ANAHEIM - The Anaheim City Council agreed Tuesday that zero risk to taxpayer funds and a positive fiscal return should be top priorities in any negotiations with the National Football League over building a stadium.

Earlier this summer, NFL officials from New York made several visits to Anaheim and to a prospective site for the purpose of bringing an NFL team to the Anaheim/Los Angeles area by 2008, the city's John Nicoletti said.

Mayor Curt Pringle said the proposed site, dubbed "The Platinum Triangle," includes Angel Stadium and Arrowhead Pond, and already is zoned properly.

"The criteria that have been approved allow the city the flexibility it needs to make a deal, while still protecting the residents and businesses of our city," Pringle said.

The criteria, he said, are divided into three categories: financial, development and environmental.

The primary concern dictates that the development agreement should provide a "positive financial benefit without risk to city funds," and that an NFL franchise "must provide the city a net positive fiscal return."

From a development perspective, Anaheim would want a stadium to be a "state of the art showcase" development that complements existing facilities and reinforces the Platinum Triangle's image as a quality retail, entertainment and residential destination, Pringle said.

Environmentally, the stadium complex should be linked to surrounding areas and integrated into the development of regional transportation networks, he said.

Anaheim's approved stadium site is accessible from five major freeways and has an Amtrak/Metrolink station within walking distance, city officials said.

The city will continue to work with the NFL in the next month to develop a vision of the proposed stadium. The league has asked that there be a binding term sheet negotiated and development plans with detailed cost estimates in place by Oct. 15, Nicoletti said.

The NFL also is looking at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Coliseum in Los Angeles and property in Carson, as possible stadium sites.

But Anaheim officials believe their chances of landing a team are good because the city has cleared developmental hurdles that still confront other potential NFL sites in Southern California.

The Los Angeles-Orange County region has been without an NFL team since 1995.

That was the year the Los Angeles Rams, who played at Anaheim Stadium from 1980-94, moved to St. Louis, and the Los Angeles Raiders returned to Oakland, after playing at the Coliseum from 1982-94.

City officials have pointed to the success of its sports teams, including the Anaheim Angels and the Mighty Ducks, as proof that fans will travel to Anaheim to watch quality franchises.

The NFL wants environmental impact reports on the four sites by March, Nicoletti said, adding that Anaheim has already completed its EIR on the property under consideration.

Officials in Anaheim hope to learn by next spring whether the city is the NFL's choice, Nicoletti said.