Just got this from the City Attorney’s office, for those of you who are obsessed with—er, interested in all things Blackwater:
The City Attorney issued a legal opinion on Friday indicating that a series of building permits issued by the City of San Diego’s Development Services Department to a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide, a global security firm whose work in Iraq has fallen under criticism, were obtained improperly and a more rigorous permitting process should be completed. The City Attorney opined that a stop work order should be issued immediately and a more rigorous application process undertaken.
Southwest Law Enforcement Training Enterprises, a subsidiary of Blackwater Worldwide, obtained permits for tenant improvements to an existing warehouse in Otay Mesa the area of the City of San Diego. The permit applications specified that the building was to be used as a “training facility.” The original building was formerly used as a warehouse. One of the three applications filed by Southwest Law Enforcement stated that the proposed use of the building as “same (no change).”
As a result of the representations in the permit application the permits were issued under the DSD’s “ministerial” process, which meant no City Council or other discretionary approval was required.
More recent tenant improvement application submitted by Southwest Law Enforcement Training Enterprises was to construct an “indoor firing range.”
The legal opinion issued by the City Attorney’s Office also states that California Environmental Quality Act is also necessary in order to address the environmental impacts of a firing range
May 16, 2008 - 7:51 pm at 7:51 pm
Blackwater just go away, no one wants you here. GO AWAY!
May 17, 2008 - 6:43 pm at 6:43 pm
I am not a fan of Blackwater by any stretch of one’s imagination. But I really wish the City Attorney’s office would learn the ins and outs of CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) before opining what might require review under it.