The lawsuit opposes the A's submission seeking Assembly Bill 734 fast-track certificationATHLETICS
A coalition of shipping, trucking and steel companies have "filed a lawsuit aimed at stopping the fast-tracking of an environmental review" of the A's plan to build a new ballpark at Howard Terminal, according to NBCBAYAREA.com. Specifically, the lawsuit "opposes the A's submission" to California Gov. Gavin Newsom's Office of Planning and Research last week "seeking Assembly Bill 734 fast-track certification." The suit seeks a "declaration that Newsom has no power or authority to certify the Howard Terminal project." Pacific Maritime Association VP & General Counsel Mike Jacob in a statement said, "The deadline for projects to demonstrate to the state that they meet the criteria for limited environmental review was Jan. 1." He added, "The A's application was pending for months and they were given multiple opportunities to prove that they could meet the thresholds required ... but they obviously could not meet these standards." The groups that filed the suit said that over the past year, they have "advocated for preserving Oakland's working waterfront by growing a broad coalition dedicated to keeping the A's at their current Coliseum site and redeveloping" there (NBCBAYAREA.com, 3/17).
PLAYING DEFENSE: The A's in a statement said, "At a time when our community is coming together in the midst of a global public health crisis, the decision to file a lawsuit to halt the environmental review process for the new A’s ballpark reeks of cynicism and desperation." The team added, "The new ballpark will be critical to the environmental, transportation, and housing future of Oakland. It’s a once-in-a-generation project that will contribute to the health and vitality of Oakland" (THEATHLETIC.com, 3/18).
