In response to the state Supreme Court's decision to allow a housing project to be built at Berkeley's People's Park, the city's mayor on Friday said it's a "resolution" and applauded the ruling.
On Thursday, the high court ruled that UC Berkeley, which owns People's Park, has the legal right to begin building a housing project there, and a day later, Mayor Jesse Arreguin held a news conference to express his approval.
The legal battle over the project at the historic park began when construction work started with the removal of trees, and activists broke through barricades to protest, setting up encampments at the site.
Local organizations Make UC a Good Neighbor and The People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group filed lawsuits, alleging the university did not consider noise pollution under the California Environmental Quality Act and construction should stop.
The state Supreme Court ruled against that argument after a new law was enacted last year. Now, work can move ahead on what UC Berkeley says is much needed housing.
"This will provide permanent housing for the neediest people in our community, people currently living on the streets," Arreguin said. "I think that this will be a resolution. This court decision reverses what I and many people, including the governor, felt was a misguided decision that was not based on law …"
The court noted in its ruling that UC Berkeley provides the lowest percentage of housing to students in the University of California system.
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The $312 million project is supposed to house 1,100 students along with providing open space.
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