Reagan Nat'l Adver. of Austin, Inc. v. City of Cedar Park

387 F. Supp. 3d 703
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Texas
DecidedMay 23, 2019
DocketCause No.: AU-17-CA-00717-SS
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 387 F. Supp. 3d 703 (Reagan Nat'l Adver. of Austin, Inc. v. City of Cedar Park) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Reagan Nat'l Adver. of Austin, Inc. v. City of Cedar Park, 387 F. Supp. 3d 703 (W.D. Tex. 2019).

Opinion

SAM SPARKS, SENIOR UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

*706BE IT REMEMBERED on this day the Court reviewed the file in the above-styled cause, and specifically Defendant City of Cedar Park (the City)'s Amended Motion for Summary Judgment [#24], Plaintiff Reagan National Advertising of Austin, Inc. (Reagan)'s Response [#29], Cedar Park's Reply [#30] in support, Reagan's Sur-Reply [#31] in opposition, and Cedar Park's Sur-Sur-Reply [#35] in support.2 Having reviewed the documents, the relevant law, and the file as a whole, the Court now enters the following opinion and orders.

Background

This is a First Amendment case. Reagan is a commercial billboard company in the business of outdoor advertising. Am. Compl. [#18] at 2. On March 8, 2017, Reagan submitted five sign permit applications to the City. Am. Mot. Summ. J. [#24-2] (Sign Permit Applications). Three of these applications requested permission to install digital sign faces on existing outdoor signs (the Digital Conversion Applications). Id. at 1, 2-16. The other two applications sought permits for the construction of two new signs (the New Sign Applications). Id. at 1, 17-32.

To receive approval, permit applications must demonstrate proposed signs meet the requirements of the City's Sign Code.3 These requirements are contained in two articles. The first article-Article 13.01-is entitled "On-Premises Sign Standards and Permits." Am. Mot. Summ. J. [#24-5] Ex. 5 (Sign Code) at 1. The second article-Article 13.03-is entitled "Off-Premises Sign Standards and Permits." Id. at 25.

Both Article 13.01 and Article 13.03 contain provisions which rely upon a distinction between on-premises and off-premises signs. An "on-premises sign" is defined as a "sign identifying or advertising the business, person, activity, goods, products, or services located on the site where the sign is installed, or that directs persons to a location on that site." Sign Code at 4. By contrast, an "off-premises sign" is defined as a "sign referring to goods, products or services provided at a location other than that which the sign occupies." Id. at 3-4. All five of Reagan's permit applications relate to off-premises signs.

On March 14, 2017, the City denied Reagan's permit applications. Am. Mot. Summ. J. [#24-4] Ex. 4 (Denial Letters). Among other reasons, the New Sign Applications were denied because they proposed using light-emitting diode (LED) displays in off-premises signs and because they proposed to erect "pylon signs." Id. at 7-10; see also Sign Code § 13.01.007(i)(4) ("Electronically controlled changeable messages signs shall not advertise goods or services not offered on the premises on which the sign is located."); id. § 13.03.006(d) ("No light emitting *707diode (LED) displays or signs shall be permitted."). The City also denied the Digital Conversion Applications because, like the New Sign Applications, the Digital Conversion Applications proposed installing LED displays in off-premises signs. Denial Letters at 1-6; Sign Code §§ 13.01.007(i)(4), 13.03.006(d); see also id. §§ 13.01.016(a), 13.03.007(a) ("[N]o change or alteration shall be made [to existing signs] that would increase the degree of nonconformity [with the Sign Code].").

After the City denied Reagan's permit applications, Reagan filed this action in state court arguing that the Sign Code's differing treatment of on-premises and off-premises signs constitutes content discrimination and that this content-based distinction cannot survive constitutional scrutiny. Notice Removal [#1-1] Ex. 1 (Original Pet.) at 4. On this basis, Reagan seeks to invalidate the entire Sign Code. Reply [#31] at 3. The City removed the action to this Court and now moves for summary judgment. Notice Removal [#1]; Am. Mot. Summ. J. [#24]. This pending motion is ripe for review.

Analysis

The Court first considers whether Reagan has standing to challenge the denial of its New Sign and Digital Conversion Applications. Because the Court concludes Reagan possesses standing to challenge the denial of its Digital Conversion Applications, the Court then turns to consider whether the City is entitled to summary judgment as to the constitutionality of the Sign Code provisions relied upon to deny those applications.

I. Standing

A. Legal Standard

Article III of the Constitution limits the jurisdiction of federal courts to cases and controversies. U.S. Parole Comm'n v. Geraghty , 445 U.S. 388, 395, 100 S.Ct. 1202, 63 L.Ed.2d 479 (1980). In order to meet this case-or-controversy requirement, plaintiffs must establish they have standing to sue. Raines v. Byrd , 521 U.S. 811, 818, 117 S.Ct. 2312, 138 L.Ed.2d 849 (1997). Plaintiffs have standing to sue if they have suffered an injury in fact fairly traceable to the challenged action of the defendant and "likely to be redressed by the requested relief." Allen v. Wright , 468 U.S. 737, 750-52, 104 S.Ct. 3315, 82 L.Ed.2d 556 (1984) ; see also Friends of the Earth, Inc. v. Laidlaw Env't Servs. (TOC), Inc. , 528 U.S. 167, 185, 120 S.Ct. 693, 145 L.Ed.2d 610 (2000) ("[A] plaintiff must demonstrate standing separately for each form of relief sought."). "The party invoking federal jurisdiction bears the burden of establishing these elements." Lujan v. Def.'s of Wildlife , 504 U.S. 555

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Bluebook (online)
387 F. Supp. 3d 703, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reagan-natl-adver-of-austin-inc-v-city-of-cedar-park-txwd-2019.