The group, Gaslight Village Responsible Development, filed the lawsuit Wednesday, claiming the city ignored state zoning laws to rush a Gaslight Village project through the first round of approvals.
The proposed plan adds six new buildings to the shopping district, including commercial and residential spaces and a parking garage.
The concept plan passed a 4-3 city commission vote in October. GVRD wants residents to vote on the project. It’s drafted a petition and collected nearly 1,500 signatures.
According to the suit, the city clerk determined over 1,200 signatures on the petition were valid, enough for it to move forward, but declared the petition “inadequate pending final legal review because of ‘technical difficulties’” with the language on the petition form itself.
In a statement to WGVU, City Manager Shea Charles wrote, “While we don’t comment on pending litigation, I can share that we followed guidance from our attorney, the City’s charter and state election law to reach our determination.”
David Decker with GVRD and Jerry Anderson with EGR Responsible Development stated, “Our request to the Mayor and City Commission is to read the complaint that has been filed, to adhere to City Code and State Code, and to listen to the voice of its residents.”
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
