In the words of the Pasadena Star-News, it’s “On to Plan B.”
“Plan A” had been the controversial proposal to bring a National
Football League franchise to a renovated Rose Bowl by the end of the
decade.
In a dramatic 5-1 vote Monday evening (June 6), City Council rejected the
NFL option and called on City Manager Cynthia Kurtz to develop a
“Plan B” for preserving the 82-year-old landmark stadium. Kurtz is
to report back to City Council in a month with a work plan for a
six-month comprehensive study of various non-NFL options.
Madison Vote Decisive
The decisive vote in defeat of the NFL option, known officially
as the Rose Bowl Renovation Plan, was cast by 6th district (west
Pasadena) councilman Steve Madison who, until Monday night, was
publicly non-committal on the plan.
“This decision isn’t even close,” said Madison in a dramatic,
late-hour statement. “I’m not going to be able to support the NFL
at the Rose Bowl.” Madison said he could see no scenario which
would lead him to change his mind. “It wouldn’t be good faith to
continue negotiating.”
Joining Madison in defeat of the NFL initiative were Mayor Bill
Bogaard and Council members Sid Tyler, Steve Haderlein, and Victor
Gordo. Councilwoman Joyce Streator supported the plan, and
Councilmen Chris Holden and Paul Little abstained.
LVAA Supports Majority
The LVAA Board of Directors supported the majority
decision.
In a letter to Council members and Mayor Bogaard that appeared
in the Star-News on Monday, LVAA president Michael Hurley urged a
“no” vote on any “statement of over-riding consideration,”calling
the quality-of-life impacts of the project “unacceptable anywhere
else in the city…Linda Vista residents expect no greater protection
than residents of other Pasadena neighborhoods, but they also expect
no less.”
NFL Position
Interestingly, in a June 8th story in the Los Angeles Times, NFL
vice president Neil Glast said the issue has not been fully
resolved, at least from his standpoint.
“We’ve spoken to and will continue to speak to city leaders and
stadium supporters – and we know there are a lot of them out there –
and we’ll assess where we are in the next few days and coming
weeks.” Mayor Bogaard, on the other hand, told the Times “there
are not five votes willing to pursue it or to give consideration…To
me, the matter has been decided.”
Plan B’s Future
As for “Plan B” – here is how Star-News reporter Gary Scott
described its future:
“Depending on who is asked, Plan B could be anything from
maintaining the Rose Bowl in its current state indefinitely to
investing up to $140 million of city money in a major overhaul. The
RBOC and the city manager will have six months to build some kind of
consensus and develop a way forward.”
According to Scott, several
council members balked at the prospect of investing $100 million in
the stadium. “’The reality is, we’re only going to be doing a very
basic renovation,’ Councilman Victor Gordo said. ‘I can’t ask my
constituents too subsidize a project with a price tag and scope that
came with the City Hall project.’”
