Petitioner: CITIZENS FOR PROPER PLANNING, INC., AND JIM DURHAM
Respondent: POLK COUNTY
Judges: D. R. ALEXANDER
Agency: Department of Community Affairs
Locations: Bartow, Florida
Filed: Mar. 19, 2003
Status: Closed
Recommended Order on Tuesday, February 24, 2004.
Latest Update: Jun. 29, 2004
Summary: The issue is whether Polk County's small scale development amendment (CPA2003S-02) adopted by Ordinance No. 03-03 on January 22, 2003, as later amended by Ordinance No. 03-19 on March 15, 2003, is in compliance.Small scale amendment which changed use on land from residential to commercial conflicts with two other policies in the Plan and is inconsistent with the Plan and not in compliance.
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JIM DURHAM AND CITIZENS hp
FOR PROPER PLANNING, INC.,
Petitioners,
AC CASE No. ACC-04-002
vs. DOAHCASENos. 03-05036M DRA-CLoS
03-0933GM
POLK COUNTY,
Respondents,
and
JACK M. BERRY, INC.,
Intervenor.
/
FINAL ORDER
This cause came for hearing before the Administration Commission (Commission) on
June 24, 2004. Based on a review of the record and being duly advised in the premises, the
Commission hereby finds as follows:
1. The issue for the Commission’s review is whether the small scale amendment, as
that term is defined in section 163.3187(1)(c), Florida Statutes (2003), to Polk County’s
Comprehensive Plan adopted in Ordinance No. CPA2003S-02 and modified by Ordinance No.
03-03 is in compliance with Florida’s Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land
Development Regulation Act.
2. The Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH) recommends that the
Commission find that the small scale amendment is not in compliance. Accordingly, the
Commission, in accordance with section 163.3187(3)(b)1, Florida Statutes (2003), must take
final agency action on the Recommended Order issued by DOAH in this matter.
3. The Commission’s scope of review of the Findings of Fact and Conclusions of
Law in the Recommended Order is governed by section 120.57(1)(), Florida Statutes (2003).
4. The Commission hereby adopts and incorporates by reference herein DOAH’s
Recommended Order with the following modifications and rejections to the Recommended
Order:
a. The Commission hereby rejects all of the Recommended Order’s Conclusions of
Law that address whether Citizens for Proper Planning, Inc. (CPPI) has standing in this case. As
a threshold matter, the parties do not contest that the Commission, by virtue of its authority in
section 163.3187(3)(b)1, Florida Statutes (2003), has substantive jurisdiction to determine
whether the parties that appear before it in these proceedings have standing to do so. See §
120.57(1)(), Fla. Stat. (2003) (stating that the Commission, as the agency with final order
authority in this case, may reject conclusions of law over which it has substantive jurisdiction).
As such, the Commission rejects all Conclusions of Law that address whether CPPI has
standing because neither the Cormmission nor DOAH needs to exercise its jurisdiction to address
that issue in order to resolve the substantive issues regarding the small scale amendment’s
compliance with the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development
Regulation Act. See Coalition for Adequacy and Fairness in School Funding, Inc. v. Chiles, 680
So. 2d 400, 403 n.4 (Fla. 1996) (“While we question the standing of [one plaintiff], we need not
discuss that issue because of the standing of the other plaintiffs.”). See also Scott v. U.S., 98S.
Ct. 1717, 1722 n.10 (1978).
As Paragraph 53 of the Recommended Order notes,
CPPI has been allowed to fully participate in this
proceeding and to have its claims addressed in this
Recommended Order. Further, its co-Petitioner, Durham,
has standing to continue to pursue the common interests of
the two parties.
