T–Mobile Cent., LLC v. Charter Twp. of W. Bloomfield

• Decision Date: 21 August 2012
• Docket Number: No. 11–1568.,11–1568.
• Citation: 56 Communications Reg. (P&F) 1044,691 F.3d 794
• Parties: T–MOBILE CENTRAL, LLC, Plaintiff–Appellee, v. CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF WEST BLOOMFIELD, Defendant–Appellant.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Sixth Circuit

691 F.3d 794

56 Communications Reg. (P&F) 1044

T–MOBILE CENTRAL, LLC, Plaintiff–Appellee,

v.CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF WEST BLOOMFIELD, Defendant–Appellant.

No. 11–1568.

United States Court of Appeals,Sixth Circuit.

Argued: May 30, 2012.

Decided and Filed: Aug. 21, 2012.

ARGUED:Drew W. Broaddus, Secrest Wardle, Lynch, Hampton, Truex, and Morley, Troy, Michigan, for Appellant. T. Scott Thompson, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Washington, D.C., for Appellee. ON BRIEF:Drew W. Broaddus, Secrest Wardle, Lynch, Hampton, Truex, and Morley, Troy, Michigan, for Appellant. T. Scott Thompson, Leslie G. Moylan, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, Washington, D.C., for Appellee.

Before: BOGGS and COLE, Circuit Judges; and OLIVER, District Judge. ^*

OPINION

BOGGS, Circuit Judge.

T–Mobile proposed to build a cellular tower in an area of West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, that had a gap in coverage. The Township denied T–Mobile's application. T–Mobile brought suit, alleging that the denial of the application violated the Telecommunications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 332 et seq. The district court granted partial summary judgment in favor of T–Mobile, and the Township appealed. There are three issues on appeal. First, whether the Township's denial of T–Mobile's application to install a cellular tower was supported by substantial evidence, as required by 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii). Second, whether the Township's denial of T–Mobile's application had the effect of prohibiting T–Mobile from providing wireless services and thus violated 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(i)(II). This issue, which has led to a split among the circuits, presents a case of first impression for this circuit. Finally, whether the district court should have granted summary judgment in favor of the Township on Count III of the complaintbecause the Township had discretion to grant or deny a special land use application under Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.3504. We affirm the judgment of the district court.

I

A

T–Mobile, a wireless communications carrier in Michigan, identified a gap in coverage in West Bloomfield Township that adversely affected customers in that area. To remedy this gap, T–Mobile sought to construct a new wireless facility. After initially considering several possible sites—none of which T–Mobile claimed were technically feasible or practically available—T-Mobile decided that the best option would be to construct a facility at a utility site on a property owned by Detroit Edison. The facility contained an existing 50–foot pole, which T–Mobile wanted to replace with a 90–foot pole disguised to look like a pine tree with antennas fashioned as branches (a “monopine”). This site was not located within the two cellular tower overlay zones designated in the Township's Zoning Ordinance (CT 1 and CT 2), where wireless facilities are considered a use permitted by right, subject only to site approval. Therefore, T–Mobile would have to seek special land-use approval and site-plan approval.

On December 17, 2008, T–Mobile filed an application with the Township to obtain special land-use approval for the proposed site. The Township Planning Commission held a hearing on February 24, 2009. At the hearing, T–Mobile presented testimony and evidence demonstrating its need to fill a gap in coverage, justification for the selection of that site and the height of the pole, an explanation of how the facility would provide for collocating ¹ equipment for other cellular carriers, and a representation that the facility would have a minimal visual impact. Several members of the public spoke in opposition to granting the special land use. The areas to the north, east, and west of the proposed site were residential subdivisions, and there was a daycare center to the south. At the hearing, the Township Planning Commission passed a motion to recommend to the Board of Trustees of the Township that T–Mobile's application should be denied.

On May 27, 2009, T–Mobile submitted to the Board of Trustees additional materials in support of its application, which responded to the Township Planning Commission's objections. Specifically, T–Mobile contended that 90 feet would be the minimum height necessary in order to collocate two other carriers on the towers. Several people spoke in opposition to T–Mobile's application at the Board of Trustees hearing. On August 3, 2009, the Board denied T–Mobile's application in a letter with five stated reasons.

