America's Cup Lawsuit: Aaron Peskin Sues To Halt Race Plans

SAN FRANCISCO -- The former president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has filed a lawsuit seeking a new environmental review of the America's Cup sailing race.

A group calling itself Waterfront Watch filed the lawsuit Thursday in San Francisco Superior Court.

Former board president Aaron Peskin signed the lawsuit saying he was a member of the organization. The unincorporated group describes itself as "persons and entities that objected to approval" of San Francisco hosting sailing's most prestigious racing event in September 2013.

The lawsuit alleges the city failed to properly review the environment impacts that the event will have on the San Francisco Bay and the city. It asks a judge to order a halt to construction until the lawsuit is resolved.

The lawsuit names the city, its board and planning commission and organizers of the America's Cup race. Several construction companies, architectural firms and yacht clubs are also named.

A lawyer representing Peskin and the plaintiffs didn't return a phone call.

In a letter to the court, Peskin's attorney Keith Wagner said the plaintiffs were compelled by state-mandated deadlines to file the environmentally related lawsuit by Friday. Wagner said in the letter that the lawsuit was filed because he was unable to reach an agreement with city officials to extend the deadline. Wagner said the suit will be dropped if such an agreement occurs.

Peskin was on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for eight years ending in 2009. He served as board president in 2004 and 2005 and is now the local chairman of the Democratic Party. He's been an outspoken opponent of the proposed agreement between the city and America's Cup organizers.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote next week on final approval of the financial agreement between the city and race organizers. City officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

America's Cup lead negotiator Stephen Barclay declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"Our focus is on the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday," he said.

Comments

[trailerguy]

10:36 AM on 02/26/2012

do you know it rain under Golden gate bridge when ther is fog? saw when i was visiting fort Point.

[mountainweb]

10:27 PM on 02/25/2012

Aaron Peskin, man has to make money somehow, since he is not intelligent enough to hold down a real job, he has to sue someone....

[zombywulf]

05:17 PM on 02/25/2012

What a great deal, the city coughs up $30 million to pay for it, gives $100s of millions of property to larry Ellison and no one else gets a dime.

[oftenon]

05:14 PM on 02/25/2012

splendid investigative reporting, absent any investigating

[Tom95134]

01:23 PM on 02/25/2012

A bunch of Gold Diggers looking for the America's Cup sponsor to buy them off.

Yes, there will be some impact but just about as much as you get with all the usual sailboats running around out of the Bay over a weekend and since America's Cup boats don't have on-board heads they won't be dumping raw sewage like some private boats still do.

[1reasonedtruth]

01:13 PM on 02/25/2012

Hopefully the judge will throw this out.
The America's Cup is the Indy 500 of sailboat racing.
It will also bring millions to the local economy.

[zombywulf]

05:13 PM on 02/25/2012

yes, from the taxpayers right into Larry Ellisons pockets

[The Open Mind]

01:12 PM on 02/25/2012

Seriously, have they absolutely run out of things to argue about in CA? What's next: bicycle races? Hot air baloons? The soap-box derby?

[davesf]

01:01 PM on 02/25/2012

Shut up, Aaron.

[Soc3947]

12:29 PM on 02/25/2012

Ya can't get leftist enough to satisfy the SF culture..

[OnLesAura]

05:46 PM on 02/25/2012

for those anti-democratic self-promoters like Aaron Peskin, that's absolutely true, but the vast majority of San Franciscans are whole heartedly in favor of it. Peskin & Co, Inc., are just trying to profit - pay us off, or we'll make a hash of the whole thing, rather like an obstreporous five year old threatening to hold his breath unless mom and dad give in to some outrageous demand.

Many city residents are disgusted with the Board of SUpes anyway, always trying to ram down our throats whatever THEY decide is best for all of us. Sadly ironic in our city of such supposed 'people power'.

[Linda Pruitt]

03:43 PM on 02/28/2012

The vast majority of San Franciscans say "No more welfare for the rich!". Take your toy rafts and go home, Ellison.

[Politidelic]

01:11 PM on 02/27/2012

What do you really know about San Francisco? What you read in USA Today or hear on Fox News?

[Mardukk]

12:16 PM on 02/25/2012

I'd like to see sailBOATS race, not the Americas Cup contraptions. The whole thing is a rich man's ripoff of taxpayers.

[davesf]

01:16 PM on 02/25/2012

You understand that Ellison's peeps are paying to restore piers, etc, right? Sure, they get a tax break, but c'mon, they'll spend millions just doing that. It's gonna be fun to watch and if the plans are sound (which most at this point agree they are), we'll be left with significantly better waterfront than we've got now. I agree, the boats are pretty crazy, but the technology going into them is incredible.

[campcranston]

04:05 PM on 02/28/2012

They also want to put in waterfront hotels, which haven't been allowed up until now. And skirt doing a real environmental impact study, too. If they're going to be making all of this money, it's kind of their responsibility to make sure the city won't be adversely impacted.

[Brenda Starr]

10:52 AM on 02/25/2012

Sailboats -- hello? SAILBOATS.

[campcranston]

04:05 PM on 02/28/2012

It's not about the sailboats.

[Bill Davis1]

12:17 AM on 02/25/2012

Now that hate even Sailboats. Cali you amaze me.

[Politidelic]

01:13 PM on 02/27/2012

Only some who are trying to make a buck off their objections. And by the way it's called California come on now... No one I know in California calls it "Cali."

[Bill Davis1]

02:34 PM on 02/27/2012

I dont live in "California" so we say "Cali" and you knew what I meant, you're just nit picking.