CHINATOWN/NORTH BEACH CAMPUS LAWSUITS SETTLED

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 11, 2008 * The Board of Trustees of the San Francisco Community College District (City College of San Francisco) agreed at a special Board meeting yesterday (December 10) to settlement offers from plaintiffs of the two lawsuits filed against the College District related to the construction of the new Chinatown/North Beach Campus. The two parties suing the College District were Neighbors For Preservation, Land Use and Community Education (PLACE), and Montgomery-Washington LP (MWLP).



According to Alan W. Sparer of the Sparer Law Group, who represented the College District in these two lawsuits, “This is an overwhelming victory for City College in litigation over its new Chinatown/North Beach Campus.”



City College Board President Lawrence Wong, Esq., said, “This victory for City College demonstrates the power of the people in our community to prevail. This action eliminates the final legal obstacle in the College’s 13-year effort to build a new campus on Washington Street. Excavation of the site has already begun, construction will commence in July 2009 and be completed by 2011.”



One of the lawsuits brought under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), challenged the environmental impact report (EIR) prepared by the College and criticized the decision to include a 14-story highrise as part of the Campus. “This building was necessary to house programs currently offered at over half a dozen temporary sites in Chinatown/North Beach,” said Wong, adding, “We have resolved the CEQA lawsuit without compromising in any way on the size of the Campus or the character of the academic programs it will offer.”



The substance of the CEQA settlement involves dismissal of the lawsuit in its entirety and agreement not to reinstitute proceedings in return for a payment to PLACE of $75,000 in fees and costs. The College admits no liability, and other than this limited payment provided with the dismissal, each party will bear its own costs and attorneys fees.



The second lawsuit, brought by the owners of the business tower at Washington and Columbus (MWLP), claimed that the design of the Campus would not be compatible with buildings in the nearby Jackson Square Historic District as required under a previous settlement with neighborhood preservationists. Wong noted, “The case has been settled without any change in the Campus design. The settlement will contain good neighbor provisions, steps the ...