TopFeatured.com

Plans for a major development on the Angel Stadium site in Anaheim took another small step forward this week, with the release of an environmental review of the project.

In December, the Anaheim City Council agreed to sell the stadium and surrounding parking lots to SRB Management, Angels owner Arte Moreno’s business partnership, for $325 million to be developed with homes, shops, offices and either a new stadium or a refurbished old one.

Because much of what’s proposed was already studied in concept as part of long-term planning for the Platinum Triangle neighborhood that surrounds the stadium, this latest review was less involved than would be required for a totally new project.

But a few interesting tidbits can be gleaned from a summary of the environmental document, an early version of a future development agreement and updated plans for the stadium site:

• The 5,175 units of housing proposed for the property, when added to more than 4,000 existing apartments and condos, get the Platinum Triangle more than halfway to the city’s original vision of 17,500 homes.
• In addition to 5.2 acres of green space required by city rules, the stadium development will include a 5- to 8-acre “urban park,” though it’s unknown whether the city would credit the cost of that amenity back to SRB in the final development agreement.
• City officials have revived the idea of a streetcar that would likely have a stop somewhere in the stadium development if built, though no specific plan for that is on the table.
• The city will build a fire station to serve the area on 1 acre that it will keep back from the 153-acre stadium site.

Anaheim and SRB Management officials are still working out details of the development agreement, which is expected to include affordable housing units, additional park land and other public benefits at a cost to be negotiated.

City spokesman Mike Lyster said after a 30-day public comment period on the environmental document, the master plan for the stadium site will go to the Planning Commission in early September, and the City Council is expected to take it up at the end of that month, along with the completed development agreement and a formal commitment agreement that would keep the Angels playing locally for at least three more decades.

Documents, agreements and fact sheets related to the Angel Stadium development plans are at anaheim.net/5207/The-Big-A. Comments on the environmental report can be sent to BigA@anaheim.net or to planner Susan Kim, skim@anaheim.net through Aug. 31.