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View Full Version : Housing supporters start initiative campaign - Orange County Register, 7/11/07



Darkbeer
07-12-2007, 08:09 AM
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1761969.php

QuikQuote: A developer-backed group is pushing for a ballot initiative to fight back at a Disney-led coalition that is trying to halt the developer's housing plan.
The initiative would require voter approval of any project on 52.9 acres of Disney property, mostly a strawberry field, near the site of SunCal's proposed residential complex, the group announced Wednesday.
The pro-housing group plans to ask the City Council to put the item on the ballot, a way to avoid collecting signatures.

Darkbeer
07-12-2007, 08:12 AM
Committee to Protect and Defend Anaheim Press Release


Committee to Protect and Defend Anaheim Asks Council To Place Anaheim Resort Initiative On Ballot


Initiative would make the Disney Corporation live under the voter-approval requirement they seek to force on other Resort District property owners


July 11th, 2007 -- Anaheim, CA -– The Committee to Protect and Defend Anaheim will ask the Anaheim City Council to put before Anaheim voters an initiative requiring the Disney Corporation to abide by the same voter-approval that Disney is trying to impose on other Resort District property owners through its SOAR Initiative.

Specifically, this initiative would require Anaheim voters to approve any future development proposal on the property commonly referred to as "the strawberry farm" located in the heart of the Resort area along Harbor Boulevard near Katella Avenue. Disney’s SOAR Initiative imposes additional land-use controls and restrictions on property not owned by the Disney Corporation – but it conveniently allows Disney, as owner of the single largest undeveloped tract in the Anaheim Resort, to circumvent any similar voter approval process.

"Disney is pushing an initiative requiring resort district property owners, no matter how small, to ask Anaheim’s 136,000 voters to approve any zoning change," said Anaheim resident Diane Singer. "But they don’t want to put the same requirement on themselves."

"Disney ought to play by the same rules they want to impose on everyone else, and this initiative will do that," said Singer. "We’re aren’t thrilled by ballot-box zoning, but if Anaheim voters are asked to impose that on the Resort District, they deserve the option of choosing an initiative that applies equally to all Resort District property owners – including Disney."

Darkbeer
07-12-2007, 08:17 AM
A couple of other documents that should be looked at.

First, the letter CDPA sent to the Anaheim City Council

http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2007/07/12nresort_ex2.pdf

And the CDPA version of the proposed initiative wording

http://www.ocregister.com/newsimages/news/2007/07/12nresort_ex3.pdf

Note, the wording of the initiative is a "working" version, and would need changes, here is a quote from the LA Times from today

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-disney12jul12,1,4670555.story?coll=la-news-politics-california




City Clerk Linda Nguyen, who reviewed the latest initiative Wednesday, said that it did not meet state election code requirements because, among other things, it lacked the name and address of the submitting group.
But Frank Elfend, a consultant to SunCal Cos., which supports the ballot measure and is developing a 1,500-unit housing complex near the site Disneyland is planning a third park, described Wednesday's filing as simply an "informal submittal for action at a later date."
Singer said the group would retool the initiative to meet state requirements.

Darkbeer
07-12-2007, 08:18 AM
OK, here is what I think is going on...

FYI, SOAR is the Disney funded group, CDPA is the SunCal builders funded group, both groups do have other supporters and donors, but the major funding comes from Disney and SunCal.

SOAR has already submitted one referendum (cancelling the specific zoning change) and has enough signatures for an initiative (Zoning/Land Use changes must be approved by voters in the current Resort Area).

CDPA has taken polls and found out that both SOAR issues will be approved by the voters.

The next City Council meeting is this Tuesday, July 17th, in the evening.

The Council has to make a decision, whether to rescind the zoning approval and drop the matter, or place the matter on the ballot for the voters to vote on. (The Initiative, if submitted and found to have enough signatures would go straight to the ballot).

While just dropping the matter might happen (Ms. Kring is the swing vote), most folks think the council will place it on the ballot.

