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PinPics Internal Affairs
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Appeal against third Disney park denied
By , City News Service
ANAHEIM, CALIF., July 11, 2001 -- The Anaheim City Council denied an appeal Tuesday from a homeowner group that wanted to delay the planning process for a third Disneyland theme park until more about the project is known.
Homeowners for Maintaining their Environment objected to the Planning Commission's decision in May to allow The Walt Disney Co. to "initiate the planning process" for an as-yet unspecified third theme park.
William Fitzgerald told reporters then that HOME was trying "to somehow have the city act responsibly and delay approving this third theme park until they actually find out what is going to be there."
Deputy City Manager Tom Wood said the council backed the planning commission.
"After hearing citizen support for the project and hearing from professional staff about the extensiveness of the (environmental review) process, and confirming that the action of the planning commission was not an approval of the 'third gate' project, but simply an initiation of the review process, council did deny the appeal that was filed," Wood said.
"The appeal would have stopped the initiation of the review process," Wood said. "And you can really only review a project with the information. Without the information, it's hard to know what the project is comprised of. By denying the appeal, we can move forward with the EIR process, and a lot of the public input."
Wood said the environmental review process "is very long, very comprehensive and very complete."
Wood said there will be "every opportunity" for the public to have input.
HOME represents about 900 homeowners living around the Disney parks. They believe planning for a third park ought to go on hold until past summer, when traffic and parking problems are expected to peak and the impact of Disney's California Adventure will be known.
A Disney official said earlier that concerns of the public will be addressed in the environmental process.
Disney has not indicated what it wants to put on the 78-acre parcel southeast of Katella Avenue, Wood said.
"At this point in time we're studying the technical aspects of a theme park or a retail dining, entertainment or hotel use," Wood said. "That's our job, to study the technical potential impacts. It will be a theme park and we're pretty good at studying theme parks."
The city has a "very good handle" on how many people come to theme parks and what resources they consume and their behaviors, he said.
"We look at air quality, traffic, sewage, storm drain, noise, just about everything you can imagine is studied," he said.
An initial document could be out for public review and comments sometime later this summer, he said.
It will be available for public review and comment for about 45 days, with responses to comments due in 30 to 60 days. The document then goes to the planning commission for review, then the City Council.
"We're looking (for it to reach the council) sometime this fall," he said.
HOME has long criticized the city for paying for street improvements and other work that benefits Disney.
By , City News Service
ANAHEIM, CALIF., July 11, 2001 -- The Anaheim City Council denied an appeal Tuesday from a homeowner group that wanted to delay the planning process for a third Disneyland theme park until more about the project is known.
Homeowners for Maintaining their Environment objected to the Planning Commission's decision in May to allow The Walt Disney Co. to "initiate the planning process" for an as-yet unspecified third theme park.
William Fitzgerald told reporters then that HOME was trying "to somehow have the city act responsibly and delay approving this third theme park until they actually find out what is going to be there."
Deputy City Manager Tom Wood said the council backed the planning commission.
"After hearing citizen support for the project and hearing from professional staff about the extensiveness of the (environmental review) process, and confirming that the action of the planning commission was not an approval of the 'third gate' project, but simply an initiation of the review process, council did deny the appeal that was filed," Wood said.
"The appeal would have stopped the initiation of the review process," Wood said. "And you can really only review a project with the information. Without the information, it's hard to know what the project is comprised of. By denying the appeal, we can move forward with the EIR process, and a lot of the public input."
Wood said the environmental review process "is very long, very comprehensive and very complete."
Wood said there will be "every opportunity" for the public to have input.
HOME represents about 900 homeowners living around the Disney parks. They believe planning for a third park ought to go on hold until past summer, when traffic and parking problems are expected to peak and the impact of Disney's California Adventure will be known.
A Disney official said earlier that concerns of the public will be addressed in the environmental process.
Disney has not indicated what it wants to put on the 78-acre parcel southeast of Katella Avenue, Wood said.
"At this point in time we're studying the technical aspects of a theme park or a retail dining, entertainment or hotel use," Wood said. "That's our job, to study the technical potential impacts. It will be a theme park and we're pretty good at studying theme parks."
The city has a "very good handle" on how many people come to theme parks and what resources they consume and their behaviors, he said.
"We look at air quality, traffic, sewage, storm drain, noise, just about everything you can imagine is studied," he said.
An initial document could be out for public review and comments sometime later this summer, he said.
It will be available for public review and comment for about 45 days, with responses to comments due in 30 to 60 days. The document then goes to the planning commission for review, then the City Council.
"We're looking (for it to reach the council) sometime this fall," he said.
HOME has long criticized the city for paying for street improvements and other work that benefits Disney.
