Northern California River Watch, an environmental group based in Petaluma, is suing the Bayshore Mall and its previous corporate owners, General Growth Properties, for failing to restore five acres of wetlands.
The nonprofit alleges that GGP failed to comply with a requirement in the Coastal Development Permit it was issued way back in 1985. According the the complaint, the permit required restoration of 5.17 acres of wetlands on the mall property, and the mall’s owners did no such restoration, thus violating the California Coastal Act.
One possible wrinkle: The Bayshore Mall changed owners back in January as part of General Growth Properties’ post-bankruptcy restructuring.
River Watch is seeking $30,000 in civil fines, plus another $15,000 fine for each and every day that the owners have been in violation. Anyone have a calculator?
This article appears in Fight at the Museum.
They “filed this last year.
And I wonder what they will do with all the money…. since they seem to be rather sue happy, and won’t post their IRS 990 forms on the internet.
so let me see…..Petaluma based Northern California River Watch is enforcing wetland restoration on Humboldt BAY and our local BayKeeper is where?
General Growth Properties only acquired the mall in the early 2000’s.
I love how local environmentalists use everything in their suing power to stop the Wal-Mart. Face it, it’s the real issue here.