Anaheim, Angels Renew Stadium Parking Fight

With the start of spring training two days away, the California Angels and the City of Anaheim fired a new round of public salvos Tuesday in their legal dispute over development of the Anaheim Stadium parking lot.

Anaheim City Manager William O. Talley told a Lions Club meeting Tuesday, in the first of several scheduled public appearances, that the Angels’ lawsuit to block development of a $200-million, high-rise office project was “frustrating” the city’s growth.

Talley told the civic leaders that the proposed project would mean $1.7 million in additional annual revenue for the city, $4.5 million in street improvements near the stadium to be underwritten by the developers and a chance for Anaheim to “become a real force in the county’s office market.”

However, Angels spokesman Michael Schreter bluntly responded in a telephone interview that Talley was guilty of spreading “half-truths” that ignore the negative impact the project will have on the baseball team.

The Angels sued 18 months ago to stop the development because they believe it will reduce the number of parking spaces available to stadium-goers.

The two sides appear no closer to a settlement in the dispute than when spring training got under way a year ago. There have been no formal talks between the city and the Angels on the parking lot issue since last November. No talks are scheduled.

“I think some of our minor differences can be resolved,” Schreter said. “But on the parking lot, I think we’re headed for court.”

The development project was included in the city’s agreement that brought the Los Angeles Rams football team to Anaheim in 1980. The project would be built by Anaheim Stadium Associates, a joint venture of the development firm of Cabot, Cabot and Forbes, Los Angeles, and Ramco, owned by heirs of the late Carroll Rosenbloom, who also own the Rams.

Angels owner Gene Autry filed suit in Orange County Superior Court in August, 1983, to stop the project, claiming it would mean a loss of too many surface-level parking spaces at Anaheim Stadium. Since then the two sides have been embroiled in a dozen other disputes, which have resulted in additional lawsuits. But the parking lot is still the main issue.

The stadium now has about 15,300 parking spaces. The project would take away 2,865 of these but would replace them with more than 5,000 spaces in high-rise garages.

The Angels claim that a reduction in surface-level parking spaces will deter baseball fans from coming to Angels home games. Autry said when the suit was filed that baseball fans don’t want to park in garages.

Phase One of the 10-year development, called the Orangewood Project, would include four high-rise office buildings and four multilevel parking garages along Orangewood Avenue, directly south of the stadium. Plans for Phase Two, which would be along State College Avenue directly west of the stadium, have not been completed.

Figure Called Misleading

Angels spokesman Schreter claims that Talley is misleading the public by talking about 2,865 surface-level parking spaces lost to development.

“That’s just Phase One,” Schreter said. “God only knows when the developers will stop. Plans we’ve seen show we could lose 7,000 ground-level parking spaces.”

Talley said the Angels should let the city go ahead with plans for Phase One, then file a lawsuit later if they are unhappy with Phase Two.

Talley said later that the Lions Club speech was the first of several public appearances he plans to make, with the approval of the Anaheim City Council, to talk about the stadium development project.

“We just think it’s time to let the people know how much their pocketbooks are being hurt by having this thing held up,” Talley said.

City officials and spokesmen for the developers, also defendants in the Angels’ suit, have said the three sides should agree on some kind of compromise.

Autry Opposes High-Rises

Schreter said Autry is willing to negotiate but won’t budge from his position that the Angels must have adequate surface parking.

Autry is also opposed to having the stadium surrounded by high-rises, Schreter said. The stadium now sits in an open area where its lights can be seen for miles at night, he explained.

“It’s sad that city officials want to surround that beautiful stadium with high-rises,” Schreter said. “Why don’t they dump it in the middle of Manhattan, then they’d all be happy.”

Talley was more optimistic than Schreter that the parking issue would be settled without going to trial. But a settlement will not come before the season opens in April, Talley said.

“I think the Angels realize that they are going to have to compromise,” Talley said. “If we go to court, a judge is going to say one side wins and one side loses; I don’t think the Angels would end up very happy with the result.”

Anaheim Mayor Don Roth on Tuesday said his negotiating committee hasn’t met with Angels officials since the last election because the Angels have shown no interest in serious negotiations.

“I’ve said all along the only winners in this thing are the lawyers,” Roth said.