Anaheim City Councils votes 3-2 to postpone the housing referendum until August 21st

[Darkbeer]

Tonight, after a debate, the Anaheim City Council voted 3 to 2 to postpone the decision on the Zoning recall referendum until August 21st.

Ms. Galloway stated that Suncal sent her a letter to postpone the decision.

Mayor Pringle pointed out that the postponement will affect the decision by SOAR to submit the Initiative that will require a vote by the people for any zoning change in the resort area.

Mr. Sidhu said they should make a decision, either repeal or place the item on the ballot.

The first vote, on repealing the zoning change failed on a 2 to 3 vote.

Then by a 3-2 vote, they postponed action on the referendum until August 21st.

[Darkbeer]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-m...ninav-business

Amid a circus-like protest outside City Hall, the Anaheim City Council opted again Tuesday to delay the fate of a Disney-funded referendum asking voters to block a large housing project in the resort district.

The council postponed voting on the issue two weeks ago so that the housing developer and Disney Co. could settle their differences on the proposed 1,500-unit condominium and low-income apartment complex near Disneyland. On Tuesday, the council voted 3 to 2 to continue the item for three weeks after officials with developer SunCal Cos. requested a continuance 30 minutes before the meeting.

The council could have chosen to rescind an April vote paving the way for the housing complex or it could have placed the referendum on the ballot. But council members Bob Hernandez, Lorri Galloway and Lucille Kring were convinced that the yearlong zoning spat could be resolved if the parties continued talking. "I've been skeptical of a compromise," Hernandez said, "but I didn't want to be the one" to stop the talks.

Officials with Save Our Anaheim Resort, a Disney-funded coalition of business and community leaders, said they were disappointed that the continuance was for three weeks.

"We're very concerned about the amount of time that's passing, and we're considering all our options to get this on the ballot," said Todd Ament, the coalition's co-chairman.

[DippyDawg'32]

Looks like they're having a difficult time being Decisive...

[Darkbeer]

http://www.ocregister.com/news/housi...naheim-workers

A Disney-funded group, Save Our Anaheim Resort, vowed to push to get an election date immediately, possibly by taking legal action. SOAR collected enough signatures to force the referendum to overturn the city's previous approval of residential zoning in the resort area.

“Any further delay beyond next week's meeting is not acceptable,” said Todd Ament, SOAR co-chairman.

Disney spokesman Bob Tucker declined to say what the company wanted to happen Tuesday but said the company wants an “agreement or election as soon as possible....

In addition to the referendum, SOAR is also collecting signatures for an initiative that would require voter approval of any housing complex within resort boundaries. To qualify for the February ballot, signatures must be submitted by Aug. 8 – before the next time the council will consider the matter.

“I personally feel the voters want to get on with it,” Mayor Curt Pringle said.

Tuesday's meeting was calmer than the previous meeting when more than 60 speakers gave testimony for about two and a half hours. Only about 14 speakers got up, mostly against the residential zoning plan.

Some were frustrated with the lack of a resolution on the issue that has dragged on for more than a year. “Make a decision one way or another. Get this back on track,” said resident Patrick Pepper.

Interesting to note, one of the 14 speakers was the head of the AFL-CIO in Orange County, Ca. He spoke in favor of repealing the zoning change.

[Socrates]

Sorry for being stupid but could someone catch me up to speed at what's happening, are they changing zones or is Anehiem thinking about changing the zoning laws? Also, what is causing the delay, fear of retribution from citizens or fear of retribution from Disney itself?

[Socrates]

Sorry for being stupid but could someone catch me up to speed at what's happening, are they changing zones or is Anehiem thinking about changing the zoning laws? Also, what is causing the delay, fear of retribution from citizens or fear of retribution from Disney itself? It seems that both parties are ready for change, why not go ahead with it?

[TP2000]

Sorry for being stupid but could someone catch me up to speed at what's happening, are they changing zones or is Anehiem thinking about changing the zoning laws? Also, what is causing the delay, fear of retribution from citizens or fear of retribution from Disney itself?