B

T–Mobile sought an injunction in district court that would direct the Board of Trustees to grant its application. The complaint raised three claims. First, that the denial of its application was not supported by substantial evidence, in violation of the Telecommunications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii). Second, that the denial of its application had the “effect of prohibiting the provision of personal wireless services.” 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(i)(II). Third, that the denial of the permit was a violation of the Township's duty under Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.3504(3) to approve special land use applications that meet the Township's zoning ordinance requirements.

The district court granted T–Mobile's motion for partial summary judgment. First, the district court held that the Township's grounds for denial were not supported by substantial evidence. Second, the district court held that T–Mobile could not feasibly locate the facility elsewhere and that the Township had effectively prohibited the provision of wireless services. Third, because the Township violated the Telecommunications Act, it was not necessary to construe state law, and thus the question of whether the Township complied with Mich. Comp. Laws § 125.3504(3) was moot.

The Township appealed the district court's order granting T–Mobile's motion for partial summary judgment. On appeal, this court reviews the district court's grant of summary judgment de novo. Sigley v. City of Parma Heights, 437 F.3d 527, 532 (6th Cir.2006).

II

A

47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii) provides: “Any decision by a State or local government or instrumentality thereof to deny a request to place, construct, or modify personal wireless service facilities shall be in writing and supported by substantial evidence contained in a written record.” (emphasis added). When drafting this statute, Congress used the “substantial evidence” standard, well understood in appellate review of administrative proceedings but a novel concern for federal courts reviewing the proceedings of local zoning boards. This court, like all others,² has found that the “ ‘substantial evidence’ standard of § 332 is the traditional standard employed by the courts for review of agency action.” Telespectrum, Inc. v. Pub. Serv. Comm'n of Kentucky, 227 F.3d 414, 423 (6th Cir.2000).

However this court's precedents do not address “substantial evidence” of what? In other words, if there is a denial of an application to build a wireless facility, what must the substantial evidence in the record show in order to avoid a violation of § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii)? The Ninth Circuit—in an opinion by Judge Cudahy sitting by designation from the Seventh Circuit—explained that this standard “requires a determination whether the zoning decision at issue is supported by substantial evidence in the context of applicable state and local law.” MetroPCS, Inc. v. City & Cnty. of San Francisco, 400 F.3d 715, 723–24 (9th Cir.2005). On this analysis, § 332 does not introduce a new federal substantive standard by which to assess the validity of the local law. Rather, the limited focus is on the nature of the evidence before the local zoning board and whether it is substantial. The Ninth Circuit found that it “may not overturn the Board's decision on ‘substantialevidence’ grounds if that decision is authorized by applicable local regulations and supported by a reasonable amount of evidence (i.e., more than a ‘scintilla’ but not necessarily a preponderance).” Id. at 725.

The existence of “substantial evidence” in the record—as traditionally understood in the context of federal administrative law—is the standard against which federal courts consider whether a zoning board acted in conformity with the relevant local laws. So, for example, if the terms of a local zoning ordinance allow a zoning board to deny a permit based on less than substantial evidence, or no evidence at all, and a permit is denied on that basis, the record would lack substantial evidence to justify the decision. Federal review is limited to this evidentiary inquiry. See id. at 724 (“[W]e must take applicable state and local regulations as we find them and evaluate the City decision's evidentiary support (or lack thereof) relative to those regulations.”); ATC Realty, LLC v. Town of Kingston, 303 F.3d 91, 94 (1st Cir.2002) (“The TCA's substantial evidence test is a procedural safeguard which is centrally directed at whether the local zoning authority's decision is consistent with the applicable [local] zoning requirements.”). The “substantial evidence” standard constructs a floor below which the justification for denying a permit cannot fall—if it does, the board's decision would violate § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii).

Though this court is interpreting state substantive law, it applies the familiar substantial-evidence standard, which is defined as “such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Universal Camera v. NLRB., 340 U.S. 474, 477, 71 S.Ct. 456, 95 L.Ed. 456 (1951). As this court noted in Telespectrum, we “look to whether the agency explained any credibility judgments it made and whether it gave reasons for crediting one piece of evidence over another” and “examine the evidence as a whole, taking into account whatever in the record fairly detracts from its weight.” Telespectrum, 227 F.3d at 423.

B

The Township argues that its denial of T–Mobile's application was supported by substantial evidence. In a letter to T–Mobile, the Township Clerk offered five reasons for denying the application:

1....