News of a lawsuit being filed by the owner of the Carlsbad and Escondido malls brought to mind a saying of a former North County newspaper publisher: "Any fool with 25 bucks can file a lawsuit."

That was his distinctive way of making the point that filing a lawsuit is meaningless until and unless the matter at issue is deemed serious enough to actually land in a courtroom.

We find it laughable that Westfield Group, the owner-operator of the existing regional shopping centers, is truly concerned about the environmental impact of a potential rival's plans. Of course, the lawsuit filed by Westfield seeks to hinder competition.

However, we are not suggesting Westfield's complaints can be dismissed as trivial by the city of Oceanside, its residents or the builder of the proposed mall, Thomas Enterprises of Georgia.

Any developer can attest to how complaints about negative impacts on the quality of life for both two- and four-legged critters can snarl construction plans to the point of abandonment. Wal-Mart, for one, saw some of its plans to convert certain store locations into so-called "super-centers" legally hogtied by just such concerns, despite the fact they are allowed under existing permits and zoning.

For the record, the company's petition to the court states that its tenants, patrons and employees could be adversely affected if the new facility changes air, noise or traffic quality. However, the land, once home to a drive-in movie theater, is the site of a flea market and is not a pristine, undisturbed natural patch of land.

It is disturbing that Westfield would resort to such sham tactics merely to maintain its competitive advantage in North County.

There are better places to compete for customer traffic than in our already crowded courts. Westfield should pick those venues instead.

Additional information:

OCEANSIDE: Westfield sues O'side to stop shopping center