City to build 7 medians to settle Pure Water suit
SAN DIEGO
SAN DIEGO
San Diego has agreed to build seven new road medians in University City at an estimated cost of $1.2 million to settle two lawsuits that sought to block construction of the city’s Pure Water sewage recycling system.
The City Council unanimously approved the settlement Tuesday. The pact was previously approved by the council in a Jan. 28 session that was closed to the public.
Settling the litigation leaves construction of the Pure Water pipeline with only one major legal hurdle to overcome, a separate lawsuit filed by a group of local contractors who want nonunion workers to help build the pipeline. In that case, Superior Court Judge Richard Strauss has scheduled a May 1 hearing on a March 13 motion the contractors filed in an attempt to keep their case alive.
No matter how the judge rules, the losing side is expected to appeal the ruling to the state’s Fourth District Court of Appeal, which could lead to years of legal wrangling before construction of the pipeline potentially begins.
On the suits filed by residents, city officials have agreed to build the medians based on contentions they didn’t properly analyze the effect on local traffic that construction of the pipeline would have.
The suits were filed by the University City Community Foundation homeowners association and attorney Cory Briggs. In addition to building the medians, city officials have agreed to pay Briggs $60,000 as part of the settlement.
If the city awards contracts for the seven new medians in 2020, the total cost of the medians can’t exceed $1.246 million. If contracts are awarded between 2021 and 2025, the maximum cost will be adjusted upward to account for inflation.
If the city doesn’t end up building the pipeline, there is no obligation to build the medians.
The community foundation has agreed to coordinate and secure agreements by nearby homeowners to pay assessment fees to cover maintenance of five of the seven medians by the end of this year.
Pure Water, which has been in the planning stages for more than a decade, aims to boost San Diego’s water independence. By recycling treated sewage into drinking water, the system is projected to account for one-third of the city’s water supply by 2035.