The Recommended Order held and the parties do not contest that Petitioner Durham has standing
to pursue the issues presented in this proceeding. Accordingly, even if the Commission were to
decide that CPPI has no standing, the Commission would be compelled to decide the underlying
substantive issues. See Coalition for Adequacy and Fairness, 680 So. 2d at 403 n.4; Scott, 436
S. Ct. at 1722 n.10. On the other hand, if the Commission decides that CPPI does have standing,
the Commission would simply repeat the same analysis that it has applied to Petitioner Durham’s
claims. See Coalition for Adequacy and Fairness, 680 So. 2d at 403 n.4; Scott, 436 S. Ct. at
1722 n.10. Because neither the Commission nor DOAH needs to decide the issue of CPPI’s
standing under these circumstances, see Coalition for Adequacy and Fairness, 680 So. 2d at 403
n.4; Scott, 436 S. Ct. at 1722 n.10, the Commission’s rejection of the Recomraended Order’s
Conclusions of Law on CPPI’s standing is as or more reasonable than the Recommended Order’s
Conclusions of Law on this issue. See § 120.57(1)(1), Fla. Stat. (2003). Accordingly, the
Commission hereby rejects the Recommended Order’s Conclusions of Law on CPPI’s standing.
Nevertheless, the Commission recognizes that whether CPPI has standing under section
163.3184(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (2003), is debatable and, therefore, recommends that the Legislature
address the ambiguity presented by the meaning of “operating a business” in section
163.3184(1)(a), Fla. Stat. (2003), in order to provide clarity to future participants in the growth
management process.
b. The Commission hereby modifies Paragraph 58 of the Recommended Order
solely for the reason that it contains a typographical error. Paragraph 58 states that the
amendment does not comply with Policy 2.113-B-1 in the Future Land Use Element in the
County’s Comprehensive Plan but that it does comply with Policy 2.110-C3 in the Future Land
Use Element in the County’s Comprehensive Plan. This statement, however, is inconsistent with
the Recommended Order’s Findings of Fact, specifically Paragraphs 30, 31, 32, 45, 46, 47, and
48, regarding the amendment’s consistency with Policy 2.113-B-1 and Policy 2.1 10-C3.
Accordingly, the Commission hereby modifies Paragraph 58 so that it reads as follows:
58. For the reasons stated in the Findings of Fact, the
preponderance of the evidence supports the County’s determination
that the plan amendment does not conflict with Policies 2.1 02-Al,
2.113-B-3, and 2.110-C3. Conversely, the preponderance of the
evidence establishes that the County’s determination of the
amendment’s consistency with Policies 2.113-B-4 and 2.113-B-1
was incorrect, and that the amendment conflicts with those
provisions, in violation of Section 163.3177(2), Florida Statutes.
This being so, the amendment is not in compliance.
The Commission’s modification of Paragraph 58 to correct a typographical error is more
reasonable than accepting the Conclusions of Law in Paragraph 58 that are inconsistent with the
Findings of Fact in Paragraphs 30, 31, 32, 45, 46, 47, and 48. See § 120.57(1)(1), Fla. Stat.
(2003).
With these two exceptions, the Commission otherwise hereby adopts and incorporates by
reference all of the remaining Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law in the Recommended
Order and, therefore, determines that the amendment does not comply with Florida’s Local
Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Regulation Act.
NOTICE OF RIGHTS
Any party to this Final Order has the right to seek judicial review of the Final Order
pursuant to Section 120.68, Florida Statutes (2003), by the filing of a Notice of Appeal pursuant
to Rule 9.110, Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, with Barbara Leighty, Clerk of the
Commission, Office of Planning and Budgeting, Executive Office of the Governor, the Capitol,
Room 1802, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001; and by filing a copy of the Notice of Appeal,
accompanied by the applicable filing fees, with the appropriate District Court of Appeal. The
Notice of Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the day this Final Order is filed with the Clerk
of the Commission.
DONE AND ORDERED this 25th day of June, 2004.
A
Drone . Olen
MICHAEL P. HANSEN, Secretary
Administration Commission
FILED with the Clerk of the Administration Commission on this 25th day of June, 2004.
lerk, Admi: 6n —
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that a true and correct copy of the foregoing was delivered to the
following persons by United States mail, facsimile or hand delivery this 25th day of June, 2004.
