TimesOC: Anaheim may have violated state law when it sold Angel Stadium

Good morning and welcome to the TimesOC newsletter.

It’s Friday, June 25. I’m Ben Brazil, bringing you the latest roundup of Orange County news and events.

Anaheim may be subject to financial penalties for violating a state law when it sold Angel Stadium to team owner Arte Moreno’s company last year.

Staff writer Bill Shaikin wrote yesterday that the California Department of Housing and Community Development sent a letter in late April to inform the city that it may have not complied with a law that requires the city to seek bids from affordable housing developers before moving forward with other buyers.

Shaikin pointed out that the city may not have violated the rule, and while a violation may not prevent the deal with Moreno from occurring, the city could be forced to pay a penalty of 30% of the sale price.

The city agreed to sell the property for $150 million, with another $170 million of community credits for 466 affordable housing units and a 7-acre park.

The deal was seen as controversial. Some felt that the city could have gotten more money for the property. A city-commissioned appraisal of the property said it could be worth $500 million.

The city claimed in a June 14 response to the state that the affordable housing law had not gone into effect until after the city entered into exclusive negotiations with Moreno. However, HCD said this wasn’t the case.

Shaikin wrote that the city believes the agreement is in accordance with the intent of the affordable housing law that 15% of housing units be classified as affordable in the project.

Anaheim spokeswoman Lauren Gold told Shaikin that the project represents “the largest expansion of affordable housing in our city’s history.”

Gold declined to tell Shaikin whether the city could go through with the agreement if it was assessed a penalty.

Fans enter Angel Stadium on Opening Day.

(Jeff Gross / Getty Images)

NEWS

— Newport Beach code enforcement is considering removing a controversial flagpole because it sits on public land. However, locals say the flags flown on the pole are patriotic and provide a good photo opportunity.

— Several Orange County cities are aiming to use teams of medical workers to respond to mental health-related calls for service to decrease violent confrontations between law enforcement and people with mental health issues. Many have criticized police responses to mental health calls because officers may lack the expertise to deescalate tense situations.

— A man who was shot by Laguna Beach police appears to be taking his case to court after the city rejected his claim alleging police negligence. An attorney for the man claims the police have not released body cam footage and are “operating in secrecy.”

— Newport Beach has ended its local emergency after almost 16 months. The city manager no longer has emergency powers, and there are no longer emergency ordinances on outdoor dining.

— A Costa Mesa charter school is being investigated by Orange County education officials for potentially overreporting enrollment to the state and receiving more funding than they should have, among other offenses. The school has until July 7 to show how it will rectify each transgression.

— Climate change is causing plants to die off in massive numbers in Southern California’s deserts and mountains. Scientists have hoped that desert plants were better equipped to withstand climatic shifts because they have drought-tolerant features, but a new UC Irvine study says otherwise.

— More than 50 classic Packard luxury cars will be on display at a car show on Saturday in Newport Beach.

SPORTS

— The MLB has released the first uniforms for this year’s All-Star game. Traditionally, players have worn their team jerseys. Angels player Shohei Ohtani has committed to take part in the Home Run Derby.

OPINION

— Former U.S. Rep. Harley Rouda wrote about the need to fix America’s aging infrastructure. He highlighted how the Orange County Water District was forced to shut down a third of its wells due to the spreading of toxins in the groundwater system.

— Patrice Apodaca wrote about her dog, Bodie, who she rescued three years ago. It took time and effort to train Bodie to not be so anxious. But the pandemic may have undone some of that training.