SAN DIEGO -- The city should lease Qualcomm Stadium to the Chargers and let the team redevelop it and the surrounding 166 acres, a citizens task force recommended after eights months of study.

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SOUND OFF Are The Chargers Important To San Diego?

No public funds would be spent on building a new stadium and, with the Chargers holding the lease, the team could generate income by renting the stadium when not using it, according to the task force.

The panel voted 14-1 Thursday night to recommend the plan as a way of keeping the football team in San Diego.

"I believe our recommendation is a fiscally responsible method for keeping the Chargers in San Diego," said David Watson, chairman of the task force.

Attorney Mark Fabiani, special counsel to Chargers President Dean Spanos, called the recommendation "encouraging."

"We want to begin negotiating immediately," he said.

It was unclear how long of a lease would be considered.

The Chargers, which had threatened to pick up and move, had favored an agreement in which the city would put up half of the cost of a new $400 million stadium.

But the task force, which included the head of a local taxpayers group, shied away from offering any public funds. Ultimately, the panel recommended the Chargers also develop a park along the San Diego River.

A final report from the task force will be presented to City Council on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the team released six veteran players, including wide receiver Curtis Conway and running back Terrell Fletcher.

The move is expected to save the Chargers about $13 million and give it a little wiggle room for hiring new players and staying under the NFL salary cap. The team reportedly was just $400,000 shy of a projected cap of $74.6 million.