ANAHEIM : City Postpones Plan to Take Land Strip

The City Council on Tuesday postponed a plan to take under eminent domain a vacant strip of property the city wants to use for a parking lot for the forthcoming Anaheim Arena after the owner’s attorney suggested an alternative leasing plan.

Council members said they will consider the proposal by attorney Craig Kennedy to lease the 2.1-acre strip from the landowner, Clayton E. Scarbrough Trust Inc., as the city does with surrounding property to be used for arena parking.

Under a plan the council was scheduled to vote on Tuesday night, the city would have exercised its right under eminent domain to condemn the property and pay Scarbrough its final offer of $70,000. But the vote was postponed after Kennedy came up with the lease-agreement proposal.

“We’re not trying to work against the development, but that $70,000 was just ridiculous,” said Scarbrough, who valued the land at more than $2 million.

Kennedy suggested leasing the property for a percentage of net profits from arena parking after the city’s final offer was rejected by the owner.

“It’s a good suggestion, and one that we frankly had not yet explored,” said Robert M. Zur Schmiede, property services manager for the community development department.

Kennedy said Scarbrough would consider selling the property for a minimum of slightly more than $1 million an acre, but would prefer leasing it to the city.