Layton v. Howard County Board of Appeals

This case, in a land use or zoning context, addresses the question of the retrospective applicability of a related statutory law which is amended during the course of litigation. It presents the issue of whether the rule in Yorkdale Corporation v. Powell, 237 Md. 121, 205 A.2d 269 (1964), may be applied to enlarge uses as well as to limit uses.

Colleen Layton and Scott Robbins, d/b/a Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary, Inc., (collectively referred to as “Frisky’s”), the petitioners, attempted to obtain a special exception to operate as a charitable and philanthropic institution in Howard…