The San Diego City Council yesterday kept the "pursuit of a new Chargers stadium on track" by approving $2.1M for accelerated environmental studies required for a public stadium vote in January, according to David Garrick of the SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Mayor Kevin Faulconer said that the council’s approval, which came in a 6-3 vote, was "crucial to convincing NFL officials that San Diego is serious about building a stadium that would prevent the Chargers" from moving to the L.A. market. Faulconer said that progress on environmental work for a stadium "will boost the city’s credibility in meetings with NFL officials on July 28 in San Diego and on Aug. 10 in Chicago." Garrick notes council members who voted in favor of the proposal "endorsed that strategy, while council members in opposition called the accelerated environmental impact report an improper use of taxpayer money that wouldn’t help keep the team." The Chargers have said that it is "not possible the city can complete a comprehensive and legally sound analysis of such a large project by the necessary deadline of Oct. 15, stressing that EIRs typically take 12 to 18 months." Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani in an e-mail wrote, "The city's quickie EIR will be full of holes and will be thrown out by the courts. The Chargers will simply not hitch the future of the franchise to the city's misbegotten legal strategy." Council member David Alvarez said that he "voted against the proposal primarily because the city and the Chargers haven’t agreed to a financing plan." Alvarez: “I don’t think the NFL will take this seriously." Faulconer and other supporters said that the $2.1M approved yesterday is a "wise expenditure even if the Chargers eventually move" to L.A., because the environmental analysis "would give the city a head start on any future projects" at the Qualcomm Stadium site (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 7/15).
THE AUTUMN WIND BLOWS? In L.A., Tony Perry notes San Diego City Council members on both sides of the issue said that they "hope the team does not move to Carson for a joint-use stadium" with the Raiders. Council member Scott Sherman said that he "remains confident the NFL will 'tell the Chargers to go back to the table' and negotiate a stadium deal and financing plan that can be presented to San Diego voters in December or January" (L.A. TIMES, 7/15). Some San Diego City Council members also said that it is "time to face the likelihood" that the Chargers are leaving town. Council President Pro Tem Marti Emerald said, "The Chargers made a business decision that is right for them." He added, "What part of ‘no’ do stadium backers not understand? It’s time to listen and let them go to Los Angeles.” Council member Todd Gloria: "The Chargers don't want to stay" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 7/15).
