Lead Opinion
Upon our rehearing en banc of this cause, we withdraw the prior panel opinion issued on August 22, 2007, and the subsequent revised dissent, and substitute the following opinion in its stead.
Lowell Joseph Kuvin (“Kuvin”) appeals the trial court’s order denying his motion for summary judgment, granting the City of Coral Gables’ (“the City”) motion for summary judgment, and issuing a final declaratory judgment in favor of the City. Upon en banc review, we affirm the trial court’s order upholding sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s zoning code (“Zoning Code”) as a valid, and thus constitutional, exercise of the City’s zoning power.
The facts are not in dispute. Kuvin lived in the City in a rental home that did not have a garage. While residing in the City, Kuvin owned and drove a Ford F-150 pickup truck, which he routinely parked on the street in front of his home. After several warnings, Kuvin was issued a citation alleging a violation of the City’s Zoning Code. After conducting a hearing, the City’s Building and Zoning Board (“Board”) found Kuvin guilty of the violation and fined him $50 plus costs.
Kuvin appealed the Board’s decision by filing a complaint in the circuit court. In his complaint, Kuvin sought a declaration that sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code were unconstitutional. Section 8-11 prohibits the parking of trucks in residential areas of the City unless parked in an enclosed garage. Section 8-12, the zoning ordinance Kuvin was cited for violating, prohibits the parking of trucks, trailers, and commercial and recreational vehicles upon the streets or other public places in the City between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
Kuvin eventually moved for summary judgment asserting that: (1) sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code violated his right of freedom of association; and (2) sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code are unconstitutionally vague, arbitrary, capricious, and selectively enforced as applied to pickup trucks. The
Kuvin argues on appeal that sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code infringe on his fundamental First Amendment right of freedom of association. He therefore contends that the trial court erred in failing to apply a strict scrutiny analysis in determining the constitutionality of the ordinances. Kuvin additionally contends that these zoning ordinances are unconstitutionally vague and unreasonable as applied to pickup trucks. We conclude that the trial court: (1) applied the correct standard of review as the prohibited conduct does not infringe on a fundamental right; and (2) correctly found that the City’s zoning ordinances are a valid exercise of the City’s police power. We also find that Kuvin’s due process argument is without merit.
THE TRIAL COURT APPLIED THE CORRECT STANDARD OF REVIEW
Constitutional challenges to statutes or ordinances involve pure questions of law reviewable on appeal de novo. Caribbean Conservation Corp. v. Fla. Fish & Wildlife Conservation Comm’n,
Kuvin contends that sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code are subject to a strict scrutiny standard of review because they infringe on a constitutionally protected fundamental right. We agree with Kuvin that, if a fundamental right or suspect class is involved, a strict scrutiny standard of review is required, and the ordinances may only be upheld if they are strictly tailored to serve a compelling state interest. See J.P.,
THE ORDINANCES DO NOT IMPINGE UPON A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT
Kuvin does not assert that he is, nor is he, a member of a suspect class. Rather, he asserts that he is an owner of a personal-use pickup truck and that the ordinances impinge on his fundamental right of freedom of association. This argument is without merit.
Although the Constitution does not explicitly use the term “association,” the right of association is derived by implication from the First Amendment’s guarantees of speech, press, petition, and assem
A. Intimate Relationships
The Supreme Court has not marked the precise boundaries necessary to meet the “intimate relationship” protection. Courts, however, have accorded constitutional protection to marriage, the begetting and bearing of children, child rearing and education, and cohabitation with relatives. Bd. of Dirs. of Rotary Int’l v. Rotary Club of Duarte,
Kuvin received a citation for parking his open-bed pickup truck in front of his residence at night.
B. Expressive Association
The second protected right of association is the right of “expressive associa-
Although “[t]he First Amendment’s protection of expressive association is not reserved for advocacy groups,” in order “to come within its ambit, a group must engage in some form of expression, whether it be public or private.” Boy Scouts of Am. v. Dale,
The Supreme Court cautioned in Stanglin that: “It is possible to find some kernel of expression in almost every activity a person undertakes — for example, walking down the street or meeting one’s friends at a shopping mall— but such a kernel is not sufficient to bring the activity within the protection of the First Amendment.” Stanglin,
The “expressive associations” that Kuvin asserts are constitutionally protected are: (1) his occasional visits to the homes of his friends who reside in the City between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or on the weekends in his open-bed pickup truck; and (2) the occasional visits by a friend who also drives a pickup truck. Kuvin asserts that when his friend came to his home to “talk, share ideas about work, or ideas about anything, [his friend] had to violate the City’s ordinances and risk being cited for violating its ordinances.”
