FW: SDDT-Biberman: SOHO says General Plan doesn't protect enough (City of San Diego)

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From: <char.ayers@att.net>
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:24:53 +0000
To: Charlene Ayers <char.ayers@att.net>
Subject: SDDT-Biberman: SOHO says General Plan doesn't protect enough (City of San Diego)

SOHO says General Plan doesn't protect enough
By THOR KAMBAN BIBERMAN, The Daily Transcript
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
 
Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) has filed a lawsuit against the city of San Diego challenging the adequacy of the municipality's general plan.
 
The complaint filed in Superior Court Tuesday alleges the plan and its related amendments fail to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act and is legally inadequate with regards to the protection of historical resources. The case is now pending before Superior Court Judge Ronald Prager.
 
SOHO says while the General Plan approved by the City Council last month provides a mitigation framework to reduce impacts to historic resources, such as reliance on the Mills Act that provides tax incentives for rehabilitation of qualified historic properties, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders has recommended reducing these protections. "in contravention of law." Sanders' office could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.
 
The lawsuit also claims that the environmental impact report for the General Plan failed to include an adequate analysis of the environmental setting and of the impacts of build-out relative to historic, cultural and archaeological resources. In addition, it allegedly failed to identify areas most likely to face development-related impacts to historic resources.
 
SOHO Executive Director Bruce Coons said while he felt the lawsuit was necessary, he is confident an accord between SOHO and the city may yet be reached.
 
"We hope to work with the city to correct the inadequacies of the General Plan to adequately mitigate effects on the city's irreplaceable and unique historic resources ..." Coons said. "I still think we're not too far apart."
 
SOHO is being represented by Napa, Calif., attorney Susan Brandt-Hawley, who has represented SOHO in many of its cases within recent years.


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