GTE Mobilnet of California Limited Partnership v. City of Berkeley

District Court, N.D. California·Decided September 28, 2021·No. 4:20-cv-05460·Unknown

Opinion

GTE MOBILNET OF CALIFORNIA Case No. 20-cv-05460-DMR LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, Plaintiff, ORDER ON MOTION TO DISMISS v. SUPPLEMENTAL COMPLAINT CITY OF BERKELEY, Re: Dkt. No. 40 Defendant. Plaintiff GTE Mobilnet of California (“Verizon”) filed this action for declaratory judgment under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (“TCA”), 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7) against Defendant City of Berkeley (“Berkeley”), alleging that Berkeley unlawfully denied Verizon’s application to construct a personal wireless service facility in Berkeley, California. Intervenor-Defendants Berryman Reservoir Neighbors (“BRN”) now move pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) to dismiss Verizon’s First Amended and Supplemental Complaint (“FASC”). [Docket No. 40.] This matter is suitable for resolution without oral argument. Civ. L.R. 7-1(b). For the following reasons, the motion is denied. A. Allegations in the FASC Verizon makes the following allegations in the FASC: in December 2018, Verizon filed an application with Berkeley for a use permit to build, operate, and maintain an unoccupied personal wireless service facility (“the project”). The project would consist of six antennas and remote radio units mounted on a new 50-foot pole, with associated equipment and a standby generator installed at ground level. East Bay Municipal Utility District (“EBMUD”) owns the proposed property is in the Single Family Residential—Hillside Overlay (R-1H) Zoning District. FASC ¶¶ 17, 18. Verizon proposes to disguise the 50-foot cell tower to look like a pine tree, a so-called “monopine.” According to Verizon, due to the features of the property, the ground-mounted equipment would not be visible from the surrounding streets and the monopine would be largely screened from view or blend into the backdrop of existing trees. Id. at ¶ 21. Berkeley’s planning staff reviewed Verizon’s application, requested photo-simulations of alternative designs, and hired an expert to conduct peer review of certain aspects of the application. According to Verizon, the peer review confirmed that the project would comply with FCC safety limits on radio-frequency (“RF”) emissions. Verizon also submitted reports confirming that the project would comply with Berkeley’s noise standards. Id. at ¶¶ 23-24. Upon completion of the application, the planning staff recommended that Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustment Board (“ZAB”) approve the application. Id. at ¶ 25. The ZAB reviewed the application at a public hearing on June 27, 2019 at which there were presentations from Berkeley’s planning staff, Verizon, and members of the public who are opposed to the application. Project opponents raised concerns about the environmental effects of RF emissions, aesthetics, noise, property values, the need for the project, and various procedural issues. Id. at ¶¶ 27-29. At the end of the hearing, the ZAB voted unanimously to deny the application on the basis that Verizon had not satisfied various code requirements for approval. Id. at ¶ 30. Verizon timely appealed the ZAB’s denial to the Berkeley City Council (“City Council”) and submitted additional evidence in support of the application. Id. at ¶¶ 31-33. The City Council held a public hearing on the appeal on July 7, 2020. Project opponents again raised concerns about aesthetics, environmental impacts, safety risks, and procedural issues. Id. at ¶¶ 36-38. The City Council voted to deny the application. After the hearing, Berkeley posted an annotated agenda on its website that summarized the denial. Verizon alleges that the application should have been approved because there were no valid or lawful grounds for denial. Id. at ¶¶ 39-41. Verizon alleges that it was concerned that Berkeley or a potential intervenor “might argue written denial.” Therefore, it alleges, since the TCA requires that “any partly [sic] aggrieved by any ‘final action or failure to act’ in violation of its provisions seek judicial review within 30 days,” Verizon filed the original complaint on August 6, 2020, within 30 days of the City Council’s vote, “in an abundance of caution.” Id. at ¶ 42 (citing 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(v)). On September 8, 2020, Berkeley issued a written denial of its application, stating that the City Council “had denied its Application based on the findings in the enclosed Resolution 69,487 N.S. (the ‘Denial Resolution’).” FASC ¶ 43. Verizon alleges that the Denial Resolution was not made available to Verizon until September 8, 2020. Id. Verizon alleges three claims for relief. First, it alleges that Berkeley failed to act on its application “within a reasonable period of time” after it was filed, “in violation of 47 U.S.C. § 32(c)(7)(B)(ii), as interpreted by the Federal Communications Commission (‘FCC’) in its ‘Shot Clock Ruling,’ In re Petition for Declaratory Ruling, 24 FCC Rcd. 13994, 14005 (November 18, 2009) and implementing regulations.” FASC ¶ 3; see also ¶¶ 52-62 (claim one or the “failure to act claim”). Verizon alleges that under the Shot Clock Ruling, the deadline for Berkeley to take final action on the application was July 10, 2020, but that it did not act until September 8, 2020. Id. at ¶¶ 53-61. Second, Verizon alleges that Berkeley’s written denial was not based on substantial evidence in violation of 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii) (claim two). Id. at ¶¶ 64-66. Third, Verizon alleges the denial was unlawful because it had the effect of prohibiting Verizon from providing personal wireless services in violation of 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(i)(II) (claim three). Id. at ¶¶ 68. B. Procedural History Verizon filed its original complaint on August 6, 2020. In September 2020, Michael Burt, Angelina DeAntonis, Joann Driscoll, Allen Myers, Regina Myers, Christian L. Raisner, Oliver Raisner, Lucinda Reinold, Wendy Stock, and Paul Teicholz (collectively, “Berryman Reservoir Neighbors” or “BRN”) moved for leave to intervene pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a) and 24(b). These individuals live near the proposed cell tower. Each participated in that the presence of the proposed cell tower would adversely impact their interests. Verizon opposed the motion to intervene. On October 19, 2020, the court granted the motion to intervene and ordered BRN to file an answer by October 23, 2020. [Docket No. 22.] Rather than filing an answer, BRN moved pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) to dismiss the complaint. Verizon filed a motion to amend and supplement the complaint to add the “failure to act” claim shortly thereafter, which BRN opposed. In relevant part, BRN argued that amendment was futile because the failure to act claim was barred by the statute of limitations. It also argued that the relation back doctrine could not be used to cure Verizon’s untimely amendment. The court rejected this argument and granted Verizon’s motion to amend and supplement the complaint. It denied the motion to dismiss the complaint as moot. GTE Mobilnet of California Ltd. P’ship v. City of Berkeley, No. 20-CV-05460-DMR, 2021 WL 308605, at *6, 8 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 29, 2021). Verizon subsequently filed the FASC. BRN now moves pursuant to Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) to dismiss the FASC.1 A. Rule 12(b)(1) A motion

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GTE Mobilnet of California Limited Partnership v. City of Berkeley, (N.D. Cal. 2021).

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