Kuvin, however, fails to allege that the ordinances restrict the types of “expressive associations” that are protected under the First Amendment, and certainly, he lacks standing to raise any concerns a friend may have had, especially because Kuvin does not assert that the ordinances in question hampered visitation by his friend. Additionally, the types of expressive associations protected by the Constitution are clearly more “expressive” than Kuvin’s occasional visits with his friends residing in the City after 7:00 p.m. or friends with trucks visiting him after 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of sharing time with each other and discussing issues and ideas. Kuvin, therefore, has failed to establish that his “associations” have a clearly articulated expressive identity worthy of
More importantly, Kuvin’s associations are not being restricted. Rather, the restrictions provided in the ordinances apply solely to his vehicle and the ordinances do not prohibit his ownership of a truck. The ordinances permit Kuvin to own and drive his pickup truck in the City. He simply must garage the vehicle at night. As the prohibited activity does not impinge on a fundamental right, the trial court did not err in failing to apply strict scrutiny in its constitutional analysis.
RATIONAL BASIS SCRUTINY
Because no suspect class or fundamental right is implicated, the City’s zoning ordinances must be upheld if it can be shown that they bear a rational relationship to a legitimate public purpose. Stanglin,
The judicial lens through which this Court must examine the City’s exercise of its police power is governed by well-established law, beginning with the premise that rational basis scrutiny “is the most relaxed and tolerant form of judicial scrutiny,” Stanglin,
Statutes and ordinances in Florida not only enjoy a presumption in favor of constitutionality, the Florida Supreme Court and this Court have repeatedly held that zoning restrictions must be upheld unless they bear no substantial relation to legitimate societal policies or it can be clearly shown that the regulations are a mere arbitrary exercise of the municipality’s police power. See Dep’t of Cmty. Affairs v. Moorman,
A zoning regulation also must be upheld if reasonable persons could differ as to its propriety. In other words, “[i]f the validity of the legislative classification for zoning purposes be fairly debatable, the legislative judgment must be allowed to control.” Vill. of Euclid, Ohio v. Ambler Realty Co.,
“The fairly debatable rule has its basis in the deference that the judicial power owes the legislative function under
In evaluating Kuvin’s challenge to sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code, we do not, as the dissent charges, simply rubber stamp the City’s ordinances. We apply the “relaxed and tolerant form of judicial scrutiny” mandated by the United States Supreme Court in Stanglin,
SECTIONS 8-11 AND 8-12 OF THE CITY’S ZONING CODE ARE SUBSTANTIALLY RELATED TO A LEGITIMATE PURPOSE
The City asserts that the ordinances in question are a valid exercise of the City’s police power because the ordinances seek to preserve the integrity of the residential areas and the unique aesthetic qualities of the City. Kuvin admits that a zoning ordinance may regulate or limit the use of property on behalf of the general welfare of its citizens and he recognizes that unless the City’s exercise of its police power is clearly shown to be unreasonable, arbitrary, and without a substantial relation to the public health, safety, morals, or general welfare, the ordinance must be upheld. See Fox v. Town of Bay Harbor Islands,
ZONING BASED ON AESTHETICS IS A VALID EXERCISE OF THE CITY’S POLICE POWER
This Court and other courts of this state have repeatedly found that measures designed to enhance or maintain the aesthetic appeal of a community are a valid exercise of a local government’s police power and these measures bear a rational relationship to a legitimate purpose. “Florida has long recognized that local
These cases establish clear and binding precedent of the Florida Supreme Court and this Court upholding zoning regulations that tend to preserve the residential character of a neighborhood and/or to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a community.
What the City seeks to preserve is the residential character of the City. One may own and park any private passenger car regardless of its make, model, color, year, or condition anywhere in the City day or night. One may also own and drive a truck, recreational vehicle, or camper, but one must park these vehicles in an enclosed garage at night. The ordinances do not restrict diversity because they do not restrict ownership or use. The ordinances only restrict where these commercial-looking vehicles are parked at night.
