Bee's Auto, Inc. v. City of Clermont

8 F. Supp. 3d 1369, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41011, 2014 WL 1268591
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Florida
DecidedMarch 27, 2014
DocketCase No. 5:11-cv-525-Oc-10PRL
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 8 F. Supp. 3d 1369 (Bee's Auto, Inc. v. City of Clermont) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bee's Auto, Inc. v. City of Clermont, 8 F. Supp. 3d 1369, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41011, 2014 WL 1268591 (M.D. Fla. 2014).

Opinion

[1371]*1371 ORDER

WM. TERRELL HODGES, District Judge.

Plaintiffs Bee’s Auto, Inc., (“Bee’s Auto”) and Wayne Weatherbee have been embroiled in litigation with the City of Clermont (the “City”) for several years, involving two separate civil actions in this District.1 Both cases arose when the City of Clermont informed the Plaintiffs that they could not operate an automobile repair shop and storage facility on a parcel of property the Plaintiffs purchased in Clermont without first applying for and obtaining a Conditional Use Permit under the City’s zoning ordinances. The Plaintiffs refused to apply for the permit, and instead posted numerous signs on the property complaining about the City. This resulted in the City issuing several violation notices to the Plaintiffs under the City’s sign ordinance.

The present litigation began on May 23, 2011, when the Plaintiffs filed suit against the City in state court. The City then removed the case to this Court on September 8, 2011 (Doc. 1). The Plaintiffs ultimately filed a six-count amended complaint against the City alleging constitutional claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for purported violations of the Plaintiffs’ procedural and substantive due process rights, violations of their First Amendment right to free speech, an inverse condemnation/unlawful takings claim under the Fifth Amendment, and a state law claim for equitable estoppel (Doc. 27).

The City moved for summary judgment on all claims (Doc. 53), and the Plaintiffs filed a response in opposition (Doc. 59). On February 28, 2013, 927 F.Supp.2d 1318 (M.D.Fla.2013), the Court granted summary judgment in favor of the City on all but one of the Plaintiffs’ claims for relief— the claim for declaratory and injunctive relief alleging violations of the Plaintiffs’ First Amendment right to free speech (Doc. 78). The Court referred this remaining claim to the Hon. Karla R. Spaulding, Magistrate Judge, to conduct a settlement conference (Id.). However, the Parties were unable to reach settlement, and Judge Spaulding granted the Plaintiffs time to file supplemental summary judgment briefs on the First Amendment claim (Doc. 98). Those briefs have now been filed (Docs. 99,102), and the claim is ripe for disposition.

Upon due consideration, the Court finds that the City’s motion for summary judgment on the First Amendment claim is due to be denied. The Court further finds that the City’s sign Code is unconstitutional both facially and as applied to the Plaintiffs because it draws distinctions between non-commercial signs containing political messages, political signs, and other types of signs and displays based solely on their content, and because the Code is not narrowly drawn to satisfy a compelling government interest.

Undisputed Material Facts

The Court has previously provided an in-depth recitation of the undisputed facts, see Doc. 78, pp. 2-15. The Court will now limit its analysis to the facts pertinent to the remaining First Amendment Claim.

I. The City’s Sign Ordinances2

Chapter 102 of the City’s Code of Ordi[1372]*1372nances is entitled “Signs” and it regulates all signs erected within the City. The stated purpose and intent of Chapter 102 is “to ensure adequate means of communication through signage as stated in this chapter,” and to:

(1) Maintain the established suburban character of the city by regulating all exterior signage in a manner which promotes low profile signage of high quality design.
(2) Protect and maintain the visual integrity of roadway corridors within the city by establishing a maximum amount of signage on any one site to reduce visual clutter.
(3) Establish locations and setback for signage which are designed to protect motorists from visual distractions, obstructions and hazards.
(4) Enhance the appearance of the physical environment by requiring that signage be designed as an integral architectural feature of the site and structure which such signage is intended to identify, and sited in a manner which is sensitive to the existing natural environment.
(5) Provide for signage which satisfies the needs of the local business community for visibility, identification and communication.
(6) Establish procedures for the removal or replacement of nonconforming signs, enforcement of these regulations, maintenance of existing signs, and consideration of variances and appeals.

Code § 102-1.

Section 102-2 of the Code broadly defines signs as

[A]ny advertising display in the form of any letters, figure character, mark, plane, point, marquee, design, poster, picture, stroke, stripe, line, trademark, reading matter or device, or any combination of these, placed, attached, painted, erected, fastened or manufactured in any manner whatsoever so that the display is designed or used for the information of persons or the attraction of persons to any place, subject, person, firm, corporation, public performance or merchandise whatsoever, and which is displayed in any manner out-of-doors.

The Code regulates signs in several ways. First, unless a sign falls into one of the “exempt” categories, a person wishing to erect, display, alter, change, or relocate a sign must first obtain a permit from the City and pay a fee. See Code § 102-6. Second, once a person obtains a sign permit, the Code imposes height and setback requirements (Code § 102-12), construction and maintenance standards (Code § 102-10), and places limitations on the total area and number of signs that may exist on a parcel of land (Code §§ 102-13, 102-14).

The City’s Code expressly exempts from the permitting requirements certain enumerated categories of signs. Section 102-7 provides that “[t]he following types of signs are exempt from the permit requirements of this chapter, provided they are not placed or constructed so as to create a hazard of any kind.... ”

(1) One sign per street frontage, not exceeding four square feet in total area for residential zones and not exceeding 32 square feet in total area for commercial and industrial zones, offering the specific property for sale, rent or lease by the owner or his agent, provided the sign is located on the property offered.
(2) One marquee sign over a show window or door of a store or business establishment announcing only the [1373]*1373name of the proprietor and the nature of the business, not exceeding four square feet in area.
(3) One sign painted on the door or show window limited to the name of the proprietor, name or nature of the business, hours of operation and emergency telephone numbers, when all letters and characters are no more than six inches in height.
(4) One ground sign not exceeding two square feet in area and bearing only property numbers, post office box numbers, names of occupants of premises, or other identification of the premises, not having commercial connotations.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 F. Supp. 3d 1369, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 41011, 2014 WL 1268591, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bees-auto-inc-v-city-of-clermont-flmd-2014.