Now, the council has the power to place the referendum to overturn the zoning change on a upcoming ballot (either February or June) or have a special election (there is a time window that the council must follow). Most folks think they will place on the February ballot (Presidential Primary).

Now, if either event happens as is, more than likely, the SOAR proposals are approved, and SunCal's project is basically cancelled (SunCal doesn't even own the Mobile Home Parks, they have a contract to buy the properties at a specific price with a certain time frame, but they don't have to buy, though they might have to pay a cancellation fee to the parks though).

But SunCal is looking at a major profit (The land values go up tens of millions if the zoning change happens), so they want to fight on.

Solution, have CDPA come up with something to confuse the voters, which is why we have the new proposal regarding the Strawberry Farm zoning.

CDPA did a similar tactic during the gathering of signatures for the SOAR proposals, setting up a rival set of tables, and a non-binding petition (which anyone could sign, not just registered voters of Anaheim) and then a card to "rescind" your signature on the SOAR referendum.

This time, they want the third proposal to get some voters confused, which ones do I vote on if I want to keep the area for business use?, etc.

One problem, and it should be interesting to see how the council handles it. Do you cave in to CDPA and just place the third measure on the ballot (which I don't think will happen, if it does, then SunCal has a LOT of power), if not, then SunCal will have to go to the Secretary of State and go through the approval process to get an approved measure (correct legal wording) and petitions started. Then they have to get the signatures and submit them to the Register of Voters. That will take time, my educated guess, a few months (maybe as long as 8, 2 months to process and then 6 months to get the signatures needed). Then if they get the signatures, it will finally go to the ballot.

So if the SOAR proposals get approved for the February ballot, then the CDPA couldn't be on the same ballot if they have to gather signatures.

So you might see the council decide that the best time for the vote is June, but all that means is that the council is delaying a vote (the Zoning change is in limbo until a vote is taken) to benefit one side (SunCal).

Should be interesting to follow this in the next week or so, a lot of behind the scenes stuff will have to come out in public.....

dawnid
07-12-2007, 11:16 AM
So the true battle now comes to light. It isn’t about low income housing its about two large companies and a city fighting for future profits. Something for the voters of Anaheim to keep in mind is that a developer only has to set aside so many units as “low income” and the rest can be sky high. The developer satisfies state and redevelopment regulations and makes a bundle on the remaining $500,000 cracker boxes he’ll build and the city makes a bundle on increased property taxes on each new home.

The immediate reaction might be to sympathize with low-income housing but the developer will make HUGE profits and leave the community with an increased burden on its infrastructure (traffic, schools, social services).

My sympathies are with Disneyland, this fight is why Walt went to Florida. Its true Disney is fighting for future profits also but in my view more people would benefit from their project: more jobs (short term & long term) for residents, increased sales tax for the city, and a bigger draw for the tourist trade and surrounding businesses.

The developer should have to go thru the same hoops, signatures, as Disney did. Having the City Council make short cuts for them just seems shady to me.

Burnt Toast
07-13-2007, 02:50 PM
I hate the way how they are confusing people with the term "low-income" and trying to get Cast Members who are clueless, like the one that was like fifteen people sleeping in a hotel or something ridiculous, to support their cause... even though they wouldn't benefit (ie even be able to afford to move into one of these "low-income" units that they are supposedly fighting to get approved) from this at all.

It's all just sad really.

Darkbeer
07-13-2007, 03:04 PM
Save Our Anahein District Press Release

Economic Study of Anaheim Resort Area Concludes That a Large Portion of City Tax Revenue is Derived from the District

Resort/Commercial Development Will Produce Far Greater Fiscal Benefits for the City Than Residential Developments in the ARA

LOS ANGELES, CALIF, July 13th, 2007 --The Anaheim Resort Area (ARA) is an economic powerhouse that generated a large portion of Anaheim’s total city tax revenues in fiscal year 2006, providing significant tax dollars to fund essential city services, according to a new economic study released today.

The study also compared the revenue impacts of resort use versus residential use for a 26-acre parcel in the Resort Area, where a high-density residential housing project is being considered. It concluded that resort uses are likely to produce annual multimillion-dollar revenue surpluses for Anaheim compared to marginal surpluses for residential development.