THE CITY’S ZONING ORDINANCES ARE NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL AS APPLIED TO KUVIN’S PERSONAL-USE, OPEN-BED PICKUP TRUCK
Kuvin argues that the subject zoning ordinances are unconstitutional as applied to his open-bed pickup truck because it is not a recreational vehicle nor a vehicle
To base the constitutionality of the ordinances solely on whether a person uses his vehicle for personal or commercial purposes would create an irrational classification, lead to absurd results, and be impractical, if not impossible, to enforce. The “personal use” classification or exception is irrational because trailers may be used solely for personal use, as may recreational vehicles (and this Court in 1974 in Wood specifically upheld the City’s ordinance restricting where campers and other recreational vehicles are parked). Also, Kuvin’s personal use classification/exception, if adopted, would mean that all trucks, regardless of their size would be constitutionally protected if they are used for personal purposes. And lastly, Kuvin’s personal use classification/exception would be impractical to enforce because it is not always obvious how the vehicle’s owner uses the vehicle, and in many cases, its owner may use the vehicle for both commercial and personal purposes. That is why the ordinances restrict the parking of all trailers, recreational vehicles, and trucks in residential neighborhoods at night unless enclosed in a garage, not just those that are used for recreational or commercial purposes.
These ordinances make perfect sense and are rationally related to maintaining and enhancing the residential character and the aesthetics of the City’s neighborhoods because any vehicle that was designed for commercial use, regardless of whether it is used for commercial purposes, looks the same and is likely to be used to store and carry bulk material exposed to public view. The restriction, therefore, is rationally related to the health and welfare of the residents in the City.
Maintaining the aesthetics of the City is rationally related to the welfare of the City. The courts in this state and others have recognized that aesthetics can be an important factor in ensuring the economic vitality of an area and that the separation of the commercial from residential not only affects the health and hazards of the community, it impacts the welfare of the community and the value of property within its borders. The “attractiveness of a community ... [is] of prime concern to the whole people and therefore affectfs] the welfare of all.” Merritt v. Peters,
Ordinances prohibiting trucks, trailers, and campers from being parked in residential neighborhoods have withstood constitutional challenges and have been upheld by various Florida courts. The common thread appears to be the intent to preserve the residential feel and look of the residential areas of the communities that have enacted these ordinances, which Florida’s courts have determined is a legitimate governmental interest.
This Court, therefore, has already spoken loudly and clearly on the constitutionality of ordinances enacted for aesthetic reasons, and has found that where the ordinance does not restrict ownership or use of the vehicle, it is not unreasonable. Likewise, the ordinances in the instant case were enacted for aesthetic reasons, prohibiting vehicles designed for commercial use from being parked in residential neighborhoods at night, but not restricting ownership or use, and providing a garage exception. Therefore, based upon Wood, the ordinances in question are constitutional.
Kuvin has not clearly shown that the City’s ordinances have no foundation in reason and are merely arbitrary. Kuvin’s pickup truck has a large open bed, an open space clearly designed for transporting material used in trade or commerce, property, cargo, or bulk material. Whether Kuvin actually uses his truck to transport material used in trade or commerce, the “look” is still the same. If the City may regulate the parking of trucks with open spaces designed and used for commercial purposes in residential neighborhoods, it is illogical to conclude that the very same trucks may not be regulated if their owners do not use them for their designed purpose. Either way, the vehicle is the same vehicle and the effect upon the residential character of the City is the same because the open space of the vehicle is not designed for passenger travel. The City’s ordinances also do not regulate ownership or use. They only regulate where such vehicles are parked at night. Thus, the ordinances, as applied to Kuvin’s open-bed pickup truck, are reasonable and not a mere arbitrary exercise of the City’s police power.
We also note that the Second District in Henley v. City of Cape Coral,
Henley cannot be distinguished from the instant case as the ordinance in Henley, just like the ordinances in the instant case, prohibits all trucks, including personal-use trucks, from being parked for longer than four hours or overnight in residential areas unless enclosed in a garage or a similar structure. The Second District made no distinction in Henley between large trucks and small trucks, or whether they are being used for commercial purposes or solely for personal use, as long as they were designed for commercial use. Likewise, the ordinances in the instant case make no distinction between large trucks and small trucks, or whether they are being used for commercial purposes or for personal use as long as they were designed for commercial use. The ordinances regulate the parking of trucks, trailers, commercial vehicles, and recreational vehicles within the City regardless of their use. The City defines a “truck” as “[a]ny motor vehicle designed, used or maintained for transporting or delivering property or material used in trade or commerce in general ... includ[ing] any motor vehicle having space designed for and capable of carrying property, cargo, or bulk material and which space is not occupied by passenger seating.” Coral Gables, Fla., Zoning Code § 2-2128.
