TJ's South, Inc. v. Town of Lowell

895 F. Supp. 1116, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11271, 1995 WL 470488
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedAugust 4, 1995
DocketNo. 2:94-CV-203
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 895 F. Supp. 1116 (TJ's South, Inc. v. Town of Lowell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
TJ's South, Inc. v. Town of Lowell, 895 F. Supp. 1116, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11271, 1995 WL 470488 (N.D. Ind. 1995).

Opinion

ORDER

LOZANO, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs Complaint Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) filed by Defendants on June 5, 1995. For the reasons set forth below, the Motion is DENIED.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiff, TJ’s South, Inc. (“TJ’s”) currently operates a tavern in Lowell, Indiana. Defendants are The Town of Lowell (“Lowell”), The Lowell Town Council (“Council”), The Lowell Board of Zoning Appeals (“Board”), and individual members of the Council and the Board (the individuals are all sued in their official capacities).

The following facts are drawn from the Complaint and are accepted as true for purposes of this dismissal motion:1 Sometime in May 1993, TJ’s submitted to Defendants a written application for a special exception to Lowell’s zoning ordinance (the tavern had not yet opened for business). The special exception would have allowed TJ’s to feature disk jockeys, musical groups, dance instruction, and other forms of live entertainment in its tavern. The application complied with Lowell’s procedural requirements. On May 20, 1993, the Board denied the application on the grounds that the proposed entertainment would create noise and parking problems and might diminish the value of property adjacent to the tavern. Four days later, the Council affirmed the Board. A little over three months later, TJ’s opened its tavern for business.

After roughly six more months went by, the Council amended Lowell’s zoning ordinance. The portions of the ordinance submitted by TJ’s with its Complaint do not precisely show what effect the amendment had, either in general or specifically with respect to TJ’s. However, it seems that the amendment added a definition of “entertainment” and still required TJ’s to obtain a [1118]*1118special exception to present live entertainment.

In April 1994, TJ’s submitted to Defendants a second written application for a special exception to present entertainment as defined in the amended ordinance. The application also fully complied with Lowell’s procedural requirements. On April 21,1994, the Board denied the application on the grounds that the proposed entertainment would cause parking and noise problems and might diminish the value of properties adjacent to the tavern. About two weeks later, the Council affirmed the Board’s denial. The Council’s reason for affirming, however, was not because TJ’s “did not comport with the definition of ‘entertainment’ under the [amended ordinance], but because of ‘public nuisance.’ ” (Compl. ¶ 28)

At a time not specified in the Complaint, another Lowell tavern called “Alaskan Pipeline” submitted to Defendants a written application for a special exception to present entertainment similar to what TJ’s had sought to present. On June 16, 1994, the Board granted the special exception, setting certain conditions. In meeting minutes, the Board gave its reasons for granting Alaskan Pipeline the special exception. Essentially, the Board indicated that the live entertainment would be only intermittent as well as unique to the area immediately surrounding Alaskan Pipeline, would be presented only indoors, would not cause prohibitive parking problems, and that Alaskan Pipeline would use a security guard during entertainment events. About ten days later, the Council affirmed the Board’s granting of the special exception to Alaskan Pipeline.

TJ’s Complaint contains five counts. Although TJ’s did not explicitly identify the specific legal theory underlying each count, the language of the Complaint suggests the following: Count I alleges that Lowell’s amended ordinance is unconstitutionally vague on its face in violation of the First Amendment as incorporated through the Fourteenth Amendment; Count II alleges that “[t]he Lowell Zoning Ordinance,” presumably the amended ordinance just mentioned, is facially overbroad and underinclu-sive in violation of the First Amendment; Count III alleges that the ordinance constitutes a prior restraint on speech in violation of the First Amendment; Count IV alleges that the ordinance impermissibly infringes upon TJ’s Fourteenth Amendment due process rights — this appears to be a procedural due process challenge, although a substantive due process challenge cannot be ruled out; and Count V alleges that Lowell is selectively and capriciously enforcing the ordinance against some businesses but not others, in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The vehicle with which TJ’s asserts each of these counts is 42 U.S.C. section 1983. TJ’s requests as relief items including (1) a declaration that portions of the Lowell zoning ordinance are unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, either on their face or as applied to TJ’s; (2) an injunction barring Lowell from enforcing these portions of the ordinance; (3) damages; and (4) attorney’s fees.

DISCUSSION

When deciding a motion to dismiss, this Court must assume the truth of a plaintiffs well-pleaded factual allegations, making all possible inferences in the plaintiffs favor. Sidney S. Arst Co. v. Pipefitters Welfare Educ. Fund, 25 F.3d 417, 420 (7th Cir.1994); Jenkins v. Heintz, 25 F.3d 536, 537 (7th Cir.1994). This Court may not dismiss a complaint “unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.” Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S.Ct. 99, 102, 2 L.Ed.2d 80 (1957); Black v. Lane, 22 F.3d 1395, 1403 (7th Cir.1994). In order to prevail, a defendant must demonstrate that “the plaintiffs claim, as set forth by the complaint, is without legal consequence.” Veal v. First American Savings Bank, 914 F.2d 909, 913 (7th Cir.1990).

Defendants argue that TJ’s claims are not ripe because TJ’s never sought state court review of the zoning decisions of the Board and Council. While case law might provide superficial support, this argument fails.

The cases fueling Defendants’ argument begin with the Supreme Court’s decision in Williamson County Regional Planning Comm’n v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City, 473 U.S. 172, 105 S.Ct. 3108, 87 L.Ed.2d 126 [1119]*1119(1985). In Williamson, a bank and its predecessor in interest had sought to develop a tract of land in Tennessee. Frustrated by negative decisions and years of delay at the hands of local zoning officials, the bank sued in federal court. The case went to verdict, only to be ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court as not ripe.

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Related

Golemine, Inc. v. Town of Merrillville, Indiana
652 F. Supp. 2d 977 (N.D. Indiana, 2009)
TJ's South, Inc. v. Town of Lowell
924 F. Supp. 92 (N.D. Indiana, 1996)

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Bluebook (online)
895 F. Supp. 1116, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11271, 1995 WL 470488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tjs-south-inc-v-town-of-lowell-innd-1995.