A cornball housing developer named SunCal wants to bulldoze a mobile home park just off Katella and built 1,500 shoebox condos and apartments. As part of that deal, SunCal would make 200 of the units "affordable housing", although it would still be priced way out of the league of a CM making 12 bucks an hour. "Affordable" means they'd offer a studio apartment for 1,000 bucks a month or a tiny one bedroom condo for $300,000.

The Anaheim City Council, embarassed because they have approved up to 12,000 luxury housing units a few blocks away in the Platinum Triangle development without making any of them "affordable" is now trying to pretend they want affordable housing in Anaheim. But they latched on to the SunCal development which is proposed inside the Resort District. The Resort District is a zoning area set up in 1994 to be strictly hospitality and tourism based. Any new development inside the Resort District must be aimed at the tourism industry per the 1994 zoning laws, and SunCal's 1,500 condo units are in no way aimed at tourists.

Anaheim City Council, particularly Ms. Galloway, has made fools of themselves and brought the wrath of the tourism industry down upon them by fiddling with the Resort District and entertaining the idea of letting SunCal destroy the original zoning laws in place since 1994. Disney is leading the charge obviously, but the SOAR group is also made up of the other big hotels and businesses in the Resort District; Hilton, Shearaton, Marriott, HoJo's, stores & restaurants & rental car agencies, etc. They are all against the plan.

The voters of Anaheim have been polled and they overwhelmingly want the Resort District to remain tourist focused, especially because it brings in so much tax money to pay for their police, fire department, schools, parks, roads, etc. Disney knows that if it gets on the ballot it will pass easily, and so does the City Council. But now to try and not embarass themselves in front of the voters the City Council is dragging this out and trying to fix it all without it going to the voters.

It's a huge mess, and it basically boils down to a couple of hick small-town politicians trying to be Politically Correct and provide "affordable" housing a year after they failed to do so with the massive Platinum Triangle luxury development a few blocks away.

Too bad Disney can't just pack up Disneyland and move it to a city who appreciates them and has a long term vision of what the Resort District will be like 10 or 20 or 40 years from now.

[tahoebob54]

The voters of Anaheim have been polled and they overwhelmingly want the Resort District to remain tourist focused, especially because it brings in so much tax money to pay for their police, fire department, schools, parks, roads, etc. Disney knows that if it gets on the ballot it will pass easily, and so does the City Council. But now to try and not embarass themselves in front of the voters the City Council is dragging this out and trying to fix it all without it going to the voters.
.

thanks that was the answer to my question i was about to ask. Does any one about what percentage of voters want the resort area to stay the same and how many want to put housing in the area?

[Darkbeer]

What I have heard, the polls are running about 70% in favor of repealling the zoning change, and about 30% in favor of the city council's decision, but I also have heard even higher numbers in favor of repealing it.

It depends on the question and how it is asked.

SunCal is looking to add a 3rd measure to the ballot, to try and confuse voters, but have not filed an official initiative yet to be approved.

SOAR only has a few days left to submit its initiative that deals with the entire resort area, and requiring voters to approve zoning changes. They have plenty of votes, and I presume it will be filed in the next couple of days. If it is filed, and has enough valid signatures, then the City Council HAS to place it on the ballot, the only decision would be when, either next November (at the latest) or on a earlier ballot if they prefer.

[Socrates]

Too bad Disney can't just pack up Disneyland and move it to a city who appreciates them and has a long term vision of what the Resort District will be like 10 or 20 or 40 years from now.

Amen, thanks for the answer

[DisneyMickey]

So City Council is just trying to cover their butts huh? I figured there was a motive behind them pushing so hard to rezone the area. I said it once and I will say it again: If they leave the zoning to the developers such as Disney and Sheraton, everything will be much better off. Let Disney do what they want to make the area even nicer. Housing will pull it down.

And thanks for the simple explanation TP2000.