The Fourth District Court of Appeal’s ruling in Proctor,
In contrast, the ordinances in the instant appeal do not restrict commercial vehicles. They restrict all trailers, campers, recreational vehicles, and trucks. Thus, the reasonableness of the application of the ordinances, as applied to Kuvin’s open-bed pickup truck, is beyond question. Interestingly, the Proctor court specifically recognized that an ordinance should be upheld “unless it is clearly shown that it has no foundation in reason and is a mere arbitrary exercise of power without reference to public health, morals, safety or welfare,” and that “[zjoning measures designed to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a community have been recognized as a valid exercise of the police power.” Id. at 771-72 (citing Wood,
Because sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code: are constitutional on their face; are constitutional as applied to personal-use trucks designed for commercial purposes; are rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest; and provide a “garage exception,” they are constitutional as applied to Kuvin’s 1993 Ford F-150 open-bed pickup truck. The fact that the particular house Kuvin chose to rent in the City does not have a garage or an enclosed place where he could park his vehicle at night does not alter this conclusion. Kuvin was on notice regarding the City’s ordinances when he chose to rent at a location that did not have a garage.
THE AS-APPLIED ARGUMENTS RAISED AND RELIED ON BY THE DISSENT WERE NOT RAISED BY KUVIN
The dissent bases much of its argument on a challenge and arguments not raised by Kuvin and supports its arguments on its own independent investigation, evidence outside the record, and case law generated outside the State of Florida that is unrelated to the challenges raised and argued by Kuvin. Thus, the arguments raised in the dissent are not relevant to this appeal.
Kuvin’s “as-applied” challenge is as to all personal-use trucks — large and small, heavy and light, wide and narrow. He simply asserts that because he uses his pickup truck for personal use, as opposed to commercial use, the City’s zoning ordinances are unconstitutional as applied to him. Kuvin’s “as-applied” constitutional challenge does not include the argument that the City’s zoning ordinances are unconstitutional as applied to the particular make, model, size, or weight of his truck. His “as-applied” challenge is as to all personal-use trucks.
The dissent, however, premises it arguments on an “as-applied” challenge not raised by Kuvin in this appeal — that because Kuvin drives a truck, which the dissent classifies as a “light truck,” the zoning ordinances are unconstitutional as applied to his truck. The dissent’s classification of Kuvin’s truck as a “light truck,” along with the weight and dimensions provided by the dissent, were obtained by its own independent research, and thus not a part of the record on appeal. Additionally, the weight and dimensions relied on by the dissent do not even apply to Kuvin’s pickup truck, as they allegedly relate to the 2010 Ford F-150 truck, whereas Kuvin’s truck is a much older 1993 model, which judging from the picture provided by Kuvin, is larger than the 2010 model.
In addition to its reliance on a challenge and arguments not raised by Kuvin and “evidence” outside of the record, the dissent bootstraps its argument with the holding in City of Nichols Hills v. Richardson,
The Nichols Hills case is an Oklahoma case. Thus, we are not required to follow it, and unlike Wood and Henley, failure to apply its holding in our case presents no conflict. More importantly, Nichols Hills conflicts with established Florida law and was decided on grounds inapplicable to the arguments raised by Kuvin in this appeal.
The Nichols Hills appellee purchased her home in Nichols Hills in 1980 and had driven a pickup truck since that time. Neither the zoning ordinance she was found to have violated, which was enacted in 1989, nor its predecessor, was enforced against her until 1991. It is undisputed that the appellee used her pickup truck for both personal use and commercial purposes. The appellee sought and was denied a variance based on an economic hardship — that she could not afford a separate personal use vehicle. Thus, the appellee’s challenge in Nichols Hills was regarding pickup trucks used for both personal and commercial purposes, and the court’s ruling struck down the ordinance as applied to both personal use and commercial use pickup trucks, holding that such a restriction, without taking into consideration the size, weight, and condition of the vehicle was too broad.
