Lawsuit asks Orange County court to reject Anaheim’s sale of Angel Stadium to Angels

The Angels’ agreement to buy their stadium from the city of Anaheim should be declared “null and void,” according to a lawsuit. The Angels’ agreement to buy their stadium from the city of Anaheim should be declared “null and void,” according to a lawsuit filed in Orange County Superior Court. The suit, filed on behalf of a citizen group called the People’s Homeless Task Force, alleges the city violated state law by negotiating the deal with a “lack of transparency … orchestrated with an intent to keep interested members of the public, and even dissenting councilmembers, in the dark.” Kelly Aviles, the attorney representing the group, said the city would be welcome to redo the deal with full public participation in negotiations, not just with another public hearing and a second vote. You can’t just go back and rubber-stamp it.” On Dec. 4, the city and the Angels announced a deal under which a company affiliated with team owner Arte Moreno would buy Angel Stadium and the surrounding parking lots for $325 million, with the final price expected to be discounted if Moreno agrees to include affordable housing and parkland on the property. “We stand by our process,” city spokesman Mike Lyster said, “which spanned a year of public comments, updates, briefings and discussions for our city council, as well as extensive sharing of information with the community.” Lyster also dismissed the allegation that a majority of council members had discussed the deal outside public meetings as “pure speculation.” Said Lyster: “All council decisions required to be made in public were, and any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and misleading.” The sale agreement allows Moreno’s company to extend payment deadlines in the event of litigation.