(January 26, 2004) -- After making several trips to the public podium to urge Council members to invite the NFL to bring a football team to Long Beach at a stadium he foresees on Boeing-owned property (west of Lakewood Blvd., south of Carson St. which Boeing plans for its PacifiCenter development) -- and getting a polite but cold shoulder from Councilwoman Jackie Kell and Mayor Beverly O'Neill -- Belmont Shore area resident Gary Biggerstaff is escalating his advocacy with a web site.

Mr. Biggerstaff has launched www.nfllongbeach.com (screen save, right), which states:

"This web site is dedicated to educating the public as to the viability of building a football stadium in the City of Long Beach and returning the NFL to Southern California."

Posters like this one have popped up in parts of ELB promoting the web site.

Mr. Biggerstaff's web site states in pertinent part:

Mr. Biggerstaff's web site indicates the location envisioned by Mr. Biggerstaff is part of the former 260 acre Boeing plant property, south of Carson St. and west of Lakewood Blvd. abutting a golf course to the west, with LB Airport to the south and a city of Lakewood residential neighborhood north of Carson St.

Mr. Biggerstaff -- a LB firefighter who last fall (as previously reported by LBReport.com) created a hand made memorial on his front lawn honoring firefighters lost in the 9-11-01 terrorist attack -- says southern California is the country's second largest TV market and the NLF wants to return.

"Because there is a lack of direct contact to professional football, the NFL risks losing a whole generation of fans. The NFL realizes that in today's financial climate cities just don't have the funds to build a stadium. If the NFL wants to return to the L.A. area they will have to finance it themselves," Mr. Biggerstaff's web site says.

"The NFL is ready to come to town and discuss the viability of this project but the Long Beach City Council has not exactly put out the welcome mat," the web site declares.

As for residents who live nearby:

The web site indicates that "[s]ometime in mid-January a community meeting will be held to share information and opinions regarding this vital issue. Any and all who have something to say about an NFL Team in Long Beach are welcome. Please check back to this site for time and location." [It's past mid-January and we did not hear of any such community meeting.]

Mr. Biggerstaff's web site continues:

Mr. Bigggerstaff's web site acknowledges that adjacent LB Airport has "two north/sound runways" that are considered active but "are seldom used (less than 2% of the time). According to the FAA, there would be flight restrictions of 3 miles and 3000 ft during games. These restrictions would only apply to private aircraft. Commercial and charter flights would be unaffected."

Mr. Biggerstaff's web site also notes that Boeing would like to develop its property as mixed use (commercial and residential)...but says the City Council "has the power to approve or disapprove any plan put before it."