Conversely, the City’s ordinances in the instant case were in effect long before Kuvin decided to rent a house in the City, and Kuvin has since relocated outside the City. Unlike the appellee’s challenge in Nichols Hills, Kuvin did not apply for a hardship variance and his constitutional challenge was not based on the model, size, weight, or condition of his pickup truck. His challenge was based on his use of his pickup truck. Thus, Nichols Hills is not relevant to Kuvin’s constitutional challenge. In fact, Kuvin concedes that ordinances restricting trucks used for commercial purposes are constitutional.
The Nichols Hills, which found the ordinance unconstitutional as applied to both pickup trucks used for personal use and commercial use because the ordinance did not address size, weight, model, or condition of the truck, clearly conflicts with Florida law. See Henley,
THE ORDINANCES ARE NOT UNCONSTITUTIONALLY VAGUE
Kuvin also asserts that the ordinances are void for vagueness as they do not give him or persons of ordinary intelligence fair notice of what constitutes the forbidden conduct. Kuvin claims that the vagueness of the ordinances invites arbitrary and selective enforcement against pickup trucks, as the ordinances are not enforced against sport utility vehicles, which technically meet the definition of “truck” under the City’s ordinances. This argument is without merit.
The standard for testing vagueness is whether a statute or ordinance “gives a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice of what constitutes forbidden
Sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code prohibit the overnight parking of “trucks” except in an enclosed space or garage. The Zoning Code defines “truck” as “[a]ny motor vehicle designed, used or maintained for transporting or delivering property or material used in trade or commerce in general.” Coral Gables, Fla., Zoning Code § 2-128. The City’s Zoning Code further specifies that “[t]rueks shall include any motor vehicle having space designed for and capable of carrying property, cargo, or bulk material and which space is not occupied by passenger seating.” Id. In this instance, there is no doubt that Kuvin’s Ford F-150 pickup truck, as defined by the City’s Zoning Code, is a “truck.” Kuvin admits that his pickup truck is a “truck.” Consequently, as sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the Zoning Code forbid the overnight parking of “trucks” and Kuvin’s pickup truck clearly falls within the Zoning Code’s definition of “truck,” Kuvin had fair notice of the prohibited conduct. We additionally note that, prior to being cited by the City, Kuvin received a written warning notifying him that his conduct was prohibited. We, therefore, conclude that sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code, as applied to Kuvin, are not void for vagueness.
Additionally, Kuvin lacks standing to challenge sections 8-11 or 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code on the premise that the ordinances may conceivably be applied unconstitutionally to others. We, therefore, need not address his arguments on this ground. Jones,
CONCLUSION
Municipal zoning ordinances, which are legislative enactments, are presumed to be valid and constitutional. Because the ordinances do not impinge on a fundamental right, the trial court correctly applied rational basis scrutiny in evaluating the ordinances and recognized that the ordinances in question must be upheld as constitutional unless they are not rationally related to a legitimate purpose. The City may constitutionally pass ordinances to enhance or maintain the aesthetic appeal of the community and to protect the City’s residential neighborhoods against the lingering presence of commercial-looking vehicles. Sections 8-11 and 8-12 of the City’s Zoning Code, which restrict where recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles, trailers, and trucks are parked within the City, are rationally related to a legitimate purpose. Kuvin’s truck has a large open bed, a space designed for the storage and transporting of cargo in plain view. Thus, the ordinances prohibiting trucks and other vehicles containing space for transporting or delivering property, rather than for passenger travel, are constitutional as applied to Kuvin. We therefore affirm the trial court’s order upholding the ordinances.
Affirmed.
GERSTEN, WELLS, SUAREZ and LAGOA, JJ., concur.
Notes
. The dissent incorrectly states that Kuvin was cited for parking his pickup truck in his driveway.
Concurrence Opinion
concurring.
