Court Rules for Citizens

The First District Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor of 1000 Friends of Florida, the Friends of the Matanzas, and the Hamilton family from Crescent Beach. The Court held that the citizens were entitled to seek a declaration from the Department of Community Affairs of whether the Florida Department of Transportation's extension of 6 miles of water and sewer lines to a rest stop on I-95 in southern St. Johns County required a plan amendment. In supporting broad citizen access to the agency, the Court said, "the public interest is served in encouraging agency responsiveness in the performance of their functions."