ÿWPC» $# UN %a 0cgU<Êw@4FZi 0Jq 0T» 0^ 0hm 0rÕ 0|G 0†Ã 0I 1uÙ 0dNU>²U6ðv~& vÓ¤ 0Dw˜HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,ü,,,,,ü0nLdÒ(ÈhH  Z 6Times New Roman RegularX(;cW$¡¡Ò°ÒÒ„°ÒÔ€XaBXXXÔ-šBu Z‹$Arrus BT Roman '(E)*E+,D-U.î/0E ƒ‰#TS Ôˆ 3|x02 ÿÿ0Indent1Ô2ÔÔ3  Ô2" ÿÿ0Indent2à0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2, ÿÿ0Indent3à0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô26 ÿÿ0Indent4à0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2@ ÿÿ0Indent5à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2J ÿÿ0Indent6à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2T ÿÿ0Indent7à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô2^ ÿÿ0Indent8à0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àà0 àÔ2ÔÔ3  Ô  ÿÿ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P ÿÿ8Mac DefaultMac DefaultÓ ` °šXÓ< Œ 9p`(&Times New Roman< Œ 9p`(Courier NewPtPtHHÚ(ÿáÿâùFG(üHHØ(d'`Styl{WP}01•ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃà Ãà Ãà Ãà Ãà ÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÃÐ ÐÐHHÐÐ  ÐÐ2ÐÐÿÿ¸æ$ÿÐÐHHÐÐÐÐÐÐÐÐ  ÐÐ ÐÐ ÐÑÑÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÑ € ÑÑ<Px–ÈÑÒÒÒ443!#4ÒÒ$ *$ÒÒ$*$ÒÒ ÿKK ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÒ  Geneva ÒÓ.,ÓÓÓÓ6ÓÓ ÓßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßÑGenevaÑÑ ÑÒ  ion-F Geneva ÒÒ  ion-F Geneva Ò(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  ÚóóÝ ƒ!ÝÔ . ÔÔ€ÔÒ  ÒÒ „ ÒÔ€ÔÝ  ÝÑ\R AØ'\ÑÑ7€œèXXdðdÈ7ÑÑ  ÑÓ  ÓÞ ÞÌà@ àIN€THE€COURT€OF€APPEALS€OF€TENNESSEEÌà@ àWESTERN€SECTION€AT€JACKSONÌà àà à€€€€______________________________________________ÌÌò òJAMES€EDWARD€GANT,ó óÌÌà àAppellant,ÌÌVs.à àà àà àà àà àà àà àDecatur€Chancery€No.€2676Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àC.A.€No.€02A01„9701„CH„00007ÌÌò òKENNETH€BROADWAY,€COUNTYÌEXECUTIVE€AND€CHAIRMAN€OF€THEÌDECATUR€COUNTY€COMMISSION,€Ìand€THE€DECATUR€COUNTYÌCOMMISSION€CONSISTING€OFÌEIGHTEEN€(18)€MEMBERS€ANDÌINCLUDING:€BARNEY€BLASINGIM,€ÌFRANK€MARTIN,€GARY€CREASY,€ÌJAMES€C.€MOODY,€RANDA€BRASHER,ÌJIMMY€KELLEY,€GLENN€BRASHER,ÌMICKEY€LARKINS,€DAVID€BOROUGH,ÌWAYNE€ODLE,€PATTY€BURKHEAD,ÌBOBBY€SWINDLE,€BILLY€GOODMAN,ÌJAMES€KING,€DANNY€ROBERTS,€MARYÌELLA€TEAGUE,€MIKE€BOX€ANDÌPHILIP€GULLEDGE,ÌÌó óà àà àAppellees.Ì____________________________________________________________________________ÌÌà@ àFROM€THE€CHANCERY€COURT€AT€DECATURÌà@ àTHE€HONORABLE€J.€WALTON€WEST,€CHANCELLORÌÌà@ àJames€E.€Brockman€of€ParsonsÌà@ àFor€AppellantÌÌà@ àJ.€Michael€Ivey€of€ParsonsÌà@ àFor€Appellees,€Broadway€and€Decatur€County€CommissionÌÌÌà@ àò òòòREVERSED€AND€REMANDEDÌÌà@ àó óóóOpinion€filed:ÌÌÌÌà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPRESIDING€JUDGE,€W.S.ÌÌCONCUR:ÌÌHOLLY€KIRBY€LILLARD,€JUDGEÌÌHEWITT€P.€TOMLIN,€JR.,€SENIOR€JUDGEó óÌÌ›Ñ7€œÏXXdðXXdð7ÑÑ  ÑÓÓœ›à àPetitioner,€James€Edward€Gant,€appeals€the€judgment€of€the€chanceryÏcourt€denying€his€application€for€a€beer€permit.Ìà àOn€December€5,€1995,€Gant€filed€an€application€for€a€beer€permit€to€sellÏbeer€for€on€premises€and€off€premises€consumption€at€a€location€on€HighwayÏ412€approximately€three€miles€east€of€Parsons,€Decatur€County,€Tennessee.€€TheÏDecatur€County€Commission€acts€as€the€beer€board,€and€on€January€22,€1996,Ïdenied€the€application.€Ìà àPursuant€to€the€provisions€of€T.C.A.€ðð€œ57„5„108(d)€(Supp.›€1997),€GantÏfiled€a€petition€for€statutory€writ€of€certiorari€to€obtain€a€trial€òòde€novoóó.€€TheÏpetition€was€granted,€and€a€nonjury€trial€was€held€September€3,€1996.€€Ìà àAt€the€conclusion€of€the€proof,€the€trial€court€found€that€ð ðthe€sale€of€beerÍat€the€proposed€location€of€applicantððs€business€will€cause€congestion€of€trafficÏand€will€otherwise€interfere€with€public€safety€within€the€definition€of€T.C.A.