I concur in the decision of the majority in this case. However, I am troubled by the implicit premise from which both the majority and dissent reason, namely that the constitutionality of the ordinances in this case rests upon a present-day judgment concerning their validity. See Gen. Dynamics Land Sys., Inc. v. Cline,
I am more concerned by the enthusiasm with which the majority embraces these ordinances. I do not believe the ordinances “make perfect sense.” See supra p. 845. In fact, it is not our place to so decide. Aesthetic judgments necessarily are subjective in nature, defying objective evaluation. See Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San Diego,
Because of the problems for judicial review presented by subjective policy-making — like that contained in the ordinances being reviewed here — some states constitutionally eschew zoning restrictions based solely upon aesthetic considerations. These states require, as a matter of constitutional principle, that such zoning restrictions be tied to a traditional state police power. Bd. of Supervisors of James City County v. Rowe,
If I were a member of the Coral Gables City Commission, I might argue it is improvident to maintain the ordinances before us on the City’s books. As a member of this Court, I am not privileged to do so. However, under our system of government, it is our expectation as citizens that improvident decisions of local government, as distinguished from unlawful decisions, “will eventually be rectified by the democratic process and that judicial intervention is generally unwarranted no matter how unwisely we may think a political branch has acted.” FCC v. Beach Commc’ns, Inc.,
I concur in the judgment of the majority-
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
The en-bane majority overturns the original panel opinion by employing a rational basis test that appears to be patterned after the proverbial rubber stamp. The inevitable conclusion drawn from its opinion is that virtually any government action done under the guise of protecting the public health, safety, and welfare enjoys judicial immunity under its constrained version of the rational basis test. Respectfully, that is simply not the law. Under a rational basis review for constitutionality of a classification, the United States Supreme Court has held that the government “may not rely on a classification whose relationship to an asserted goal is so attenuated as to render the distinction arbitrary or irrational.” City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Center,
The precise issue in this case is whether the Coral Gables ordinances before us, as applied to Mr. Kuvin’s Ford F-150 vehicle, are constitutional. We reject Mr. Kuvin’s claim that the ordinances are facially unconstitutional since we readily envision numerous applications of the ordinances, such as when dealing with a cement truck or a dump truck, that would render them constitutional. Thus, on the grounds raised by appellant, the ordinances are facially constitutional. See Cashatt v. State,
As-Applied Constitutional Review
A. The Ford F-150.
We begin by examining the type of vehicle involved in this case. For the past twenty-eight years in a row, the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States. See Ford F-Series: Best Selling Truck 33 Years Running, http:// www.fordinthenews.com /ford-f-series-best-selling-truck-33-yearsrunning/; Ed-munds Ford F-150 Overview, www. edmunds.com/ford/fl50/2010/review.html.
B. The Personal Use of Appellant’s Vehicle.
Next, we consider the fact that this case involves Mr. Kuvin’s personal-use vehicle. There is no record evidence of any commercial markings or commercial use whatsoever. Similarly, there is also no evidence that Mr. Kuvin’s F-150 was carrying any cargo at the time of the offense. Mr. Kuvin simply possessed an F-150 for his personal use and was cited for parking it overnight in his driveway.
C. The Coral Gables Ordinances.
Section 8-11 of the City of Coral Gables’ Zoning Code provides, in pertinent part, as follows:
Sec. 8-11 — Parking in residential areas.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to park any vehicle displaying advertising signs or any truck, trailer, commercial vehicle, or recreational vehicle, in or upon any property, public or private, in any area of the city which is zoned residential.
Coral Gables, Fla., Zoning Code § 8-11(a) (emphasis added).
Section 8-12 of the Coral Gables Zoning Code provides:
Sec. 8-12 — Trucks, trailers, commercial vehicles, and recreational vehicles — Parking upon streets and public places.
Except as provided for herein no trucks, trailers, commercial vehicles, or recreational vehicles, shall be parked upon the streets or other public places of the City between the hours of 7:00 p.m. on one day and 7:00 a.m. of the next day. This prohibition is in addition to the total prohibition covering residential areas dealt with in Section 8-11 hereof.
Coral Gables, Fla., Zoning Code § 8-12 (emphasis added).
These ordinances do not contain any limitations whatsoever concerning the weight or dimensions of trucks being prohibited from driveways or public areas. In addition, the definition of “truck” under the ordinances is so broad that it encompasses every single SUV,
Under the Coral Gables Zoning Code, a “truck” is defined as:
any motor vehicle designed, used or maintained for transporting or delivering property or material used in trade orcommerce in general. Trucks shall include any motor vehicle having space designed for and capable of carrying property, cargo, or bulk material and which space is not occupied by passenger seating.
Coral Gables, Fla., Zoning Code art. 8 (2010) (formerly Coral Gables, Fla., Zoning Code § 2-128) (emphasis added).
