ANAHEIM : Letter of Objection Delays Stadium Vote

Because of a last-minute objection, the City Council delayed a decision this week on an earthquake recovery plan aimed at refurbishing Anaheim Stadium or possibly building a new stadium.

Anaheim Stadium Associates delivered a letter of opposition to the council 15 minutes before Tuesday night’s meeting. According to city codes, the objection must be answered before the council can vote on the recovery plan.

The business, which leases 68 acres of stadium parking lot, contends the recovery proposal is actually a city smoke screen to acquire Anaheim Stadium Associates’ development rights.

Councilman Irv Pickler disagreed with the objections filed by Anaheim Stadium Associates. The recovery plan is necessary to help finance stadium repairs caused by the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake, he said.

“They’re just grasping at straws,” Pickler said.

In July, the council designated the stadium and its parking lot a redevelopment project, paving the way for financing needed stadium repairs. During the earthquake, the stadium’s 17-ton scoreboard fell and caused an estimated $10 million in damage. Because of that damage, the city is allowed to create a redevelopment project without finding that the site is blighted, city officials said.

With the designation, the city will be able to use any increase in tax revenue for future development on the 150-acre stadium land. City officials say the project eventually may help finance a stadium remodeling or even a new facility.

A new stadium or renovation of the existing one is believed to be a key element in any effort to keep the Los Angeles Rams in Orange County, some city officials contend.

In a four-page letter to the council, Anaheim Stadium Associates argue that if the recovery plan is approved and a new stadium built, it would threaten their right to develop the parking lot property. The business claims that a 1983 agreement with the city guarantees them the right to construct 2 million square feet of office space in four high-rises.

The council is expected to make a decision on the recovery plan on Tuesday.