COLISEUM CERTIFICATION A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE ACTION CLEARS WAY FOR DEVELOPING, DEAL-MAKING.

Byline: Billy Witz Staff Writer

While NFL receivers Dante Hall of the Kansas City Chiefs and Troy Brown of the New England Patriots were at the Coliseum on Wednesday filming a commercial, stadium officials proclaimed taking a major step toward making them more regular visitors.

The Coliseum Commission, in a long-expected vote, agreed unanimously to certify the environmental impact report on the planned $400 million renovation of the Coliseum, a move that allows it to immediately begin pursuing a deal with developers, NFL teams or the league itself.

``This is a historic day,'' commission president Don Knabe said after the 8-0 vote. ``All our options are open. We can do anything we want.''

Coliseum general manager Pat Lynch said his first preference is to continue working with the NFL to develop the project and place a team there. But he added that the Coliseum, which the league is considering along with the Rose Bowl and a site in Carson, is in position to negotiate with a developer or a team to begin the project.

Lynch said he has had no discussions with the Chargers, who last week filed suit in Los Angeles against the city of San Diego in which the club says it has met guidelines that trigger an exit from its Qualcomm Stadium lease. (San Diego city officials plan to go to court asking for a change of venue to a neutral county - including Orange County and San Francisco County.)

However, Lynch said he would talk with the club if it called despite a letter this year from San Diego district attorney Casey Gwinn threatening legal action against anyone who discussed moving the Chargers.

``As long as (the Chargers) or anyone else tell us they're legally able to, we would talk,'' Lynch said.

As architects tweak details of the plan, Coliseum officials now will begin work on the structure of a lease agreement and look at development opportunities in the neighborhood whereby land would be acquired by eminent domain. They expect to have much of the lease agreement prepared by the time the NFL owners meet in March.

The proposed 78,000-seat, three-tiered stadium would be built within the walls of the 80-year-old building. Nearly a quarter of the seats would sit above the current rim of the Coliseum, but 20,000 more seats would be between the end zones than in the current bowl-shaped configuration.

Although the certification had been expected since last month's commission meeting, Coliseum officials were not shy about touting it as a major step.

An EIR, which is a detailed description of a development project - from the design to traffic and noise impacts - is often a painstaking process. It's also an opportunity for the public to raise objections to a project, but the Coliseum had none of any consequence, which makes it all but certain no legal action will be brought against the project.

``You try to build a gazebo in your hometown and there's opposition,'' Lynch said. ``We didn't have any opposition. That's fantastic. Do you think Pasadena, Dodger Stadium or downtown is going to get an EIR soon? It will take years.''

The Rose Bowl and Carson have not yet unveiled their draft EIR and are expected to face challenges. The Rose Bowl's are over design and traffic, while Carson has environmental challenges to build on a former toxic dump site.

An NFL spokesman and Rose Bowl point man John Moag could not be reached for comment. However, Carson city manager Jerry Groomes downplayed the significance of the commission's action.

``Great for them,'' he said. ``But my understanding is that it's not a race to see who can finish their EIR first.''

Billy Witz, [phone]

billy.witz(at)dailynews.com