SOHO WILL LEGALLY CHALLENGE COUNCIL DECISION ON BALBOA PARK

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July 14, 2012  (San Diego) - Save Our Heritage Organization will legally challenge the San Diego City Council's July 9 approval of a proposal that SOHO says would irreparably damage Balboa Park and could jeopardize its status as a National Historic Landmark District. The lawsuit will be based on the City's violations of the San Diego Municipal Code, the 1870 Trust Dedication of the Park as "free" in perpetuity, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in approving the plan.

After almost two years of public and agency discussion and recommendations for viable project alternatives to remove cars from the Plaza de Panama, the City Council agreed to implement the plan in a 6 to 1 vote with only Councilmember Sherri Lightner providing leadership in her elected duty to protect and serve the public.
 
SOHO successfully challenged the City Council's 2011 approval of an illegal Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Plaza de Panama Committee. “It is now spearheading this litigation on behalf of the thousands of San Diegans that objected to this flawed proposal for nearly two years, and whose concerns and suggestions were ignored by Mr. Jacobs and the City Council,’ a release issued today by SOHO stated.
 
Bruce Coons, executive director of the nonprofit SOHO, San Diego's only countywide preservation group said: "Balboa Park - a national treasure established by state statute in 1870...to be held in trust forever...as a free and public park...and for no other and different purpose...deserves all of the protections of local and state law."
 
Community leaders and authorities most expert on planning, design, transportation, sustainability, economics, and historic resources from all over the region joined SOHO in arguing that there are many alternatives to the Jacobs plan that will protect and enhance the park and comply with applicable laws.
 
The plan has been promoted as a means of getting vehicle traffic out of Balboa Park’s core area and making the park pedestrian-friendly.
 
SOHO supports the widely shared goal of removing parking from the Plaza de Panama in time for the centennial of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. But according to SOHO, the Jacobs plan is indefensible in terms of minor net parking gains, huge public costs for construction and maintenance, and the introduction of paid parking for park visitors. In addition to financial drawbacks for the city, it is undisputed that the Jacobs plan would irreparably damage the iconic 1914 Cabrillo Bridge by cutting through its historic fabric for a new, freeway off-ramp style bypass bridge and road system that wraps around the historic entry buildings. The plan would also encroach upon Alcazar Garden and Palm Canyon and alter the aesthetics and park experience of Balboa Park.
 
The City concedes that the new bypass bridge will significantly impact a historic landmark, as confirmed by the Environmental Impact Report, but contends that such impacts are justified by project benefits. SOHO and thousands of San Diegans disagree.
 
SOHO is seeking donations to help with the legal campaign to protect "the people's park." A successful outcome will prevent re-approval of this project, since local and state laws disallow the project in its current form, according to SOHO. To make a tax-deductible donation to help save historic Balboa Park click HERE, or contact SOHO at (619) 291-9327
 
"SOHO expects a strong response in support of its legal action based on the outrage shown by the public toward the Jacobs plan and the love San Diegans have demonstrated for the park for a century," said Jaye MacAskill, SOHO president.

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