Overview
Felicia Kitzmiller’s practice focuses on all aspects of land development, and helping clients resolve multi-faceted issues through the administrative process, litigation, or legislation.
She works on issues involving wetland and imperiled species permitting and compliance, along with real property issues regarding title analysis, easements, sovereign submerged lands authorizations and more. Felicia has particular experience in a variety of issues associated with mining and mineral extraction.
Felicia believes the law should work for the people it governs and is a strategic and creative problem solver. Prior to pursuing her legal career, she was a newspaper journalist covering state and local government in Florida and South Carolina. That experience provides her unique insight to operations of governmental permitting and regulatory bodies.
Representative Experience
- Fults v. Wakulla County, Second Judicial Circuit, Case No. 2018 CA 96 – Awarded summary judgment on a Sunshine Law violation related to the plaintiff’s property and proposed boat ramp.
- Louis Del Favero Orchids, Inc. v. Fla. Dep't of Health, 290 So. 3d 165 (Fla. 1st DCA 2020) – Granted a motion to dismiss a challenge to multiple medical marijuana licenses from the Florida Department of Health, protecting the client’s right to operate a medical marijuana treatment center.
- Southwest Florida Water Management District v. Bar Harbor Land Holdings LLC, et. al., DOAH Case No. 21-001711-CI – Successfully negotiated settlement of claims of Environmental Resource Permit violations against a client related to a stormwater system in a residential housing development.
- Wallace v. Siesta 41 Associates and DOT, DOT Case No. 21-001/DOAH Case No. 21-000576 – Won dismissal of challenge to a driveway connection permit and associated traffic signal by demonstrating petitioner’s lack of standing.
- Benderson-Kendall Associates, LLC v. Department of Transportation, DOT No. 21-020 – Filed petition to protect state road access of client shopping center and negotiated mutually beneficial settlement with Department of Transportation eliminating the need for further litigation.
- Columbia County v. Bayfield Mitigation LLC, Third Judicial Circuit, Case No. 19-438-CA – Assisted in pursuing a claim for breach of contract against operators of a mitigation bank after the bank’s credits were suspended for lack of sufficient property interest, and assisted with negotiating settlement following the reinstatement of proper property interests and mitigation bank credits.
- Assisted in the permitting of the North Florida Resiliency Connection, an electric transmission line through the seven counties and 176 miles of the Panhandle to create service redundancy by Gulf Power. Assistance included navigating the NEPA process and unique challenges related to National Forests and historic preservation evaluations, and local government negotiations regarding comprehensive plan and land development regulation compliance.
Professional & Community Involvement
- Tallahassee Women Lawyers (TWL), Board of Directors, 2018-Present
- Secretary, 2023-Present
- Judicial Reception Director, 2022-2023
- Public Relations Director, 2020-2022
- Meetings Coordinator, 2019-2020
- The Florida Bar Environmental & Land Use Law Section (ELULS)
- Executive Council, 2019-2023
- Co-Editor of The Reporter, 2019-Present
- Tallahassee Bar Association, 2018-Present
- Young Lawyers Section, Board of Directors, 2018-2020
Recognition
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2023-Present
- American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition, National Semi-finalist, 2017
- Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2022-Present
Publications & Presentations
Events:
Mentoring Matters
Florida State University College of Law|September 2024
Land Development News Update, Publications:
What's Developing | Summer 2024
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|August 2024
Events:
Fresh From Florida: Emerging Issues in Agriculture and Their Effect on the Environment
38th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School|July 2024
Events:
What's New In Environmental Resource Permitting
38th Annual Environmental Permitting Summer School|July 2024
Publications:
Federal court strikes down Florida’s CWA section 404 permit program
American Bar Association|May 2024
Land Development News Update, Publications:
Federal Court Says “No” to A Stay: Florida’s CWA Section 404 Permitting Program Remains Wholly Vacated
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|April 2024
Land Development News Update, Publications:
Federal Court Strikes Down Florida’s Assumption of CWA Section 404 Permitting
Stearns Weaver Miller News Update|February 2024
Publications:
Traffic Jams Are Not Enough: Administrative Standing in Permitting Challenges
Tallahassee Women Lawyers Fall 2023 Newsletter|October 2023
Newsroom
Firm Announcements:
Felicia Kitzmiller Selected President-Elect of Tallahassee Women Lawyers
July 2024
In the Media:
Tallahassee Women Lawyers 2023 Fall Newsletter
October 2023
Firm Announcements:
Felicia Kitzmiller Honored with the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of the Florida Bar’s Stephens/Register Award
July 2023
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Expands Tallahassee Office Space and Offered Services
February 2022
In the Media:
Fall 2021 TBA Member News
Fall Edition of the Tallahassee Bar Association's Bar Bulletin|October 2021
Firm Announcements:
Carl Eldred Joins Stearns Weaver Miller’s Statewide Land Development, Zoning & Environmental Practice
September 2021
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Expands Statewide Land Development, Zoning & Environmental Practice with Five New Additions
September 2021