Under the City’s broad definition, every single SUV or station wagon is a “truck” as it has space designed for and capable of carrying property or cargo and which space is not occupied by passenger seating. Even a car or minivan that has a folding rear seat row becomes a “truck” under such a broad and arcane definition. Per-plexingly, the existence of an ordinary trunk could metamorphosize a car in Miami or Tallahassee into a “truck” in Coral Gables. While, at the time of its enactment more than three decades ago, such a definition of “truck” might have made some sense and might have been rationally related to aesthetics as applied to then-existing vehicles, that is clearly no longer the case in 2010. The obvious and dramatic changes in vehicle design from the 1970s to the present make it evident that “we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
In stark contrast to the Coral Gables ordinances, other municipalities have imposed weight and dimension limitations on their ordinances regulating trucks. See, e.g., Vill. of N. Aurora v. Anker,
As applied to this particular case, the city ordinances prohibit any truck, including a personal-use light truck, from being parked in the private driveway of a Coral Gables residence. Similarly, all trucks, including the Ford F-150 vehicle, are prohibited by ordinance from being parked in a Coral Gables metered-parking space or other public area of the City during the evening and overnight hours. Thus, under the subject ordinances, anyone wishing to dine in Coral Gables may not park a personal-use light truck in any public area of the City or any residential driveway.
D. The Only Reported Case Directly on Point: A Red Cow Case.
There is only one reported case in the entire country that involves the application of a similar ordinance to a personal-use light truck. See City of Nichols Hills v. Richardson,
E. Personal-use Vehicles v. Commercial and Recreational Vehicles.
While commercial and recreational vehicles have been the subjects of judicially-upheld regulations based on aesthetic considerations, personal-use vehicles have not.
Commercial vehicles include tow trucks, dump trucks, and buses, among others, while recreational vehicles may include trailers, campers, motor homes, and boats, among others. Courts have upheld municipal ordinances prohibiting the outside parking or storage of commercial and recreational vehicles in residential areas. See, e.g., City of Coral Gables v. Wood,
In Wood, this court upheld a different Coral Gables ordinance affecting campers, which restricted the parking of an Apache camper on public and private areas of the city. Wood,
[T]he Coral Gables [Camper] ordinance is aimed at preventing unsightly appearances and diminution of property values which obtain when camper-type vehicles are parked or stored out of doors in a residential area of the community.
Id. at 263. We went on to hold that the owner of the Apache camper “was only restricted from indulging in a use that would impinge upon the rights of other property owners.” Id. at 264. For these reasons, Wood correctly recognized that municipalities may properly regulate campers under their police powers aimed at aesthetics. The same simply cannot be said with respect to an F-150. It would be ludicrous to suggest that the parking of an F-150 in a driveway or public area of a municipality is “indulging” in a use that impinges upon the property rights of others.
Personal-use vehicles include cars, station wagons, minivans, sport-utility vehicles (“SUVs”), and light trucks. Record evidence shows that the category of light trucks may encompass pickup trucks, minivans, and SUVs, many of which are smaller in length than some full-size cars. In sharp contrast to cases involving commercial and recreational vehicles, no case has ever upheld an as-applied constitutional challenge to a regulation banning a personal-use vehicle. As noted earlier, this precise issue was addressed in City of Nichols Hills, where the court struck
F. The Majority’s Flawed Reasoning.
1. Cases Decided on Facial Constitutional Review Are Inapposite.
In order to support its holding, the majority attempts to draw parallels to cases involving a facial constitutional challenge to similar ordinances. See Henley v. City of Cape Coral,
In Henley, the Second District, confronted solely with a facial challenge, upheld a municipal ordinance which prohibited trucks of any kind from being parked overnight in all residentially-zoned areas regardless of whether the truck was being used for commercial or personal purposes. Id. Importantly, the Henley court was not presented with an as-applied challenge to the ordinance. Id. Instead, the court considered only the facial constitutionality of an ordinance and found it to be “on the whole reasonable.” Id. Nevertheless, most significant to our case, the Second District acknowledged that, if confronted with an as-applied challenge, such an ordinance “may be unconstitutionally applied as for example to a station wagon which gives no outward appearance of being used in business.” Id. (emphasis added).
2. Majority Expressly and Directly Conflicts with the Fourth District.
The majority’s opinion is in express and direct conflict with the Fourth District’s opinion in Proctor v. City of Coral Springs,
We note that, in City of Nichols Hills, the Oklahoma court expressly agreed with the Fourth District’s holding in City of Coral Springs, stating:
Here, as in Proctor v. City of Coral Springs,396 So.2d 771 , 774 (Fla.App. 1981), nothing in the record suggests that such an all-inclusive ordinance is necessary to meet the city’s legitimate responsibility of protecting the public health, safety or general welfare of its citizens. Ordinance No. 700, as in City of Coral Springs, “does not speak in terms of weight, width or other relevant concerns, but merely contains a blanket prohibition of all pickup trucks”. Id.
