Von Haden Suit Thrown Out

An attempt by former Vista City Councilman Lloyd von Haden to invalidate the city’s redevelopment plans was thrown out of court Wednesday because his legal challenge to the project was not filed in a timely manner.

Von Haden said he will fight the tentative ruling and ask that oral arguments on his lawsuit be heard next week in Vista Superior Court.

Von Haden, who served on the City Council from 1978 through 1986--when he ran unsuccessfully for mayor--filed his civil suit in September. He asked that the city’s redevelopment plans be nullified because it is “an abuse” of the state’s redevelopment laws.

He argued, among other things, that the city had included non-blighted areas within the redevelopment area even though they clearly were not blighted.

He also alleged that the environmental impact report on the redevelopment ordinance was inadequate.

The redevelopment project had been endorsed by Vista voters in two different elections.