New York SMSA Ltd. Partnership v. Town of Riverhead

45 F. App'x 24
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedSeptember 3, 2002
DocketDocket No. 00-9523
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 45 F. App'x 24 (New York SMSA Ltd. Partnership v. Town of Riverhead) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
New York SMSA Ltd. Partnership v. Town of Riverhead, 45 F. App'x 24 (2d Cir. 2002).

Opinion

SUMMARY ORDER

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Leonard D. Wexler, Judge).

UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the decision of said district court be and it hereby is AFFIRMED.

Plaintiff-appellant New York SMSA Limited Partnership (doing business as Verizon Wireless and formerly known as Bell Atlantic Mobile) (“Verizon”) appeals from the October 25, 2000 Judgment of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Leonard D. Wexler, Judge), entered pursuant to a Memorandum and Order dated October 24, 2000, which denied Verizon’s motion for summary judgment and dismissed the case. Verizon brought this action against Defendants-appellees, the Town of River-head, the Town of Riverhead Town Board, the Town of Riverhead Planning Department, and the Town of Riverhead Architectural Review Board (“Town”) under the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (“TCA”), as codified at 47 U.S.C. § 332 et seq. Verizon alleged that the Town unreasonably delayed and constructively denied Verizon’s special permit application to construct, operate, and maintain a personal wireless communication facility within the Town (the “Facility”), thereby violating 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(ii, iii, & iv). Verizon sought declaratory relief and a mandatory injunction requiring the Town to issue all permits necessary to allow Verizon to construct the Facility.

The TCA sets up a number of standards to govern State and local decisions regarding the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities. See 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7). Among these is a requirement that State and local authorities act on any request for authorization to construct such facilities “within a reasonable period of time after the request” is made. 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(ii). If a request for authorization is denied, the decision must be “in writing and supported by substantial evidence contained in a written record.” 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii). State and local authorities are also specifically prohibited from regulating the construction of personal wireless service facilities “on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the [Federal Communications] Commission’s regulations concerning such emissions.” 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv).

A plaintiff that is “adversely affected by any final action or failure to act by a State or local government” that is inconsistent with these standards may bring suit “within 30 days after such action or failure to act.” 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(v).

Verizon initiated the instant suit in March 2000, one month after the Town issued a Positive Declaration pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (“SEQRA”), 6 N.Y.C.R.R. § 617.7, finding that Verizon’s proposed Facility “may have a significant effect on the environment” and requiring Verizon to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Joint Appendix at 721. Verizon’s Complaint alleged three causes of action. First, Verizon claimed “a failure to act” in that the Positive Declaration violated Verizon’s rights under 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(ii) to obtain action on its application “within a reasonable period of time” after the application was made. Second, Verizon contended that the Town violated 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iii) by not supporting the Positive Declaration with [26]*26“substantial evidence contained in a written record.” Finally, Verizon alleged that the Town contravened 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(iv) by basing its decision to issue the Positive Declaration on health concerns about radio frequencies that were, according to Verizon, below the emission limits promulgated by the FCC.

The district court determined that the Town had proceeded within a reasonable time frame and dismissed the suit on the grounds that Verizon had no right to judicial review of the Town’s decision to issue the Positive Declaration. Specifically, the court held that the Town had neither taken a final action on Verizon’s application nor failed to act on it within the meaning of 47 U.S.C. § 332(e)(7)(B)(v). We agree.

With regard to its first cause of action, - Verizon failed to show that the Town unreasonably delayed acting on Verizon’s application. Verizon filed its Special Permit Application (“SPA”) and an Environmental Assessment Form on March 8, 1999. See Appellant’s Br. at 11. On March 24, 1999 the Town’s environmental planner conducted an initial review and wrote a recommendation. Id. at 13. On May 4, 1999 the Town Board designated itself the lead agency under SEQRA with regard to the SPA and forwarded the SPA to the Town Planning Board for its report and recommendation. Id. at 15. On July 1, 1999 the Planning Board conducted a public hearing, and Verizon submitted additional documentation, including a health report, a summer visual impact statement, and an engineering report. Id. at 15-16. On August 6, 1999 the Planning Board issued a resolution in favor of granting the application and requested that the height of the Facility’s antenna be extended. Id. at 16-17. On August 17, 1999 the Town Board issued a resolution authorizing the town clerk to advertise a public hearing on September 21, 1999. Id. at 17. During the September hearing, Verizon made the same presentation it had made before the Planning Board, and a number of local residents stated their concerns about the proposed Facility. Id. at 17-18. The meeting was continued to November 16, 1999 to address these concerns. Id. at 18. On November 15, 1999 Verizon submitted supplemental information concerning the height of the Facility’s antenna and its visual impact in response to some of the citizen comments made during the September 21 hearing. Id. at 19. On November 16, 1999 the public hearing continued, and Verizon submitted a real property appraisal report contending that the Facility would have no impact on adjacent real estate use and values. Id. at 19-20. The meeting was again continued to allow the submission of written comments, including Verizon’s winter visual analysis. Id. at 22. On December 8, 1999 a consulting group retained by Verizon prepared an analysis of the proposed Facility applying the SEQRA criteria for determining environmental significance and concluding that the project would have no significant adverse impact on the environment. Id. at 22-23.

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Bluebook (online)
45 F. App'x 24, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/new-york-smsa-ltd-partnership-v-town-of-riverhead-ca2-2002.