The study was commissioned by the Save Our Anaheim Resort (SOAR) coalition and the Disneyland Resort, and was prepared by CBRE Consulting.
Highlights include:

<LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>In 2006, the ARA contributed $107 million in total revenues to the City’s General Fund, including Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), property tax and sales taxes and indirect taxes. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>The tax contribution is equivalent to 54 percent of the City’s $195 million total tax revenues from all sources citywide. When adjusted for revenues used for debt service, this percentage may range from 41 to 45 percent. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>Those ARA General Fund revenues include a $5 million special payment the Disneyland Resort makes annually to the City for police, fire and paramedic services to offset the cost of public safety staffing at the resort. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>The Anaheim Resort Maintenance District also paid $4 million in special assessments for the cost of maintaining landscaping and other public infrastructure. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>A resort and commercial development on the 26-acre parcel in the ARA recently rezoned for residential use would generate annual fiscal surpluses far in excess of what would be generated from residential uses.
More than 25,000 people work at Resort Area businesses with an estimated payroll of $700 million per year.“The Anaheim Resort Area is the single largest source of revenue for the City of Anaheim and one of the largest in the United States. It is a primary driver of the tourism related economy in the Southern California area,” said Thomas Jirovsky, senior managing director of CBRE Consulting. “This new report also estimates the comparative fiscal impact of alternative development scenarios for a 26-acre parcel in the ARA, which can serve to inform City decision makers of the important fiscal implications of the land use decisions currently under consideration.”
About CBRE Consulting
Founded in 1978 as Sedway Group, CBRE Consulting is a full service real estate and urban economics firm. Since 1999, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of CB Richard Ellis, Inc., the world’s largest provider of commercial real estate services (based on 2006 revenues).
About SOAR and the Anaheim Resort Area
SOAR is a broad coalition of concerned Anaheim businesses, organizations and residents, who want to preserve the Anaheim Resort District and protect the essential city services that it funds. More than 25,000 people work at Anaheim Resort Area businesses, with an estimated 10 percent of them living in the City of Anaheim. These full- and part-time employees of Anaheim Resort Area businesses and franchisees have an estimated payroll of $700 million per year, and with their significant amount of local purchases generate an economic impact of over $1 billion per year.
The ARA includes the Anaheim Convention Center, numerous hotels and restaurants, as well as the Disneyland Resort, which encompasses Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme parks, three hotels with a total of 2,224 rooms and the 310,000-square-foot Downtown Disney retail, restaurant and entertainment district. With 20,000 employees, the Disneyland Resort is Orange County’s largest employer and a $3.6 billion annual contributor to the local economy.

Darkbeer
07-13-2007, 03:12 PM
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1764119.php (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1764119.php)

QuikQuote: A hotel and tourism development would generate more tax money in the long term than a housing project on a key plot in the resort area, states a new report from a Disney-funded group released today.
The report predicts that a residential development would create about $1.5 million a year in tax money when it is completed. But a hotel and commercial project could make about $12.7 million when it is finished, the report states.

Darkbeer
07-13-2007, 03:22 PM
Economic Study of Anaheim Resort Area Concludes That a Large Portion of City Tax Revenue is Derived from the District

Resort/Commercial Development Will Produce Far Greater Fiscal Benefits for the City Than Residential Developments in the ARA

LOS ANGELES--July 13th, 2007--The Anaheim Resort Area (ARA) is an economic powerhouse that generated a large portion of Anaheim’s total city tax revenues in fiscal year 2006, providing significant tax dollars to fund essential city services, according to a new economic study released today.

The study also compared the revenue impacts of resort use versus residential use for a 26-acre parcel in the Resort Area, where a high-density residential housing project is being considered. It concluded that resort uses are likely to produce annual multimillion-dollar revenue surpluses for Anaheim compared to marginal surpluses for residential development.

