Coliseum Protection Bill Gains : Raiders: A state Senate panel approves a bill that would require a public vote before the stadium could be demolished or rebuilt as a means of keeping team in town.

A Senate committee entered the fray over the fate of the Los Angeles Coliseum on Tuesday, voting unanimously for a bill to require a public vote before any or all of the Coliseum could be demolished and rebuilt as a means of keeping the Raiders from moving to another city.

A 6-0 vote by the Governmental Organization Committee sent the measure, sponsored by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles), to the Appropriations Committee for more screening. There was no opposition expressed to the legislation.

One proposal being considered by the Coliseum Commission to entice the pro football Raiders to stay is to tear down and rebuild most of the stadium. Of the present structure, the only part to be left standing would be the peristyle section, which contains the columns and holds the Olympic torch, according to Torres.

Torres said that, although he is a Raider fan, he opposes the demolition of the Coliseum if that is what it takes to keep the team in Los Angeles. Noting that the Coliseum is both a state and national historical landmark, Torres said, “At the present time, we are not sure what will happen to the Coliseum. It should be protected in every way possible.”

The bill would require the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to call a countywide election on any plan to demolish any or all of the Coliseum for major alterations. If the voters opposed changes, the plan could not proceed, Torres said.

A recent Los Angeles Times Poll showed that 54% of 1,901 residents surveyed in Los Angeles and Orange Counties do not want the Coliseum razed, and 83% would not be very upset if the Raiders moved to another town. The poll, directed by I. A. Lewis, has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Plans calling for structural changes in the Coliseum presently are being negotiated with the Raiders by the Coliseum’s lead private manager, the Spectacor Management Group.

Torres’ bill is supported by the Los Angeles Conservancy, the American Institute of Architects, the California Preservation Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Supporters noted that the Coliseum is unique because it was the host site for both the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games.

Torres said he wanted to meet with Spectacor officials as soon as possible to learn specific details of the proposed alterations.

The Raiders have a tentative deal to move to Oakland, but that has hit a snag. A group of Oakland residents are calling for a vote on the plan--something that Raider spokesmen said they oppose. Oakland Mayor Lionel Wilson was scheduled to ask the Oakland City Council late Tuesday to rescind its approval of that deal.

Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Mark Fabriani said that the opposition in Oakland “opens a tremendous window of opportunity for Los Angeles to retain a professional football team and infuse large amounts of private money to renovate the Coliseum.”