Any vehicle that meets the definition of a “private passenger vehicle”-no matter how ugly, rusted or offensive, may be parked in this municipality between the hours of 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. However, not a single pickup-no matter how new, expensive, or “pleasing to the eye”, may be parked in any driveway during these hours. The obvious contradiction belies the City’s claim that it has enacted the ordinance to protect the aesthetic integrity of the community.
City of Nichols Hills,
We agree with the holding and reasoning of the Fourth District in City of Coral Springs as well as the Oklahoma court in City of Nichols Hills.
3. The “Look” of an F-150 Does Not Make It Commercial.
The majority also makes references to the “look” of Mr. Kuvin’s F-150 to somehow suggest that this “look” supports its holding. The majority knows that this case does not involve the regulation of a commercial-use vehicle, yet it seizes upon the “look” in an effort to make it commercial. It is like painting lines on a horse to make it “look” like a zebra; it does not make it so. For purposes of constitutional review, the “look” of Mr. Kuvin’s F-150 vehicle is wholly irrelevant. No case, until now, has ever suggested that a personal-use light truck, based on its looks, is a commercial vehicle as a matter of law. Instead, the relevant inquiry for courts is the type of vehicle involved and its actual use.
Governments may not use their police powers to regulate the “look” of their citizens’ personal-use vehicles. They cannot forbid purple cars any more than a particular brand or category of personal-use vehicle. These areas are simply out of reach of governmental regulation aimed at aesthetics. The majority would allow governments to regulate the types of personal-use vehicles their citizens drive simply based on their outward appearance. Such a holding embraces George Orwell’s dysto-pia, where personal rights are subverted by the government.
Truth be told, the author of this opinion does not particularly like trucks, including the Ford F-150. He would not want to own one and does not like driving alongside or behind one. He finds the F-150 to be bulky the same way some minivans and SUVs are bulky. However, a judge must
A distinguished former appellate and present federal judge, Daniel T.K. Hurley, who wrote a concurring opinion in City of Coral Springs, aptly termed ordinances such as these as elitist. In examining a similar ordinance, Judge Hurley remarked:
The ordinance does not speak in terms of weight, width or other relevant concerns, but merely contains a blanket prohibition of all pickup trucks. This is demonstrably excessive. It is common knowledge that a sizeable number of citizens, in addition to appellant, utilize pickup trucks for their normal mode of transportation. Many of these vehicles are no longer, wider or heavier than a standard American-made automobile. To ban such vehicles in the name of aesthetics smacks of the rankest form of elitism....
Id. at 774.
While affording all appropriate presumptions in favor of the constitutionality of the city ordinances at issue, as applied to appellant’s Ford F-150, these ordinances bear no rational relationship whatsoever to aesthetics. City of Nichols Hills, Henley, and City of Coral Springs stand for the proposition that, as applied to a personal-use light truck, a municipality may not exercise its police powers to regulate the parking of such a vehicle based on aesthetic considerations. There is nothing to indicate that property values may be affected by the mere presence of a light truck in a private driveway or public parking space. Without more, there is simply no rational relationship between the parking of a personal-use Ford F-150 in a residential neighborhood or on a public street and aesthetics. That is the case in Coral Gables, as it is in Coral Springs, Nichols Hills, and in every other town in America.
SALTER, J. concurs.
. The City acknowledges that it does not enforce these ordinances against owners of SUVs or station wagons. As we explain later in this dissent, this selective enforcement highlights the not-so-subtle elitism underlying the ordinances and their enforcement.
. The term "red cow” is used in Florida to describe a case that is directly on point, that is, a case that not only involves the same animal but also the same color. See Corn v. City of Lauderdale Lakes,
. Our case is even more compelling than City of Coral Springs since there is no dispute that Kuvin’s Ford F-150 is a personal-use vehicle with no commercial markings and does not remotely qualify as a commercial vehicle.
. As in City of Coral Springs, Kuvin claimed that the ordinances prevented him from visiting his friends and, thus, violated his First Amendment rights, including the right of association. We do not reach this claim as we find that the ordinances bear no rational relationship to the city’s legitimate responsibility of protecting the public health, safety, and welfare.
