Case Name: David A. DOHENY, Appellant, v. GROVE ISLE, LTD., and State of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1983-10-04
Citations: 442 So. 2d 966
Docket Number: No. AM-475
Parties: David A. DOHENY, Appellant, v. GROVE ISLE, LTD., and State of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Appellees.
Judges: ERYIN, C.J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 442
Pages: 966–977

Head Matter:
David A. DOHENY, Appellant, v. GROVE ISLE, LTD., and State of Florida Department of Environmental Regulation, Appellees.
No. AM-475.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, First District.
Oct. 4, 1983.
On Rehearing Dec. 8, 1983.
Parker D. Thomson, Richard J. Ovelmen and Douglas M. Halsey of Paul & Thomson, Miami, David A. Doheny, in pro. per., for appellant.
Kenneth G. Oertel of Oertel & Laramore, P.A., Tallahassee, Larry Stewart of Floyd, Pearson, Stewart, Richman, Greer & Weil, Miami, for appellee Grove Isle.
Alfred J. Malefatto, Asst. Gen. Counsel, for Fla. Dept, of Environmental Regulation, Tallahassee, for appellee DER.
Robert M. Rhodes and Patrick K. Wiggins of Messer, Rhodes & Vickers, Tallahassee, for appellees.

Opinion:
MILLS, Judge.
Doheny appeals from a 29 March 1982 order of the Department of Environmental Regulation (DER) directing that a default permit be issued to Grove Isle for construction of a 90-slip boat marina in Biscayne Bay adjacent to Grove Isle's condominium project. The default resulted from DER's alleged failure to approve or deny, within the time prescribed by law, Grove Isle's second application to construct the marina.
This Court previously considered an appeal by Grove Isle affirming an order of DER denying Grove Isle's first application for a permit to construct the same marina at the same location, in Grove Isle v. Bayshore Homeowner's Ass'n., 418 So.2d 1046 (Fla. 1st DCA 1982), petition for review denied in 430 So.2d 451 (Fla.1982).
In our opinion in Grove Isle, supra, we said:
The initial hearing was held in January 1980. The hearing officer issued a recommended order that the permit be issued. Bayshore and the other petitioners, except for Mr. Doheny and Mr. Filer, were found to lack standing. The hearing officer's finding was based on a lack of evidence in the record upon which a legal conclusion regarding the remaining petitioner's standing could be made.
This hearing was conducted using Rule 17-4.29, Florida Administrative Code, as the applicable water quality standard. In its final order, DER accepted the hearing officer's findings of fact and conclusions of law regarding the applicable water quality rule and public interest criteria. DER denied the permit because the hearing had been conducted under the wrong water quality standard. DER asserted the appropriate standard was Rule 17-4.242, Florida Administrative Code, Florida Outstanding Water Rule, which applied to permit applications completed after 1 March 1979. Biscayne Bay is among those bodies of water designat ed as Outstanding Florida Waters. Rule 17-3.041(l)(f), Florida Administrative Code. After denying the permit, DER remanded for a new hearing for the taking of additional evidence of whether the proposed marina complied with Rule 17-4.242.
Upon remand the hearing officer recommended that the permit be denied because although ambient water quality surrounding the marina would not be lowered, Grove Isle failed to carry its burden of showing the marina was clearly in the public interest as required by the rule.
In its final order under the new water quality standard, DER accepted the hearing officer's conclusion of law that Grove Isle did not show the marina was "clearly in the public interest." However, DER rejected the conclusion that ambient water quality would not be lowered.
DER held that unless a "restricted mixing zone" was applied for pursuant to Rule 17-4.242(l)(a)2.b, Florida Administrative Code, ambient water quality was to be measured within the project site, not in the small cove in which the marina was located as done by the hearing officer. DER found the hearing officer applied de facto mixing zone criteria erroneously.
DER denied issuance of the permit since the project was not "clearly in the public interest" and it was uncertain whether ambient water quality would be lowered.
418 So.2d at 1048, 1049. This Court further observed in that opinion that under Rule 17-4.242, Florida Administrative Code, Grove Isle was required to show: (1) that the proposed project would not lower ambient water quality; and (2) that the project is clearly in the public interest. While this Court held that DER erred in rejecting the hearing officer's conclusion that ambient water quality would not be lowered, we affirmed DER's adoption of the hearing officer's finding that Grove Isle failed to carry its burden of showing that the project was clearly in the public interest and, therefore, affirmed DER's denial of the application for the construction permit.
Prior to this Court's opinion and order in the first appeal, Grove Isle filed another application with DER on 18 May 1981 for a permit for the construction of the marina. The abbreviated "reapplication" took the form of a letter to DER from counsel for Grove Isle enclosing certain documents regarding the original application. Basically, the reapplication differed from the first application in that it requested DER to grant a mixing zone for its project pursuant to Rule 17-4.244, Florida Administrative Code, and submitted, along with its letter, a map of a proposed mixing zone. The reapplication recited that although Grove Isle disagreed that a mixing zone was necessary, it was reapplying for the permit and also applying for a mixing zone "in an attempt to keep this matter from becoming any more complicated." On 19 June 1981, DER staff responded by sending to Grove Isle a "completeness summary" indicating that the project would be in Outstanding Florida Waters and requesting Grove Isle "to demonstrate that this project is clearly in the public interest and that this project will not result in the degradation of ambient water quality beyond the 30-day construction period _" In response, counsel for Grove Isle sent a letter to DER on 25 June 1981. The letter suggested that DER refer to its file in connection with the prior application for the information sought in the completeness summary letter.
LACK OF JURISDICTION
The Department did not have jurisdiction to consider Grove Isle's second application.
This Court acquired jurisdiction of this case by virtue of Grove Isle's appeal of the Department's adverse ruling on its first application. Grove Isle, supra. The Court did not divest itself of jurisdiction after acquiring jurisdiction. The issues raised by the second application were ruled upon by this Court in Grove Isle, supra.
ESTOPPEL BY JUDGMENT
Grove Isle was estopped from filing its second application by this Court's decision on its first application. Grove Isle, supra.
The Department ruled against Grove Isle on both issues raised by its first application, water quality and public interest. The Department also denied the permit it sought.
On appeal, this Court affirmed the public interest issue and permit denial but reversed the water quality issue. Although Doheny and DER won the public interest issue and the case, Grove Isle won the water quality issue.
In both applications, Grove Isle sought a permit from DER to build a marina. In both cases, the issues were water quality and public interest. In both cases, Grove Isle sought and Doheny opposed the permit. DER opposed the first permit and opposed the second permit until it concluded it had to issue the permit by default. DER was the permitting authority in both cases.
Grove Isle is estopped from arguing that the water quality would not be lowered because this Court ruled in its favor on this issue. Also, the Court has ruled in favor of Doheny and the Department on the public interest issue and denial of the permit. See Donahue v. Davis, 68 So.2d 163 (Fla.1953).
This appeal is dismissed.
ERYIN, C.J., concurs.
NIMMONS, J., dissents with opinion.