Irwindale : General Plan Amended

The Irwindale General Plan has been amended to allow for construction of a stadium, a minor step toward landing the Los Angeles Raiders.

The City Council voted unanimously last week to permit stadium uses in one of two locations: a gravel pit north of the Foothill (210) Freeway or another gravel pit west of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway.

Earlier this year, city officials virtually abandoned the first site after they failed to gain control of land there for a stadium parking lot.

Meanwhile, plans to acquire and develop the second site, owned by United Ready-Mix, a Los Angeles-based company, have become entangled in legal setbacks and internal disputes.

A few weeks ago, one of Irwindale’s chief consultants on the Raiders deal, Xavier Hermosillo, terminated his contract with the city for the second time, citing philosophical differences with other negotiators. Shortly afterward, he agreed to work on the deal free of charge, saying he had invested too much time to leave in the middle of negotiations.

Incentive packages offered by Sacramento and Oakland and problems with Irwindale’s offer have made the choice of Irwindale increasingly less likely in recent weeks as the site of a Raiders relocation.

A ban on construction on the 600 acres owned by United Ready-Mix has been in effect since late September and was extended last week for 180 days to give the city more time to secure financial backing for a stadium project.