Santa Ana : Anti-Westdome Group Gives Petition to Council

A group opposed to city plans to raze Eddie West Field to make way for a $35-million domed arena submitted a petition against the project, signed by more than 1,000 people, to the City Council.

Chairman Charles Paap, who said the “Save Our Stadium” group numbers about 75 people, asked the city to incorporate the petition and accompanying statements into the environmental study being conducted of the so-called “Westdome.”

A consulting firm, Phillips, Brandt and Reddick of Irvine, is conducting the study, which will look at such environmental impacts as traffic, parking and noise. The study is scheduled for release in February.

Paap and other Save Our Stadium members criticized the proposed Westdome before the council Monday night, arguing that Eddie West Stadium is not in need of major repairs, that other sites in the city would provide better freeway access than downtown, and that the Westdome site has insufficient parking. The city’s plan calls for razing Eddie West Stadium at a cost of about $3 million and the construction of a replacement facility using about $7 million in industrial revenue bonds.

Mayor Daniel E. Griset said the Save Our Stadium group’s request for equal time to counter a city cable TV presentation on the project can be easily handled through access programming offered to all residents. “There should be no shortage of availability (of air time for an opposing presentation),” Griset said.