Inc., 271 Va. 117, 624 S.E.2d 1 (2006) ............................ 31 Hunter v. Burroughs, 123 Va. 113, 96 S.E. 360 (1918) ..................................... 20 Kole v. City of Chesapeake, 247 Va. 51, 439 S.E.2d 405 (1994) ................. 11, 21 Lewis v. Kei, 281 Va. 715, 708 S.E.2d 884 (2011) ............................................. 31 - iv - Page Mortarino v. Consultant Engrg. Svces,. Inc., 251 Va. 289, 467 S.E.2d 778 (1996) ................................................................................... 21 Newberry Station Homeowners Ass’n v. Board of Supervisors, 285 Va. 604, 740 S.E.2d 548 (2013) ........................................... 22, 23, 25, 34 Payne v. City of Charlottesville, 97 Va. Cir. 51 (2017) ............................... 19, 21 Pendleton v. Newsome, 290 Va. 162, 772 S.E.2d 759 (2016) ............................ 10 Peterson v. Castano, 260 Va. 299, 534 S.E.2d 736 (2000) ................................ 21 Philip Morris USA Inc. v. Chesapeake Bay Found., Inc., 273 Va. 564, 643 S.E.2d 219 (2007) ................................................................................... 19 Renkey v. County Bd., 272 Va. 369, 634 S.E.2d 352 (2006) ............ 23, 25, 30, 34 Renner v. Stafford, 245 Va. 351, 429 S.E.2d 218 (1993) ................................... 34 Riverview Farm Assocs. Va. Gen. Pshp. v. Board of Supervisors, 259 Va. 419, 528 S.E.2d 99 (2000) ......................................................... 17, 31 Schilling v. Schilling, 280 Va. 146, 695 S.E.2d 181 (2010) ............................... 31 Sierra Club v. Morton, 405 U.S. 727 (1972) ...................................................... 19 Taylor v. Northam, No. CL 20-3339, Cir. Ct. Richmond (Aug. 3, 2020) .......... 18 Thompson ex rel. Thompson v. Skate America, Inc., 261 Va. 121, 540 S.E.2d 123 (2001) .......................................................................................... 33