€ððÏœ57„5„105›€(b)(1)ðð€and€denied€the€application.€€Gant€has€appealed,€and€the€onlyÏissue€for€review€is€whether€the€trial€court€erred€in€denying€petitionerððsÏapplication.€Ìà àThe€criteria€for€obtaining€a€beer€permit€is€set€out€in€T.C.A.€ðð€57„5„101Ï(Supp.€1997),€and€as€pertinent€to€the€instant€case,€provides:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 à(b)€In€order€to€œreceive›€a€permit,€an€applicant€mustÏestablish€that:Ìà8 àà8 à(1)€No€beer€will€be€sold€except€at€places€where€suchÏsale€will€not€cause€congestion€of€traffic€or€interferenceÏwith€schools,€churches,€or€other€places€of€publicÏgathering,€or€otherwise€interfere€with€public€health,Ïsafety€and€morals,€the€county€legislative€body€havingÏthe€right€to€forbid€such€storage,€sale€or€manufactureÏat€places€within€two€thousand€feet€(2,000')€of€suchÏplaces€of€public€gatherings€in€its€discretion.€€NothingÏin€this€subdivision€shall€apply€to€places€of€businessÏthat€are€located€in€the€terminal€or€main€building€atÏpublic€airports€œserviced›€by€commercial€airlines€withÏregularly€scheduled€flights;ÌÌÓÓà àPetitionerððs€proof€established€that€traffic€congestion€and€safety€were€notÏconsidered€by€the€beer€board€in€the€denial€of€the€application.€€PetitionerððsÏbuilding€replaced€a€building€that€was€destroyed€by€fire€in€œ1984.€€Prior›€to€thatÏœtime,›€ten€different€persons€œat€various€times€had€beer›€permits€at€this€œlocationÏbetween€1961€and€1984.›€€œThe›€petitionerððs€building€is€approximately€56€ðð€feetÍfrom€the€edge€of€U.S.€Highway€œ412.€€Proof›€was€introduced€that€severalÏestablishments€selling€beer€œalong€Highway€412€have›€approximately€the€same€set„back€and€are€located€œon€sites€with€similar€terrain.€€Ìà àPetitionerððs€location€is€on€the€south€side€of€the€highway,€and€for€vehiclesÏtraveling€east,€the€location€is€on€an€upgrade€with€the€crest€of€the€hill€fartherÏeast€of€the€location.€€The€Countyððs€primary€proof€was€from€John€Reinhardt,€aÏtraffic€accident€reconstruction€engineer,€qualified€as€an€expert.€€He€relied€uponÏguidelines€furnished€by€the€American€Association€of€State€HighwayÏTransportation€Officials€(AASHTO)€and€the€Manual€of€Uniform€Traffic€ControlÏDevices€(MUTCD)€as€to€recommended€safe€stopping€distances,€which€heÏtestified€that€experts€in€the€area€generally€use.€€According€to€the€AASHTO,€theÏrecommended€sight€distance€for€a€55€m.p.h.€vehicle€in€the€passing€zone€is€1,800Ïfeet,€and€MUTCD€recommends€800€feet€under€the€same€circumstances.€€HeÏtestified€that€for€the€location€in€question€the€sight€distance€east€of€the€area€wasÏbetween€294€feet€and€468€feet.€€He€also€testified€that€for€the€purposes€ofÏstopping,€the€guidelines€suggest€450€to€550€feet€and€that€the€sight€distance€forÏthe€area€in€question€was€349€to€522€feet.€€He€concluded€by€stating€that€theÏlocation€in€question€is€unacceptable€for€passing€and€marginal€with€respect€toÏstopping.€Ìà àThe€testimony€of€the€expert€was€confusing€at€best.€€The€expert€shouldÏhave€been€able€to€give€an€opinion€as€to€whether€a€vehicle€proceeding€at€theÏspeed€limit€in€a€westerly€direction€would€be€able€to€stop€after€topping€the€hillÏand€observing€a€vehicle€pulling€from€the€proposed€location€into€the€highway€toÏproceed€west.€€This€was€never€clearly€brought€out.€€However,€the€expert€didÏopine€that€for€stopping€purposes€the€location€did€provide€marginal€safety.€ÏNeither€the€expert€nor€any€other€witness€offered€any€testimony€concerningÏtraffic€count€or€any€other€evidence€of€traffic€congestion,€either€with€or€withoutÏa€beer€selling€establishment€at€the€proposed€location.Ìà àThe€county€also€introduced€proof€concerning€two€other€accidents€nearÏthis€location,€but€it€is€significant€that€these€accidents€did€not€occur€over€theÏcrest€of€the€hill,€but€rather,€occurred€on€the€crest€of€the€hill.