Opinion ID: 76171
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Motion To Reopen Discovery

Text: 12 We review district court decisions concerning discovery only for an abuse of discretion. Burger King Corp. v. Weaver, 169 F.3d 1310, 1315 (11th Cir. 1999). Generally, a motion for additional discovery is properly denied where a significant amount of discovery has already been obtained and further discovery would not be helpful. Avirgan v. Hull, 932 F.2d 1572, 1580-81 (11th Cir.1991). Artistic argues the district court erred by not granting its motion to reopen discovery because further discovery would show that the evidentiary basis on which the Amending Ordinance was passed was no longer reasonable, that the Amending Ordinance was adopted in violation of Georgia's Zoning Procedures Law, that the Amending Ordinance leaves an inadequate number of adult businesses to locate within the City of Warner Robins, and that the Amending Ordinance uniquely and adversely affects Artistic. 13 The district court held further discovery would not be helpful primarily because all of these issues could have been addressed much earlier in the litigation. Because the Amending Ordinance merely readopted the same language concerning adult businesses contained in the original Adult Ordinance, Artistic could have challenged the zoning aspects of the Ordinance when the complaint was first filed in 1997. Moreover, the studies Artistic wished to introduce were provided to the City Council when the Amending Ordinance was adopted. Therefore, whether the council properly considered the studies is a question of law that further discovery would not resolve. Under these circumstances, the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that further discovery would not be helpful.