The study was commissioned by the Save Our Anaheim Resort (SOAR) coalition and the Disneyland Resort, and was prepared by CBRE Consulting.
Highlights include:
<LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>In 2006, the ARA contributed $107 million in total revenues to the City’s General Fund, including Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), property tax and sales taxes and indirect taxes. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>The tax contribution is equivalent to 54 percent of the City’s $195 million total tax revenues from all sources citywide. When adjusted for revenues used for debt service, this percentage may range from 41 to 45 percent. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>Those ARA General Fund revenues include a $5 million special payment the Disneyland Resort makes annually to the City for police, fire and paramedic services to offset the cost of public safety staffing at the resort. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>The Anaheim Resort Maintenance District also paid $4 million in special assessments for the cost of maintaining landscaping and other public infrastructure. <LI class=bwlistitemmarginbottom>A resort and commercial development on the 26-acre parcel in the ARA recently rezoned for residential use would generate annual fiscal surpluses far in excess of what would be generated from residential uses.
More than 25,000 people work at Resort Area businesses with an estimated payroll of $700 million per year.“The Anaheim Resort Area is the single largest source of revenue for the City of Anaheim and one of the largest in the United States. It is a primary driver of the tourism related economy in the Southern California area,” said Thomas Jirovsky, senior managing director of CBRE Consulting. “This new report also estimates the comparative fiscal impact of alternative development scenarios for a 26-acre parcel in the ARA, which can serve to inform City decision makers of the important fiscal implications of the land use decisions currently under consideration.”

About CBRE Consulting

Founded in 1978 as Sedway Group, CBRE Consulting is a full service real estate and urban economics firm. Since 1999, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of CB Richard Ellis, Inc., the world’s largest provider of commercial real estate services (based on 2006 revenues).

About SOAR and the Anaheim Resort Area

SOAR is a broad coalition of concerned Anaheim businesses, organizations and residents, who want to preserve the Anaheim Resort District and protect the essential city services that it funds. More than 25,000 people work at Anaheim Resort Area businesses, with an estimated 10 percent of them living in the City of Anaheim. These full- and part-time employees of Anaheim Resort Area businesses and franchisees have an estimated payroll of $700 million per year, and with their significant amount of local purchases generate an economic impact of over $1 billion per year.
The ARA includes the Anaheim Convention Center, numerous hotels and restaurants, as well as the Disneyland Resort, which encompasses Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme parks, three hotels with a total of 2,224 rooms and the 310,000-square-foot Downtown Disney retail, restaurant and entertainment district. With 20,000 employees, the Disneyland Resort is Orange County’s largest employer and a $3.6 billion annual contributor to the local economy.

Disney Vault
07-14-2007, 12:07 PM
I hate the way how they are confusing people with the term "low-income" and trying to get Cast Members who are clueless, like the one that was like fifteen people sleeping in a hotel or something ridiculous, to support their cause... even though they wouldn't benefit (ie even be able to afford to move into one of these "low-income" units that they are supposedly fighting to get approved) from this at all.

It's all just sad really.

I totally agree. This upsets me:mad:

Disney Vault
07-14-2007, 12:08 PM
Specifically, this initiative would require Anaheim voters to approve any future development proposal on the property commonly referred to as "the strawberry farm" located in the heart of the Resort area along Harbor Boulevard near Katella Avenue. Disney’s SOAR Initiative imposes additional land-use controls and restrictions on property not owned by the Disney Corporation – but it conveniently allows Disney, as owner of the single largest undeveloped tract in the Anaheim Resort, to circumvent any similar voter approval process.


I don't like this idea at all. Make them collect the signatures if they really feel this way.

Darkbeer
07-15-2007, 06:54 PM
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1767972.php (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1767972.php)

QuikQuote: The two sides met over the weekend and may ask the City Council to postpone a vote on the issue Tuesday, said Frank Elfend, a consultant for developer SunCal....
Chris Lowe, Disney's governmental relations official, said Sunday that he was unaware of a compromise.

Darkbeer
07-16-2007, 08:23 AM
The Orange County Register modified the story a few hours after the Original article was posted.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1768124.php (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/anaheim/article_1768124.php)





Tuesday, council is slated to set a date for a referendum to overturn the land's residential zoning designation.

