Councilman Withdraws Proposal to Use Eminent Domain to Save Golf Course

A Cypress city councilman withdrew a proposal Tuesday night to use the city’s powers of condemnation to take over the now-closed Los Alamitos Golf Course.

Councilman Chuck Coronado, who had suggested condemning the 100-acre site to “save” the golf course, said he withdrew his proposal at the request of Mayor John Kanel.

Coronado said in an interview that he agreed to pull the proposal from the agenda because Kanel told him it was sensitive and might encounter legal barriers. Coronado pledged, however, to “bring it up again. We need to explore it.”

Coronado pledged, however, to “bring it up again. We need to explore it.”

Coronado’s proposal called for the city to buy the land for public use; the power of eminent domain allows governments to buy land regardless of its owner’s desire to sell.

Closure Was a Surprise

Hollywood Park Realty Inc., which owns the 160 acres on which the golf course lies, had surprised the city by closing it Jan. 3.

In an interview, Kanel said “there are legal difficulties” with Coronado’s proposal. Saying it is controversial, he declined to discuss the proposal.

Council members Margaret M. Arnold and William Davis said before Tuesday night’s council meeting that they need more information about Coronado’s proposal. A third council member, Gerald Mullen, said he does not think the city can afford the land.

“I would be totally opposed to the city buying land at less than its fair market value for any circumstances,” Mullen said, adding that he does not know the land’s value but would expect it to be more than $40 million.

“The land has a great deal of sentimental value, and it’s of value as open space to probably most of the citizens of Cypress. But when you start talking about committing the amount of public resources . . . basically for the use of relatively few golfers, it would not pencil out,” Mullen said.

People who use the golf course have been credited with leading the newly installed City Council on Nov. 24 to reverse the previous council’s approval of a business park development project, proposed by Hollywood Park Realty, that would have eliminated the golf course.

The council had approved the business park proposal on Oct. 14. Golfers gathered more than 4,000 signatures--almost twice as many as necessary--calling for a referendum on the issue.

Before formally leaving office, outgoing Mayor Otto J. Lacayo and Councilman Richard Partin--both of whom had voted for the project--said they no longer supported it and recommended that the new council reverse the decision. It did so unanimously.

In the meantime, Hollywood Park Realty announced it would close nine of the course’s 18 holes. Instead, it closed the entire course.

Company officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.