Attorney Marc Chytilo filed the lawsuit in Santa Barbara courts on January 17, challenging the city’s approval of the project, which included plans for a 238-space underground parking garage in an area Chytilo says has “known contaminated soil and groundwater.” … “Disturbance of this groundwater during construction is likely to cause health and safety hazards to existing residents and businesses in the Funk Zone from chemicals known to exist on and under the site,” said Chytilo, who specializes in environmental cases. The legal challenges argue that the city relied too much on its 14-year-old environmental impact report, ignoring the potential for unknown impacts and allowing an exemption from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.