(Sacramento, CA) – Stephen Cook, attorney for Save Our Capitol!, today issued the following statement after the California Third District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of Save Our Capitol!, finding the Capitol Annex Project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) legally deficient and ordering the Project’s approvals to be set aside pending revision, recirculation, and reconsideration of the EIR:
“Save Our Capitol! is gratified that the Court sided with the people of California today. The California Department of General Services (DGS) and the Joint Committee on Rules of the California State Senate and Assembly (JRC) were found to be in violation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), depriving the public and California lawmakers of an opportunity to fully evaluate the devastating consequences of the Capitol Annex Project.
“The Court agreed that the EIR ‘prevented the people from commenting on significant environmental effects of what is truly the people’s capitol.’ We’re heartened that the Court’s decision requires DGS and JRC to do what they should have from the start of the Project: fully evaluate the Project’s environmental impacts, and consider and adopt feasible mitigation and alternatives.
“The Court has ordered the issuance of a peremptory writ of mandate directing DGS to vacate its certification of the EIR and approval of the Project, and to revise and recirculate the deficient portions of the EIR before it considers reapproving the Project. Today, the People of California won. While it is unfortunate that legal action was required to compel JRC and DGS to follow the law, Save Our Capitol! is hopeful that, now, they will properly consider alternatives to the Project which do not involve decimating these irreplaceable historical resources.”
The Court’s decision can be found here.
About Save Our Capitol!
The purpose of Save our Capitol! is to preserve the site of the historic Capitol and its surrounding Park as the center and symbol of Californians’ right to truth, transparency, and trust in self-governance. Follow Save Our Capitol! on Twitter and act to #StopTheDemolition by visiting www.saveourcapitol.org.