Anaheim Official Questions NFL Bid

A second Anaheim council member has said he has doubts about a proposed land sale to the National Football League, a development that could undermine the city’s attempt to lure a professional football franchise.

Anaheim Councilman Bob Hernandez said he might join colleague Harry Sidhu in opposing the sale of 50 acres in the Platinum Triangle for $53 million -- a price Sidhu has criticized as being below market rate and a bad deal for taxpayers.

The league would have the option of putting up a stadium as part of a sports and entertainment complex.

Under the city charter, four of the five council members would need to approve the sale of the city-owned property.

“The big question in my mind is what is the true value of that land?” Hernandez said. “I don’t have a problem selling it at a slight discount. But I don’t want to give it away. I’m not convinced yet it’s necessarily the best deal we can get.”

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, a stadium supporter, said he was not worried about Hernandez’s uncertainty, adding that the city hadn’t formally presented its offer to the NFL.

“I don’t think any member of the council has decided how they’ll vote,” he said. “But we think there is sufficient direction by council to support our negotiating points.”

Anaheim has presented itself to the NFL as a good business partner with a streamlined approval process of five city council members. Los Angeles’ bid includes several layers of bureaucracy -- a nine-member Coliseum Commission and state, county and federal agencies.

But so far, Anaheim’s bid has been complicated by politics. Sidhu has emerged as a potential challenger to Pringle in the fall mayoral election, with the proposed land sale to the NFL as a campaign issue.

Sidhu said Monday he was not concerned that he and Hernandez were damaging Anaheim’s chances at landing an NFL team.

“If the minority is not in favor of this land deal,” Sidhu said, “it’ll send a strong message to the NFL. We do not like subsidies. This is the taxpayers’ money.”

The Los Angeles City Council last week unanimously approved plans to remodel the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in an attempt to lure an NFL team. League owners are meeting in Denver this week to consider whether to move forward with Anaheim or the Coliseum. Anaheim officials have given the NFL a May 31 deadline to choose their site or they will begin talking to developers about building retail and entertainment projects on the site next to Angel Stadium.

Anaheim city attorney Jack White said the city expected to present its final proposal to the NFL soon. White said the city would include more offers than the land proposal, though complete details of the pitch to the league had not been released.