Title: Brandon Planning and Zoning Authority v. Burns
Citation: 304 So. 2d 121
Docket Number: 46048
State: Florida
Issuer: Florida Supreme Court
Date: November 27, 1974

304 So. 2d 121 (1974)
BRANDON PLANNING AND ZONING AUTHORITY, Appellant,
v.
David M. BURNS et al., Appellees.
No. 46048.

Supreme Court of Florida.
November 27, 1974.
*122 Robert S. Edwards of Edwards &amp; Sawyer, Plant City, for appellant.
E.O. Palermo and Joseph G. Thresher of Shackleford, Farrior, Stallings &amp; Evans, Tampa, for David M. Burns; and F. Perry Odom and Thomas M. Ervin, Jr., of Ervin, Varn, Jacobs &amp; Odom, Tallahassee, for Homebuilders Ass'n of Greater Tampa, Inc., appellees.
David A. Maney of Gordon &amp; Maney and Peavyhouse, Giglio &amp; Grant, Tampa, for Brandon Business and Professional Women's Club, Bloomingdale Civil Ass'n Brandon American Legion Post 278, Brandon Barracks of Veterans of World War I, Save Brandon Defense Fund An Unincorporated Ass'n, George Kosan and Malvern Coker, amicus curiae.
ROBERTS, Justice.
This cause is on direct appeal to review a final declaratory judgment of the Circuit Court in and for Hillsborough County, holding Chapter 72-564, Laws of Florida, unconstitutional because it violates Article III, Section 11, Florida Constitution. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Article V, Section 3(b)(1), Florida Constitution (1973).
Naming appellant, Brandon Planning and Zoning Authority, and Hillsborough County as defendants, appellee, David Burns, filed a complaint for declaratory judgment seeking to have Chapter 72-564, Laws of Florida, declared inoperative as violative of several sections of the Constitution of Florida. Hillsborough County filed an answer and cross-claim against Brandon Planning and Zoning Authority claiming that Chapter 72-564, Laws of Florida, unconstitutionally violates several sections of the Constitution of Florida.
Chapter 72-564, Laws of Florida,[1] special act applying to a certain designated area in Hillsborough County, known as the Brandon area, established the Brandon Planning and Zoning Authority and invested it with exclusive authority to adopt rules, regulations and procedures for comprehensive planning and zoning of the Brandon area to the exclusion of the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County. After argument and consideration of memoranda of law, the trial court properly allowed Homebuilders Association of Tampa, Inc. to intervene.
Burns and Homebuilders moved for final judgment against Brandon Planning and Zoning Authority on the pleadings. In a final declaratory judgment declaring the questioned act unconstitutional, the trial judge found, as follows:
The trial court provided the following rationale for its decision:
Accordingly, the trial court ordered and adjudged that:
*124 We agree with the trial court and find that the special act in question constitutes a prohibited special law as defined by Article III, Section 11(a)(1) of the Florida Constitution. See Board of County Commissioners of Palm Beach County v. Hibbard, 292 So. 2d 1 (Fla. 1974), Budget Commission of Pinellas County, et al. v. Blocker, 60 So. 2d 193 (Fla. 1952), State ex rel. Coleman v. York, 139 Fla. 300, 190 So. 599 (Fla. 1939).
While it is our opinion that the present law must fail because it is a special law in violation of Article III, Section 11, Florida Constitution, by way of caveat, we respectfully point out that zoning in limited geographical areas could be accomplished under some plan provided for in general legislation. It is our opinion that in many instances people within a less than countywide geographical area might be able to deal more appropriately with zoning problems involving them than when such problems are handled by such countywide legislation. However, such is a matter for legislative wisdom rather than judicial interpretation and we respectfully call this problem to the attention of our coordinate partner in our tripartite government, the Legislature.
Accordingly, having determined that Ch. 72-564 is unconstitutional in that it violates Article III, Section 11, Florida Constitution, we affirm the final declaratory judgment of the trial court.
It is so ordered.
ADKINS, C.J., and BOYD and OVERTON, JJ., concur.
McCAIN and DEKLE, JJ., dissent.
[1]  Chapter 74-490, Laws of Florida, amended portions of Chapter 72-564.
[2]  The County Commissioners derive their general zoning authority from Chapter 125, Florida Statutes, Ch. 71-14, Laws of Florida.