"I think all parties agree that a continuance on Tuesday would be a good way to initiate positive dialogue," Elfend said.

Disney spokesman Rob Doughty said there was no compromise: "SunCal approached us and we were open to hearing what they had to say. We remain focused on the long-term protection of the Anaheim Resort area."

Darkbeer
07-16-2007, 08:29 AM
And also in today's OC Register, an editorial..

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister...le_1766516.php (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/opinion/homepage/article_1766516.php)




Fast forward to early this year, when the SunCal development firm took an option on a mobile-home park within the Resort Area and sought a zoning change that would allow high-density residential uses. The company stands to gain a fortune merely in the zone change itself, given that residential uses are currently the most highly valued land-use in the area. Meanwhile, Disney views the approval of the project as something that would undermine the entire Resort Area concept. Councilman Harry Sidhu, an opponent of the SunCal plan, told us that if he approves the change on one property, then he would have to approve it for any property. Before long, he and other Disney supporters reason, the whole purpose of the Resort Area would evaporate, and the area would be filled with nontourism uses that would obliterate the tourist-oriented feel of the area.



Much more at the link

Darkbeer
07-16-2007, 10:29 AM
So, what will happen this week.

First, we know that the City Council has to take action on the Referendum. And while they might be able to postpone action for a short time period, the law requires quick action once the referendum is submitted and signatures verified by the Register of Voters. But SOAR cannot rescind the submission.

The City Council has one of two choices, either Repeal the Zoning Change or place the Referendum on the Ballot. Now the City Council has some choices as of the date. As early as October, or as late of November 2008.

But I seriously doubt that the City would call a special election, due to the extra costs, so there are three main choices, the Presidential Primary election in February, the June Primary for state and local offices and the Presidential Election in November.

Now, if it goes to an election, the Zoning Change is in limbo, and no work can be done on the project.

It looks like SunCal is looking for a time out to regroup, the question is why?

Well, one reason would be that they think that Councilperson Lucille Kring might decide to Repeal the Zoning Change, which means that the fight is over and that Disney/SOAR prevails and that the project is basically dead.

Or the fact that the City Council will place the referendum on the Febraury 2008, where the cititizens of Anaheim more than likely will approve the Repeal, and the same result happens, project cancelled.

The other issue is the proposed third ballot that CDPA requested be place on the ballot by the City Council. But I seriously doubt that will happen tomorrow, first off, the City Clerk has stated the submitted wording is not legal, and needs to have changes made, second, if the council allows the initative to appear on the ballot withouit gathering the required signatures of the registered voters of Anaheim, it will cause too much backlash and hurt the chances of the City councilperson fo being re-elected in the next election. It is just too hot of a potato right now.

Now, if SunCal gets its postponement, then they have time to get the wording legal, and then start the gathering of the signatures needed. The Initative is not a solution to the problems SunCal has, but IMHO, is basically the last major thing they can do, but it really only works if it is on the same ballot as the SOAR ballot measure(s).

So in most cases, the project as proposed is going to not be allowed to built.

So SunCal can just walk away, or come up with a new proposal that would be agreeable to the Anaheim Resort Businesses, more than likely a mix of Hotels and some housing. But then SunCal will have to do a lot more work.

What are the options of SOAR.

Currently they are pressuring the City Councilperson to just Repeal the Zoning change, and not have it go to a ballot. I presume they will continue to do that, no matter if the matter is postponed one month.

Now SOAR does have the Initative that they have been gathering signatures for. They have stated they have enough signatures for the measure to be approved, but have not yet submitted them to the Register of Voters.

Now SOAR can make a deal with SunCal and agree not to submit the initiative, but I don't think they would do it for a couple of reasons, first off, they are almost to the end of the 6 months they are allowed to gather and submit the petitions, so they would lose all the time and effort but into the measure. And the measure protects the entire Resort area, and would at least for a few years more than likely not have any new Housing projects be proposed for the area. That is too big of a concession, so I seriously doubt that it will happen.

