Commission Okays AC EIR

The San Francisco Planning Commission adopted the environmental impact report for the 34th America’s Cup in a unanimous vote yesterday. With the Port Commission expected to also adopt the document today, that will leave only final ratification from the Board of Supervisors in January before construction on the piers can begin.

However, it may not be that straightforward. As many as a dozen environmental and neighborhood organizations have voiced their disapproval of the report and the plans it addresses.Those groups have 20 days to file an appeal with the Planning Commission which could delay the rest of the process.

The threat of an appeal over the EIR isn’t the only thing Russell Coutts and Larry Ellison have on their minds right now. The Golden Gate YC has been sued in the state of New York by a stillborn challenge from the African Diaspora Maritime Corporation based out of North Carolina. The suit accuses the Golden Gate YC of self-dealing in securing the real estate deals with the City, while not sharing the profits from those deals with the challengers.