San Diego Stadium Financing Plan Approved by Appeals Court Panel

An appeals court panel Tuesday approved a controversial financing plan to expand San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium by 10,000 seats and install more luxury boxes, a move city officials say is necessary to keep the Chargers from leaving San Diego.

The financing plan, which would require the team to pay for bonds with increased rent, higher parking fees, and a greater return from concessions, has been attacked by three anti-tax activists as a violation of Proposition 13.

But in a 2 to 1 vote, the 4th District Court of Appeals affirmed the plan as no different than the way sewers and water treatment plants are financed. Even the dissenting judge said she would approve the plan with minor modifications.

In exchange for the expansion, the Chargers agreed to extend their lease at the publicly-owned stadium from 2003 to 2020. After the expansion, the stadium will have a capacity of 71,422.

The tax activists vowed to appeal to the California Supreme Court, but attorneys for the City Council will try to convince the court not to hear the appeal. City officials want the expansion to begin quickly so the added seats will be available for the 1998 Super Bowl.