Jun 19, 2008 3:28 pm US/Pacific
Berkeley Mayor: Both Sides Won In Cal Stadium Suit
BERKELEY (BCN) ―
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said Thursday that a judge's long-awaited ruling on the University of California, Berkeley's plan to build a new sports training center next to its football stadium was a "split" decision.
Referring to the university, which was sued by the city of Berkeley and two other plaintiff groups, Bates said, "They won some and we won some."
Bates said that after reviewing the 129-page ruling that Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller issued at 6 p.m. Wednesday, nine months after she held a trial on the case, "There are some open questions still there and we'll see how it plays out."
Bates said he was encouraged that Miller ruled that the university must comply with a state law, which regulates structures built on or near earthquake faults and that it must address safety concerns.
The proposed training facility would be located next to the university's 85-year-old football stadium, which sits on the Hayward earthquake fault.
Charles Olson, the university's lead attorney, said Wednesday night that he believed that the university prevailed on most important legal issues in the complicated and lengthy case.
UC-Berkeley Vice Chancellor Nathan Brostrom said the university though it could address Miller's remaining concerns soon and hopes to begin work on the project in the near future.
Brostrom said the university estimated the project will cost about $140 million and take about two-and-a-half years to be completed.
Bates declined to comment on whether the city would try to get a stay to stop the project if Miller ultimately gives a green light to the university's plans.
Bates noted that all parties in the case would submit additional legal documents to Miller next week and she still retained jurisdiction of the case.
Bates said, "The saga continues" and joked that there could be "appeals of appeals."
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