Another battle lost for DIBC/Matty Moroun...

[urbanoutdoors]

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...FREE/910059978

Judge tells Detroit International Bridge Co. to take down fence in park
By Bill Shea
A judge has ruled that the Detroit International Bridge Co. must remove
a 150-foot security fence around the base of the Ambassador Bridge in
city-owned Riverside Park within 90 days.
The bridge company, owned by Grosse Pointe trucking tycoon Manuel “Matty�
Moroun, sued the city in May to halt eviction proceedings. The company
said former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer gave it permission to erect the
fence as a post-9/11 security barrier.
36th District Court Judge Beverly Hayes-Sipes acknowledged that there is
a security need for the bridge in her ruling, and gave the bridge
company 90 days so it could reach an agreement with the city and U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, said Phil Frame, director of
communications for Warren-based CenTra Inc., the parent company of the
firm that manages the bridge.
“The city does own the property, which we acknowledge,� he said.
The city argued that permission from Archer was null because the Detroit
City Council never approved it.
The bridge company says it plans to immediately pursue talks with the
different governments to reach a new accord on security.
A cadre of activists has been protesting the fence for the past 18
months, and say Moroun needs the park for a $1 billion second span
project rather than for any security concern.

[Lorax]

With the Matted Moron's enormous wealth, he can afford a little palm greasing to make it go away- he won't have to do more than send one of his henchmen to do the dirty work-

Or as one of my English clients puts it: "Tell me, what's your favorite charity?"

[cman710]

This is definitely a victory for those opposing the placement of the fence in that park. It will be interesting to see what kind of "agreement" the DIBC and the government authorities work out regarding security of the bridge.

[Todd_Scott]

Just stating the obvious, but... Any future agreement needs to take into account the western portion of the Detroit RiverWalk.

[Toolbox]

Just stating the obvious, but... Any future agreement needs to take into account the western portion of the Detroit RiverWalk.

That and the whole unsecured side of the bridge anchorage in Windsor.

[kraig]

Just stating the obvious, but... Any future agreement needs to take into account the western portion of the Detroit RiverWalk.

It looks like the Riverwalk just ended itself at the Ambassador Bridge. No way does MM let the Riverwalk pass through his property. Unless he gets something in return.

[bailey]

36th District Court Judge Beverly Hayes-Sipes acknowledged that there is
a security need for the bridge in her ruling, and gave the bridge
company 90 days so it could reach an agreement with the city and U.S.
Department of Homeland Security, said Phil Frame, director of
communications for Warren-based CenTra Inc., the parent company of the
firm that manages the bridge.

Dollars to doughnuts the "security measures" agreed upon by the parties looks exactly like the fence that is there now. There is an election to be held within that 90 day time frame and lots of campaigns to support...or to not.

[urbanoutdoors]

Dollars to doughnuts the "security measures" agreed upon by the parties looks exactly like the fence that is there now. There is an election to be held within that 90 day time frame and lots of campaigns to support...or to not.

Very true but with as much heat as there is on Matty right now I cannot imagine any politician would be dumb enough to except money from him... I know some one will but that is taking a big risk considering the media is following campaign donations alot more closely than ever before....

[bailey]

Very true but with as much heat as there is on Matty right now I cannot imagine any politician would be dumb enough to except money from him... I know some one will but that is taking a big risk considering the media is following campaign donations alot more closely than ever before....

What heat? some rumblings on a message board? You have Karmanos employing the fat lard KK and no one bats an eye except during sweeps week, you think anyone is going to get up in arms about a park relatively few even knew existed? Those with the gold make the rules.. and Matty has a lot of gold.

[RealityCheck]

Yet another battle deservedly lost . . .

. . . as John Gallagher reports:

U.S. District Judge Patrick Duggan today denied a request by Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel [[Matty) Moroun to keep secret a 2007 inspection report on the bridge.

U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., has obtained the report and threatened to release it.

In his 15-page opinion issued today, Duggan said that Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Co. had not made a case why it would be irreparably harmed by the release of the report nor had it satisfied other legal criteria for a restraining order to keep the report secret.