THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410130590
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: ANNAPOLIS, MD. LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
Jack Kent Cooke's plan to move his Washington Redskins to Maryland suffered a serious setback Wednesday when a zoning officer rejected his application to build a 78,600-seat stadium.
``This was not a close case,'' Robert Wilcox, the hearing officer, said. ``Simply stated, the property is too small for the proposed use.''
Wilcox denied several zoning exceptions Cooke needs to build a stadium in Laurel.
The Redskins quickly filed an appeal and issued a statement from Cooke saying he intends to ``vigorously pursue our object of building the (stadium).''
``Wilcox's decision provides us with a road map to cure the faults he envisions,'' the statement said.
Stadium opponents were jubilant about the ruling, but said they were aware the fight is not over.
``We're in it for the long haul,'' said Nick Ruggiero, who lives near the proposed site.
He said most Laurel-area residents do not want a stadium because ``we like Laurel the way it is. We want to keep it on a normal growth pattern rather than this aberration.''
The site chosen by Cooke adjoins Laurel Race Course and is located in the I-95 corridor between Baltimore and Washington, giving him control over both markets. Cooke turned to Maryland after being rebuffed for a site in Virginia and after unsuccessful negotiations with Washington mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly about a new stadium in the District of Columbia.
Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer said Cooke ``should go back to Washington where you belong.''
Schaefer blames Cooke and his plans to move to Maryland for the failure of Baltimore to get one of the two NFL expansion franchises. The governor also believes Cooke is blocking efforts by Peter Angelos, owner of the Baltimore Orioles, to bring the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Baltimore. ILLUSTRATION: Map
by CNB