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Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) and the City have set a date, a court date. On December 16, a Superior Court judge will rule on the merits of the the historic preservation group's lawsuit over the City's agreement to proceed with a $40 million dollar proposal to remove traffic from Balboa Park's Plaza de Panama.
At issue, is the Memorandum of Understanding that the city issued in July of this year. The understanding allows the Plaza de Panama Committee to proceed with the proposal without a reasonable number of alternatives, and without sufficient environmental review, says SOHO.
The preservationists say the plan offered by the committee, backed by Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, would mar the Cabrillo Bridge by attaching a bypass bridge, skirting Plaza de Panama. SOHO claims the City doesn't want to upset the main donor Jacobs and is backing the plan no matter what.
"The only reason for the MOU was to publicly confirm the City Council's commitment to the concept of a new bridge, before the environmental review had even begun," stated SOHO's director Bruce Coons.
"Setting aside this MOU is the only way to ensure that the City will take a fair and open look at the alternative solutions to parking and traffic issues at Balboa Park favored by San Diego citizens and Balboa Park supporters statewide."
Coons said the group looks forward to their date in court.
Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) and the City have set a date, a court date. On December 16, a Superior Court judge will rule on the merits of the the historic preservation group's lawsuit over the City's agreement to proceed with a $40 million dollar proposal to remove traffic from Balboa Park's Plaza de Panama.
At issue, is the Memorandum of Understanding that the city issued in July of this year. The understanding allows the Plaza de Panama Committee to proceed with the proposal without a reasonable number of alternatives, and without sufficient environmental review, says SOHO.
The preservationists say the plan offered by the committee, backed by Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs, would mar the Cabrillo Bridge by attaching a bypass bridge, skirting Plaza de Panama. SOHO claims the City doesn't want to upset the main donor Jacobs and is backing the plan no matter what.
"The only reason for the MOU was to publicly confirm the City Council's commitment to the concept of a new bridge, before the environmental review had even begun," stated SOHO's director Bruce Coons.
"Setting aside this MOU is the only way to ensure that the City will take a fair and open look at the alternative solutions to parking and traffic issues at Balboa Park favored by San Diego citizens and Balboa Park supporters statewide."
Coons said the group looks forward to their date in court.