Cross posted at Calitics

Yesterday the Union Tribune reported that according to Kelly Broughton, San Diego's development services director, Blackwater's city permits could not be appealed. The article held out one glimmer of hope though- that Mayor Sanders' call for investigation could bear fruit:

Broughton said yesterday that the internal review could lead to Blackwater's permits being revoked, after a public hearing, if it turns out that staff made mistakes or relied on bad information.

Certainly one compelling bit of "bad information" might be the use of Southwest Law Enforcement and Raven Development Group on the permits instead of Blackwater. Another might be...you know...blatantly lying about the planned use of the property in Otay Mesa and what would be installed there. Well today City Attorney Mike Aguirre weighed in on exactly that, calling for a stop work order to be immediately issued and establishing the need for environmental impact study:

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

Which is a long way around to smacking down Blackwater on about every point that's been raised by the locals objecting to the project. Local NPR on the way home earlier reported that Mayor Sanders was on board with some or all of the City Attorney's opinion, still waiting to get an official response from Sanders.