Gov. Jerry Brown announced Wednesday that the proposed new stadium in Mission Valley qualifies for accelerated environmental review under state law.
The governor certified the Qualcomm Stadium replacement plan as an “environmental leadership development project,” which requires any lawsuits arising from the environmental impact report to be resolved within 270 days.
“It’s fantastic news for San Diego and a big step forward for the Mission Valley stadium plan,” said Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “This gives our Mission Valley project more certainty and momentum.
“I thank the governor for supporting our efforts to create a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly and Super Bowl-ready stadium. I also appreciate the efforts of Speaker Atkins, who was instrumental in the Capitol,” Faulconer added.
The action comes a week before the National Football League is scheduled to host public forums in San Diego, St. Louis and Oakland about those cities’ possible loss of football teams to the giant Los Angeles market. The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders are planning a new stadium in Carson, while the owner of the St. Louis Rams wants to build a stadium in Inglewood.
The governor’s certification will be complete in 30 days after the state legislature’s Joint Legislative Budget Committee, which is not in session, either concurs or does not concur in writing.
Once enacted, any lawsuit challenging proposed stadium’s environmental impact report must be resolved within 270 days. This timeline ensure the city can open the new stadium in 2019 and meet the NFL’s schedule even if there is litigation.
The draft environmental impact report received only 18 comments, a very low number for such a large project.
