Town of Palm Beach v. STATE, DEPT. OF NAT'L RES.

577 So. 2d 1383
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedApril 10, 1991
Docket89-2691, 89-2747
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 577 So. 2d 1383 (Town of Palm Beach v. STATE, DEPT. OF NAT'L RES.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Town of Palm Beach v. STATE, DEPT. OF NAT'L RES., 577 So. 2d 1383 (Fla. Ct. App. 1991).

Opinion

577 So.2d 1383 (1991)

TOWN OF PALM BEACH, Dave E. Darwin, and Sierra Club, Appellants,
v.
STATE of Florida DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES and 2000 Condominium Association, Inc., Appellees.

Nos. 89-2691, 89-2747.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.

April 10, 1991.

*1384 John C. Randolph and J.A. Jurgens of Jones, Foster, Johnston & Stubbs, P.A., West Palm Beach, for appellant-Town of Palm Beach.

Terrell K. Arline of Terrell K. Arline, P.A., Palm Beach Gardens, for appellants-Dave E. Darwin and Sierra Club.

Kenneth J. Plante, General Counsel, and Dana M. Wiehle, Asst. Gen. Counsel, Tallahassee, for appellee-State of Fla., Dept. of Natural Resources.

Daniel S. Rosenbaum and Steven R. Hicks of Becker, Poliakoff & Streitfeld, P.A., West Palm Beach, for appellee-2000 Condominium Ass'n, Inc.

WARNER, Judge.

This is an appeal from a final order of the Department of Natural Resources denying an administrative hearing to appellants, the Town of Palm Beach, Dave E. Darwin and the Sierra Club, on their petitions challenging the Department's determination that it lacked jurisdiction to issue a permit for certain dune landscaping activities eastward of the coastal construction control line. We reverse.

In 1988 the Department issued a permit to 2000 Condominium to conduct certain landscaping activities on its property upon the satisfaction of several special conditions. *1385 The issuance of the permit was challenged in an administrative hearing requested by appellants who were all petitioners. In June of 1989, 2000 Condominium (hereinafter referred to as 2000) submitted a plan for the trimming of beach-dune vegetation and removal of non-indigenous vegetation on 2000's property seaward of the Palm Beach County Coastal Construction Control Line as an attempt to resolve the pending DOAH proceeding. The Department notified appellee 2000 that a DNR permit would not be required if the proposed landscaping activities consisted merely of trimming and maintenance of native salt-resistant dune vegetation.[1] After reviewing additional information, the Department notified appellee 2000 that the proposed activities "do not fall within the Department's jurisdiction as they do not involve excavation or removal and destruction of native salt resistant vegetation, therefore no permit will be required through this agency."

In response, the appellants herein filed petitions requesting a formal administrative hearing under section 120.57, Florida Statutes (1989), to challenge the determinations made by the Department. The Town of Palm Beach specifically alleged that it owned Phipps Ocean Park which was within 1000 feet of 2000's property, and the park and dune would suffer damage if 2000's landscaping activity were to proceed. Appellant Darwin also alleged that he was an owner of property within 1000 feet of 2000's property and that his property would also be substantially affected by 2000's proposed landscaping by the degradation of the environment, destruction of native plants and vegetation, adverse effects on endangered species and their habitat, and adverse effect on Darwin's property by disrupting the dune system. The Sierra Club alleged that its members were substantially affected because its membership uses the beaches surrounding 2000's property and the Club is very active in protecting the beaches of Florida. It alleged that the activities of 2000 would adversely affect its membership in the same ways as enumerated by the other appellants.

Without a hearing, the Department determined that all of the appellants lacked standing to request a formal hearing because they had failed to show a substantial interest in the outcome of the hearing. The Department determined that it lacked jurisdiction over 2000's trimming activities, and the petitioners had failed to show how they were affected by the Department's determination of its jurisdiction.

On appeal the appellants claim they have standing to request an administrative hearing under Agrico Chem. Co. v. Department of Environmental Regulation, 406 So.2d 478 (Fla. 2d DCA 1982), rev. denied, 415 So.2d 1359 (1982). However, appellees argue that the parties lack standing because DNR lacks jurisdiction over 2000's landscape plan. Therefore, since its determination of no jurisdiction is a question of law not fact, the appellants have no right to initiate a formal administrative proceeding questioning that determination pursuant to section 120.57, Florida Statutes.

We disagree with the Department's contention that it is without jurisdiction of the subject matter of the landscaping activities proposed in appellee 2000's plan. The Department contends that it has no jurisdiction over any "landscaping" activities seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line unless they involve excavation or removal and destruction of native salt resistant vegetation.

A review of statutory provisions indicates that the Department's jurisdiction is broader than what appellees advocate. Section 370.02(5)(a)2, Florida Statutes (1989) provides that the Department of Natural Resources shall be the state agency for "processing of applications and issuing *1386 of permits prior to commencement of work for all coastal construction, physical activity, or structures pertaining thereto... below the mean high-water line of any body of tidal water... ." "Coastal construction" is defined to include "any work or activity which is likely to have a material physical effect on existing coastal conditions or natural shore processes." § 370.01(17), Fla. Stat.; § 161.021(6), Fla. Stat. Section 161.053, Florida Statutes provides that the Department shall establish the coastal construction control line so that the state can preserve and protect the beaches of the state from "imprudent construction which can jeopardize the stability of the beach-dune system". Once such a line is established "no person ... shall construct any structure whatsoever seaward thereof; make any excavation, remove any beach material ...; or damage or cause to be damaged such sand dune or the vegetation growing thereon seaward thereof, except as hereinafter provided." § 161.053(2), Fla. Stat. Section 161.053(5), Florida Statutes, provides that a permit to alter, excavate or construct property seaward of established coastal construction control lines may be granted in certain circumstances listed. Those circumstances deal primarily with excavation or the construction of structures. There is no mention of permits for re-vegetation, or dune management activities, although the statutes do provide that the department may condition the nature, timing and sequence of construction activities to provide protection... . to native salt-resistant vegetation and endangered plant communities." § 161.053(10), Fla. Stat.

The administrative rules enacted by the Department also show that the Department has jurisdiction to regulate the landscaping activities of 2000 and has discretionary power to require permits for such maintenance activity. Rule 16B-33.04 F.A.C., "Exemptions from Permit Requirements", provides:

(7) At the discretion of the staff, utilizing applicable criteria, the following may be considered not to fall within the meaning and intent of Sections 161.052 and 161.053, Florida Statutes:
(f) Maintenance of existing beach/dune vegetation following staff guidelines.

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577 So. 2d 1383, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/town-of-palm-beach-v-state-dept-of-natl-res-fladistctapp-1991.