About the only type of compromise that Disney might agree to is that they came to an arrangement with SunCal to purchase the rights of buying the Mobil Park Land. SunCal can get a moral victory, and the project goes away.

Should be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of days....

Darkbeer
07-17-2007, 05:45 AM
http://www.ocregister.com/news/disne...naheim-council (http://www.ocregister.com/news/disney-suncal-vote-1769141-anaheim-council)


QuikQuote: Anaheim Community leaders – from union members to business owners – tonight plan to pressure the City Council on its handling of a proposed ballot referendum against homes near Disney property.
A Disney-led coalition collected enough signatures to place a referendum on the ballot that would overturn the council's 3-2 approval of residential zoning on a plot in the Anaheim Resort tourist area.
Now, the council must take action on it: cancel its previous action, set an election date or postpone the vote.
It's unclear which way the vote will go.

Darkbeer
07-18-2007, 07:37 AM
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-me-ocbriefs18.2jul18,1,546177.story?coll=la-mininav-business




After 2 1/2 hours of public testimony, the City Council opted Tuesday to postpone a decision that would have allowed voters to decide whether to permit a large housing project near Disneyland.

The council urged Disney and the project's developer to work out a compromise within two weeks.

"Being respectful of the City Council's decision, our focus will be going to the table in good faith and protecting the Anaheim Resort as the city's single largest source of revenue," Disney spokesman Rob Doughty said.



Next City Council meeting is July 31st.

Darkbeer
07-28-2007, 02:29 AM
Interesting letter that the former Mayor of Anaheim wrote recently...




An Open Letter to Fellow Residents of Anaheim


By Tom Daly

It’s troubling to watch the battle being waged in our city over whether land-planning standards approved in 1994 will be honored in the Anaheim Resort District, which includes Disneyland and nearby properties.

I was mayor when the council approved these standards with a unanimous vote, after years of careful analysis. Now, a developer and three members of the City Council want to gut them by allowing high-density housing in the Resort District. This fight is hurting our city and dividing us.

It didn’t have to be this way.

The Resort District was created to preserve the integrity of the city’s most valuable financial asset. The idea was to revive the area and protect it into the future from incompatible development—exactly the kind of high-density housing project proposed by SunCal for a 26-acre parcel within the Resort District. All of the property owners in the District agreed to the same ground rules when the Resort zoning was created. Now, someone wants to come in after the fact and change the rules to make a fast buck.

Make no mistake: This is not Disney vs. Anaheim. It’s Anaheim vs. the wrong project in the wrong place. Anaheim deserves to safeguard its good planning just as any city in Orange County.

As someone who sat on the City Council for 14 years and has lived in Anaheim all my life, I’m asked by puzzled friends and neighbors all over town: What’s really going on here? Isn’t there housing being built nearby?

Well, yes, there is. The city has approved more than 10,000 new housing units within a few blocks of the property in question. What’s more, Anaheim already provides more subsidized affordable housing units than any other city in Orange County.

Our fellow Anaheim residents on the Planning Commission took a thorough look at the rezoning proposed for the Resort District and resoundingly said no. Two members of the City Council have said no. As residents, we also cannot back down because there are important principles at stake here:

1. Ensuring sound and well-reasoned planning in the Resort District;

2. Honoring commitments made to all of the property owners in the Resort area who agreed to tourism-related zoning, not just Disney; and

3. Guaranteeing the city’s treasury by protecting the most important financial asset the city has: The Anaheim Resort.

Tens of thousands of residents signed a referendum against SunCal’s proposal, and a coalition of nearly every citizen’s group in Anaheim stands with them. I’m proud to be one of them.

We should be celebrating the city’s strengths and successes, not allowing clever propaganda to divide us. Our goal is this: we want our agreements honored and our commitments kept.

On Tuesday, the City Council can do the right thing and repeal their mistaken zoning decision. Or they can continue to jeopardize the city’s planning standards and future finances. It’s up to us as residents of Anaheim to decide whether this fight should escalate and how it should end. The council works for us. They don’t work for SunCal — or Disney.

As Anaheim residents, we all have a stake in what happens.