City of Miami Beach v. Breitbart

358 So. 2d 564, 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 15884
District Court of Appeal of Florida·Decided April 25, 1978·No. No. 77-311·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

KEHOE, Judge.

Appellant, defendant below, brings this appeal from an order on mandate dated January 18,1977, entered by the trial court. The decretal portion of the order reads as follows:

“CONSIDERED, ORDERED AND ADJUDGED
(a) The provision of the zoning ordinance of the City of Miami Beach in so far as it restricts and limits the use of the subject property to PUD-1 zoning is arbitrary, unconstitutional and void.
(b) That a transitional use for this property, consistent with the use of the neighborhood and the changes in the area for professional office use is consistent with C-2 zoning. The property is not suitable for business use and business should be prohibited other than professional office use.
(c) In its prior opinion this trial Court recommended that the zoning might also be similar to that of the Howard Johnson Hotel which has been referred to. As the zoning has been changed, however, the closest zoning which would permit such a use is RM-100.
(d) The Court retains jurisdiction of this cause for the purpose of enforcing this Order. The Court further reserves jurisdiction to determine whether or not set back or other restrictions are reasonable with reference to the Plaintiff’s property.
(e) Costs shall be taxed against the Defendant.”

Appellant contends: that the trial court’s order is contrary to the opinion and mandate of this court in the case of City of Miami Beach v. Breitbart, 280 So.2d 18 (Fla. 3d DCA 1973) [hereinafter cited as Breit-bart]; that the trial court erred by declaring invalid a zoning ordinance which protected and promoted the health, safety, morals, and welfare of the community in relation to the use of property; and that the trial court erred by invading the legislative province of appellant. We have concluded that, by rezoning the subject property to PUD-1, the City of Miami Beach City Council has complied with this court’s opinion and mandate in Breitbart; therefore, the order on mandate appealed is reversed.

The property involved was initially the subject of the case of City of Miami Beach v. Breit Bay, Inc., 190 So.2d 354 (Fla. 3d DCA 1966). In that case, we upheld a final decree enjoining the City from restricting [565] the use of this property to single family purposes. Thereafter, the City rezoned the property RM-14 (Multiple-Family Low Density District).1

On July 1, 1970, appellee filed a complaint attacking the RM-14 classification. Appellee sought to use his property for either an apartment house, a high rise, or business building. The trial court found that the RM-14 classification was arbitrary and unconstitutional, and it directed the City to rezone the property so as to not restrict its use for professional office or motel use.

On appeal, in Breitbart, we upheld that portion of the amended final judgment entered by the trial court which held:

“ ‘The provision of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, insofar as it restricts and limits the use of the above described land [by classification RM-14] is arbitrary and unconstitutional and void.’ ” 280 So.2d at 19.

However, we modified that portion of the amended final judgment which directed the City to rezone the property so that it could be used for professional office or motel use, and substituted the following provision:

“ ‘ . . . The City of Miami Beach is ordered to promptly reconsider the rezoning of the property in a manner not inconsistent with the decision of the circuit court and the opinion of the District Court of Appeal.’ ” 280 So.2d at 19.

Thereafter, on September 4, 1974, appellant, through its City Council, passed and adopted Ordinance No. 74-2003. This ordinance classified the subject property as PUD-1 (Planned Unit Development Residential District).2

[566] The trial court, in its order on mandate entered January 18, 1977, stated that the cause came on to be heard before it upon appellee’s motion to have the subject property rezoned in accordance with our opinion and mandate in Breitbart. Further, the trial court recited certain of the previous findings of fact contained in its final judgment entered on March 10, 1972. Further still, the trial court concluded that the PUD-1 zoning “could effectively deny the plaintiff [appellee] the use of his property.” [Emphasis added.]

Because of the actions of the parties by acting on our opinion and mandate, we are now confronted with the following dilemma: appellant, in rezoning appellee’s property, has concluded that PUD-1 was the appropriate zoning classification of the property; whereas the trial court has determined that such classification fell short of its judgment and our mandate, and, therefore, was arbitrary, unconstitutional, and void.

We have carefully reviewed the record and find that the reason for appellant’s classification is best understood by quoting the following testimony of Mr. Toal, Director, City of Miami Beach Planning Board, given before the City Council on August 7, 1974:

“And, when you give your recommendations Mr. Toal, please let Council know the various alternatives that were considered by the Planning Board. All right, sir.

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City of Miami Beach v. Breitbart, 358 So. 2d 564, 1978 Fla. App. LEXIS 15884 (Fla. Ct. App. 1978).

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