Dispute wages on over Albany Hill cross as city rejects Lions Club offer for land

Administrators with the Albany Lions Club said the city of Albany rejected its offer to purchase a plot of land on Albany Hill where a cross has stood since the 1970s.

The club constructed the cross on Albany Hill in 1971 on a parcel of land that was then private property. The land was eventually sold to a developer and the Lions were given an easement to maintain the cross. In 1973, the developer transferred the land to the city, which accepted the land despite the easement and cross. Lions administrators said the club has maintained and lit the cross for more than 50 years.

In March, the club offered to purchase the small lot from the city.

The club and city have long been at odds over the two-story electrified cross as a religious symbol on public land. The dispute intensified when the cross was lit up in 2017 to commemorate the Sept. 11 attack. 

Nik Wojcik of SFBay contributed to this report.