Legal News

Residents' group opposing museum expansion drops suit

By Richard Binder

The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles has agreed to pay $150,000 to Homeowners Opposed to Museum Expansion, a neighborhood group that sued to block the center's expansion of its Museum of Tolerance.

The group is made up of residents who fought plans to extend the museum's hours and replace a Holocaust memorial garden a 28,000-square-foot reception and banquet area. Homeowners had filed the suit alleging that the environmental study conducted by the city was inadequate. They also argued that the expansion would increase noise and traffic in the area.

The case was supposed to go to trial on February 23, but the group agreed to drop the case. Susan Gans, an entertainment attorney who has led the opposition since 2007, said about $20,000 of the settlement funds would be used to reimburse elderly residents who contributed savings or pension money to oppose the expansion.

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Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on March 08, 2010 (boomark / email).