Supreme Court rules in favor of JZ Knight
Knight v. City of Yelm, No. 84831-9. The Supreme Court has ruled that mystic teacher and author JZ Knight has standing to oppose several proposals to subdivide property into single-family residential lots in Yelm. The hearing examiner granted preliminary subdivision approvals in five decisions. Knight later filed a Land Use Petition Act challenge, and the trial court ruled in her favor. On appeal, the Court of Appeals held that Knight could not show she would personally be harmed by land use decision, thus requiring dismissal of her LUPA petition. In a 7-2 decision by Justice Charles Wiggins, the Supreme Court held that Knight established that the land use decision is likely to prejudice her water rights and satisfies the statutory standing requirement.
