Environmentalists to pay lawyers’ fees in Martin County land-use case

A state appeals court ruled yesterday that environmental groups must pay the attorneys fees of Martin County, the Florida Department of Community Affairs and development interests for appealing a land-use case, the Florida Tribune reported. Richard Grosso, an attorney for the groups — 1,000 Friends of Florida and the Martin County Conservation Alliance — said the ruling sets a disturbing precedent for groups that seek to enforce state growth management laws. In a 2007 Martin County case, the 1st District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee ruled against the environmentalists, and the county reduced the minimum lot size required. The groups challenged the land-use change, saying it failed to establish predictable standards to protect environmentally sensitive lands. The appellate court ruled that the environmentalists lacked legal standing because they were not affected since there was no increase in development since the new standards went into effect. [Florida Tribune]