Judge pitches a shutout against Howard Terminal lawsuits

Oakland mayoral candidate who grabbed top ballot spot is upset about reorder of names

CITY NEWS

HOWARD TERMINAL

—LAWSUITS STRIKE OUT—The Oakland Athletics have been on a quite a run recently. Not on the field, but in government meetings and now the courtroom.

—A tentative ruling issued on Monday by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman could spell the end of three lawsuits filed against the proposed Howard Terminal ballpark project.

—Last spring, three CEQA lawsuits were filed against the City of Oakland’s approved Environmental Impact Report for the proposed 35,000-seat ballpark project. They included lawsuits filed by the East Oakland Stadium Alliance, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority, and the Union Pacific Railroad Company.

—While the petitioners offered a wealth of new information to the record, Seligman wrote, “they do not identify any meaningful changes resulting from the new information.” Moreover, the new information actually supports the conclusions of the EIR, he added. The lawsuits’ court date is Friday morning.

—Opponents of the ballpark project, including longshoremen, nearby Schnitzer Steel, and others, have attempted to throw obstacles in front of the A’s and city’s plans before, but time may be running out for their efforts. The A’s and Oakland officials will likely pour over the results of months of negotiations over a final ballpark deal soon over the last months of this year.

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