Opinion ID: 2147018
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: competent evidence supports the district court's decision

Text: Mercantile argues that the district court's decision was arbitrary and capricious and lacked competent evidence to support it. When reviewing a district court's order under the Administrative Procedure Act for errors appearing on the record, we look at whether the decision conforms to the law, is supported by competent evidence, and is not arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable. [31] We will not substitute our factual findings for those of the district court when competent evidence supports those findings. [32] The district court's order contains a detailed summary of the evidence presented to the Commission. The court examined evidence on all of the statutory factors. In deciding that the Commission should have denied the liquor license, the court wrote: [T]his Court finds that the slim margin by which the City Council voted to approve [Mercantile's] application; the existence of a strong, proactive citizen protest; and the existence of another liquor-selling establishment in such close proximity to the proposed location militate strongly against issuance of a license to [Mercantile]. This Court further finds that the nature of the Orchard Hill neighborhood and community, though in a state of decline, is benefiting from the substantial efforts and contributions of public and private entities and donors, and that this positive trend would likely be frustrated by the issuance of a liquor license to [Mercantile]. While this Court finds that there are no zoning or sanitation impediments to granting a license to [Mercantile], that traffic and parking concerns are minor, and that [Mercantile] is in all respects qualified to operate a stable and relatively secure liquor-selling establishment, these factors, on balance, are insufficient to show, as [Mercantile] must, that the issuance of the license to [Mercantile] is or will be required by the present or future public convenience and necessity. Adhering to our standard of review for error on the record, we believe the record supports the district court's decision. Expert testimony establishes that a liquor license would negatively affect the Neighborhood and that crime would likely increase. The record contains a petition signed by more than 400 Neighborhood residents opposing the liquor license. Testimony established that another liquor establishment is presently located within one block from Mercantile's proposed location. Although some evidence does weigh in favor of issuing the liquor license, sufficient competent evidence supports the court's decision. We recognize that the Commission also considered the evidence in deciding to issue the liquor license. But under our standard of review, we cannot say that the district court's decision to overturn the Commission's decision was arbitrary, capricious, or unreasonable. The district court did not err in ordering the Commission to deny the license to Mercantile.