Here is the workaround:
Have the city sell just enough of the land that holds the cross . Now, of course they need to put it up for the highest bidder, but who is going to want to bid a bunch of $ on a dinky little piece of landlocked dirt? Then the VFW or Legion can buy it for a token sum.
Voila! Private property!
They've sold it 3 times now and the courts negated the sale each time because it was obviously going to someone to save the cross, so that's a non-starter...
Sounds like a good idea at first, but I think there would have to be open bidding and all those fat hollywood wallets would open wide. Then there would be a gigantic statue of chairman mao there. Never underestimate the fervor of the atheist left.