Santa Clara 49ers Stadium Plan Gets Another Boost
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) – Supporters of bringing the San Francisco 49ers to Santa Clara gained another victory this past week as a recently approved construction loan for the stadium has been determined as not something that can be brought before voters.
The anti-stadium group "Santa Clara Plays Fair" had been collecting signatures in hopes of forcing a referendum on the Santa Clara Stadium Authority's approval last month of the $850 million loan.
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
"The City Attorney just came out with a legal opinion that the financing plan is not referendable," said Santa Clara Vice Mayor Lisa Gillmor. "Citizens voted on the initiative in June of 2010 and the financing plan is just an administrative action of the initiative."
Opponents said they've already collected more than half of the nearly 5,000 valid signatures needed to force the council to re-vote on the loan or call for a special election.
Gillmor also dismissed claims that Santa Clara City Attorney Ren Nosky had a conflict of interest over the city's support of the stadium plan.
"The City Attorney gives legal advice to the City Clerk on this issue and that's his job," she said. "It's not political one way or the other. It's the law. He's just interpreting the law. If the citizen's group doesn't like it, we will probably end up in court."
A spokesman for Santa Clara Plays Fair said they will continue the fight over the proposed stadium.
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