Roski Pushes to Bypass CEQA in Industry Stadium

Just days before this year's legislative session comes to a close, billionaire developer Ed Roski is lobbying the state's legislature to bypass key environmental and planning requirements for the proposed 75,000 seat football stadium. In a meeting with the state Senate Leader and Assembly speaker last week, Roski argued that the plan would provide "thousands of high-wage jobs" in an area with disparagingly high unemployment. Roski's proposal would also block litigation against the controversial project, including the pending suit filed by neighboring Walnut.

'Not so fast,' say Los Angeles County supervisors. Supervisor Gloria Molina argues that she supports the idea of a new football stadium in LA County, but that it can't justify a waiver of the strict California Environmental Quality Act regulations. "Hospitals, police stations, freeways and all sorts of valuable projects manage to be built without the necessity of CEQA exemptions," she says, and urges her companions to take the same stance. Highest among County's concerns are complications stemming from increased traffic to the area - a concern they say, that isn't felt at the state level.

But legislators in Sacramento have remained receptive to Roski's plea. Unfortunately, this is just the sort of misalignment between state and local viewpoints that has polarized all parties in talks over whether - and how - to sell the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for desperately needed cash. Of course many initial supporters of the NFL's return to LA liked the idea of a professional team playing in the historic Coliseum. But Roski's Majestic Realty Co. is probably correct in assuming that a shiny new stadium with sufficient parking and new traffic lights will make a bid to the NFL much more attractive. Legislators are due for a decision tomorrow, Friday, September 11.