€€At€least€one€of€theÏaccidents€involved€a€head„on€collision€when€one€vehicle€went€across€theÏcenterline€of€the€road.€€Apparently,€one€or€both€of€the€accidents€involvedÏalcohol€consumption.Ìà àWe€think€that€it€is€rather€significant€that€there€is€no€evidence€of€aÏhistory€of€prior€accidents€or€traffic€congestion€when€it€is€undisputed€that€atÏthis€same€location€there€have€been€ten€previous€establishments€that€served€beer.€ÏSince€the€location€had€been€utilized€for€the€sale€of€beer€to€such€a€great€extentÍand€no€evidence€of€a€traffic€problem€existed,€the€obvious€perception€is€that€thisÏlocation€is€not€unsafe,€or€at€least€not€any€more€unsafe€for€the€sale€of€beer€thanÏit€would€be€for€a€retail€establishment€of€another€kind.€€Moreover,€the€recordÏestablishes€that€in€1983,€in€a€beer€application€proceeding,€the€chancery€courtÏfound€that€the€location€was€unsafe€and€denied€the€applicant€a€beer€permit.€ÏSome€several€months€later,€the€county€beer€board€granted€an€application€for€aÏbeer€permit€for€this€location.€€Thus,€it€appears€that€the€perception€by€theÏcounty€authorities€at€that€time€was€that€this€was€a€proper€location€insofar€asÏtraffic€is€concerned.Ìà àIn€ò òòò€€Hinkle€v.€Montgomeryó óóó,€596€S.W.2d€800€(Tenn.€1980),€the€Court€said:ÌÓÓà8 àà8 àà àMoreover,€as€we€noted€in€ò òòòLones€v.€BlountÏCounty€Beer€Board,ó óóó€Tenn.,€538€S.W.2d€386,€390Ï(1976),€in€order€for€traffic€congestion€to€constitute€aÏvalid€basis€for€denying€a€permit€to€sell€beer€in€theÏpackage€it€must€be€shown€that€the€issuance€of€aÏpermit€would€cause€traffic€to€be€òòmoreóó€congested€andÏòòmoreóó€hazardous€than€it€was€prior€to€the€issuance€of€theÏpermit,€a€fact€most€difficult€to€establish€with€respectÏto€a€location€at€which€beer€has€not€been€soldÏpreviously.€€ÌÌò òòòId.ó óóó€at€801€(emphasis€supplied).ÌÌÓÓà àIn€the€case€before€us,€beer€had€been€sold€at€this€location€previously,€andÏas€we€noted,€no€proof€whatsoever€was€introduced€that€traffic€was€moreÏcongested€and€hazardous€during€the€periods€of€time€that€the€ten€previous€beerÍpermits€were€in€existence.€€Moreover,€there€was€no€proof,€as€required€by€ò òòòLonesó óóóÏand€ò òòòHinkle,ó óóó€that€traffic€will€be€more€congested€and€unsafe€òòafteróó€issuance€of€theÏpermit€than€it€was€òòbeforeóó€issuance.Ìà àSince€this€case€was€tried€by€the€court€sitting€without€a€jury,€we€reviewÏthe€case€ò òòòde€novoó óóó€upon€the€record€with€a€presumption€of€correctness€of€theÏfindings€of€fact€by€the€trial€court.€€Unless€the€evidence€preponderates€againstÏthe€findings,€we€must€affirm,€absent€error€of€law.€€T.R.A.P.€13€(d).Ìà àFrom€a€review€of€the€entire€body€of€proof€in€this€case,€we€conclude€thatÏthe€evidence€does€preponderate€against€the€trial€courtððs€finding€that€the€sale€ofÏbeer€at€this€location€would€cause€congestion€of€traffic€and€would€interfere€withÏpublic€safety.€€The€trial€court€specifically€stated€in€his€oral€ruling€from€theÏbench€that€except€for€this€finding€the€petitioner€would€be€entitled€to€theÏpermit.Ìà àAccordingly,€the€judgment€of€the€trial€court€is€reversed,€and€the€case€isÏremanded€to€the€chancery€court€for€entry€of€an€order€directing€the€DecaturÏCounty€Beer€Board€to€issue€a€permit€to€the€petitioner€in€accordance€with€hisÏapplication.€€Costs€of€the€appeal€are€assessed€against€the€appellees.ÌÓÓà àà àà àà àà àà àà à_________________________________Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àò òW.€FRANK€CRAWFORD,€Ìà àà àà àà àà àà àà àPRESIDING€JUDGE,€W.S.ó óÌò òCONCUR:ÌÌ____________________________________ÌHOLLY€KIRBY€LILLARD,€JUDGEó óÌÌ____________________________________Ìò òHEWITT€P.€TOMLIN,€JR.ÌSENIOR€JUDGEó óœÔ€ÔÔ€Ô