Anaheim housing at issue again
Whether to put residential zoning in Anaheim Resort area on ballot is before City Council tonight.
By SARAH TULLY
The Orange County Register
ANAHEIM ? About $2 million already has poured into ballot measure campaigns tied to controversial housing plans near Disneyland. But it's unclear whether voters will ever see them on the ballot.
Tonight, for the third time, the City Council is supposed to consider setting an election date on a referendum to overturn residential zoning in the Anaheim Resort tourist area ? an issue that has drawn international media attention.
But the council also has the option of rescinding its previous 3-2 decision to allow homes on a plot across from Disney property.
The referendum qualified for the ballot almost two months ago, following a Disney-funded signature gathering effort to fight SunCal's plan to build about 1,500 homes where mostly mobile homes now sit.
Twice, the council postponed a decision on the referendum to allow Disney and SunCal officials to try to come up with a compromise. Two weeks ago, talks ended without a solution.
Councilwoman Lucille Kring, who was the swing vote on supporting housing in the resort area, said Monday that she is unsure how she will vote tonight. She said she wants to look into the ramifications of either choice. But she said she expects some decision will be made.
"I'm still agonizing over it," Kring said.
Disney contributed $1.6 million to Save Our Anaheim Resort, the group it founded to fight the housing development. More than $500,000 went to firms that organized the petitions, according to campaign documents.
SunCal gave about $402,000 to the Committee to Defend and Protect Anaheim, which the company started to preserve residential zoning on the land it is buying. The committee paid more than $140,000 to a petition company.
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