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North Beach Group Files Lawsuit Over SF Central Subway Project

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) – A key portion of San Francisco's Central Subway project is raising concerns in the city's North Beach neighborhood, and has prompted a lawsuit.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is planning to dig 2,000 feet beyond the last planned subway stop to create a special tunnel just to get the equipment out.

KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:

But that's not sitting well with many in North Beach, especially those near the proposed tunnel site on Columbus Avenue between Union and Filbert streets.

"This is going to be right near Washington Square Park and it's going to be noisy and dirty," said North Beach Business Association Vice President Kathleen Dooley.

That's why her group has written a letter to Muni demanding it not dig an extraction tunnel.

"Who's going to want to come to North Beach for a relaxing afternoon when there's going to be all this noise and disruption," Dooley said.

Another group, Save North Beach has gone a step further and filed a lawsuit over the tunnel plan.  That suit askf for supplemental environmental impact reports before the project moves forward.

A Muni spokesman said the agency has full confidence in the project but will not comment on pending litigation.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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