Honorable Jeb Bush
Governor
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Honorable Tom Gallagher
Chief Financial Officer
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Chanta Combs, Esquire
Governor’s Legal Office
Room 209, The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0001
Terrell K. Arline, Esquire
3205 Brentwood Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32309-2705
Joseph G. Jarret, Esquire
Anne T. Gibson, Esquire
Polk County Attorney’s Office
Post Office Box 9005
Bartow, Florida 33831-9005
Jack P. Brandon, Esquire
Michael T. Gallaher, Esquire
Peterson & Myers, P.A.
Post Office Box 1079
Lake Wales, Florida 33859-1079
Jean Reed, Executive Director
Citizens for Proper Planning, Inc.
27 Lake Eloise Lane
Winter Haven, Florida 33884
Honorable Charles H. Bronson
Commissioner of Agriculture
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Honorable Charlie Crist
Attomey General
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Thaddeus Cohen, Secretary
Heidi Hughes, General Counsel
Department of Community Affairs
2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard
Tallahassee, Florida 32369-2100
Warren K. Heath, I, Authorized Agent
Jack M. Berry, Inc.
Post Office Box 459
Labelle, Florida 33975-0459
Jack M. Berry, Jr.
Post Office Box 5609
Winter Haven, Florida 33880
Jim Durham
10 Lake Eloise Lane Southeast
Winter Haven, Florida 33884
Florida Administrative Law Reports
Post Office Box 385
Gainesville, Florida 32602
Honorable Donald R. Alexander
Administrative Law Judge
Division of Administrative Hearings
The DeSoto Building
1230 Apalachee Parkway
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3060
i MICHAEL P. HANSEN, Secretary
Administration Commission
Docket for Case No: 03-000933GM
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Jun. 29, 2004 |
Final Order filed.
|
Jun. 14, 2004 |
Notice of Commission Meeting filed by B. Lightly.
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Mar. 02, 2004 |
Notice of Prohibited Parties filed by M. Hansen.
|
Feb. 24, 2004 |
Recommended Order (hearing held December 18 and 19, 2003). CASE CLOSED.
|
Feb. 24, 2004 |
Recommended Order cover letter identifying the hearing record referred to the Agency.
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Feb. 09, 2004 |
Petitioner`s Proposed Recommended Order filed.
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Feb. 06, 2004 |
Respondent and Intervenor Notice of Filing Joint Proposed Recommended Order (filed via facsimile).
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Feb. 05, 2004 |
Respondent`s and Intervenor`s Joint Proposed Recommended Order (filed via facsimile).
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Jan. 07, 2004 |
Transcript (Volumes I and II) filed. |
Dec. 18, 2003 |
CASE STATUS: Hearing Held. |
Dec. 16, 2003 |
Deposition (of Jean Reed) filed.
|
Dec. 16, 2003 |
Deposition (of Jim Durham) filed.
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Dec. 16, 2003 |
Notice of Filing, Deposition of Jim Durham and Jean Reed filed by Intervenor, Jack M. Berry, Inc.,.
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Dec. 15, 2003 |
Telephonic Deposition (of Earl Starnes, Ph.D.) filed.
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Dec. 15, 2003 |
Notice of Filing filed by M. Gallaher.
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Dec. 09, 2003 |
Notice of Filing a Supplement to Answers to Interrogatories of Intervenor, Jack M. Berry, Inc., to Petitioners Jim Durham and Citizens for Proper Planning, Inc. (filed by Petitioner via facsimile).
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Nov. 18, 2003 |
Notice of Taking Deposition (Dr. E. Starnes) filed via facsimile.
|
Aug. 06, 2003 |
Notice of Hearing (hearing set for December 18 and 19, 2003; 9:00 a.m.; Bartow, FL).
|
Aug. 04, 2003 |
Response to Order Continuing Hearing (filed by Petitioner via facsimile).
