Disney Co. talks with developer come to end
After weeks of talks aimed at resolving a yearlong zoning spat over a large housing project in the Anaheim Resort District, Walt Disney Co. officials and a developer have concluded discussions without a settlement, a park spokesman said Monday.
The Anaheim City Council twice postponed approving a Disney-backed referendum asking voters to block the proposed 1,500-unit condominium and low-cost apartment complex in hopes that the two sides could reach a compromise.
The last vote, a week ago, gave the bickering parties three weeks to reach a settlement before the council addresses the issue again.
“I’m very disappointed,” said Councilwoman Lucille Kring, one of three council members who voted for both delays. “They still have two more weeks, but apparently Disney isn’t willing to do anything.”
Disney officials released a statement late Monday saying that months of discussions had failed to resolve the dispute: “It is in everyone’s best interest for the council to make a decision as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Officials for SunCal, the developer, could not be reached for comment.
A spokesman for Save Our Anaheim Resort, a Disney-funded coalition of business and community leaders that organized the referendum drive -- collecting more than 14,000 signatures -- asked the council to immediately place the zoning issue on a ballot.
“The people didn’t ask for a compromise,” said Todd Ament, a co-chairman of the coalition. “They asked this issue to be given to the voters. If those actions aren’t taken, we’ll seek all remedies, including legal action, to get this on the ballot.”
The measure could cost Anaheim taxpayers as little as $10,000 if it is placed on the November 2008 ballot, or as much as $500,000 for a special election.
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