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Aug. 04, 2003 |
Response to Order Continuing Hearing (filed by Petitioners via facsimile).
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Jun. 20, 2003 |
Order Granting Continuance (parties to advise status by August 4, 2003).
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Jun. 20, 2003 |
Motion for Continuance (filed by Petitioners via facsimile).
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Jun. 19, 2003 |
Resondent Polk County`s Response to Plaintiffs` Motion for Continuance (filed via facsimile).
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Jun. 19, 2003 |
Intervenor`s Notice of Serving Answer to Interrogatories filed.
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Jun. 19, 2003 |
Joint Stipulated Composite Exhibit "A" (Volumes I, II, and III) filed. |
Jun. 18, 2003 |
Pre-hearing Stipulation (filed by M. Gallaher via facsimile).
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Jun. 17, 2003 |
Notice of Taking Deposition, C. Diamond (filed via facsimile).
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Jun. 17, 2003 |
Intervenor`s Response to Petitioners` Request for Production (filed via facsimile).
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Jun. 16, 2003 |
Respondent Polk County`s Supplemental Notice of Compliance With Pre-Trial Order as to Exhibits (filed via facsimile).
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Jun. 10, 2003 |
Respondent Polk County`s Notice of Compliance with Pre-Trial Order (filed via facsimile).
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Jun. 03, 2003 |
Response to Plaintiffs` Request for Production of Documents (filed by Respondent via facsimile).
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May 28, 2003 |
Notice of Serving Answers to Interrogatories of Intervenor, Jack M. Berry, Inc. to Petitioners Jim Durham and Citizens for Proper Planning, Inc. (filed by T. Arline via facsimile).
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May 08, 2003 |
Request for Production of Documents to Intervenor, Jack M. Berry, Inc. (filed by T. Arline via facsimile).
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May 08, 2003 |
Notice of Serving Petitioners` First Interrogatories and First Request to Produce Documents to Intervenor, Jack M. Berry, Inc. (filed via facsimile).
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May 06, 2003 |
Notice of Taking Deposition of Corporate Representative (Citizens for Proper Planning, Inc.,) (filed via facsimile).
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May 06, 2003 |
Notice of Taking Deposition, J. Durham (filed via facsimile).
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Apr. 22, 2003 |
Notice of Service of Intervenor`s Jack M. Berry, Inc., Interrogatories to Petitioner, Citizens for Proper Planning, Inc. filed.
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Apr. 22, 2003 |
Notice of Service of Intervenor`s Jack M. Berry, Inc., Interrogatories to Petitioner, Jim Durham filed.
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Mar. 25, 2003 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions issued.
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Mar. 25, 2003 |
Notice of Hearing issued (hearing set for June 23 and 24, 2003; 9:00 a.m.; Bartow, FL).
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Mar. 25, 2003 |
Stipulation for Hearing Date (filed by T. Arline via facsimile).
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Mar. 24, 2003 |
Response to Motion to Intervene (filed by T. Arline via facsimile).
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Mar. 21, 2003 |
Letter to Judge Johnston from M. Gallaher enclosing courtesy copy of Jack M. Berry, Inc.`s motion to intervene filed.
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Mar. 20, 2003 |
Order Consolidating Cases issued. (consolidated cases are: 03-000593GM, 03-000933GM)
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Mar. 19, 2003 |
Initial Order issued.
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Mar. 19, 2003 |
Petition for Formal Administrative Proceedings (filed via facsimile).
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Orders for Case No: 03-000933GM
Issue Date |
Document |
Summary |
Jun. 25, 2004 |
Agency Final Order
|
|
Feb. 24, 2004 |
Recommended Order
|
Small scale amendment which changed use on land from residential to commercial conflicts with two other policies in the Plan and is inconsistent with the Plan and not in compliance.
|