ANAHEIM : Approval of Mall Ends Residents’ Fight

A small group of Anaheim residents who have been trying for two months to block the construction of an outdoor shopping mall lost their fight this week when the City Council approved the project.

Homeowners were concerned that the trendy colors and modern design of the 45-acre project were not compatible with the hillside neighborhood. Residents were also worried that the mall’s noise, signs, lights and traffic would ruin the area.

Clifford Lester, who lives less than a half-mile from the proposed mall, is one of about a dozen residents who have been protesting the project.

Said Lester: “We kind of feel that our area is one of the last areas that represent the tranquil feeling” depicted in Anaheim’s city seal, which shows oranges, blue skies and rolling hillside.

Since the first public hearing for the project in January, residents have been negotiating with builder Marshall Krupp, president of CSA Real Estate. Krupp is developing the vacant lot at the northwest corner of Weir Canyon Road and the Riverside Freeway with the Newport Beach-based Koll Co.

The City Council approved the proposed project unanimously Tuesday night but denied the proposed color scheme. A separate discussion on a new color will be held at a future council meeting.

“I like the project. I don’t like the style,” Councilman William D. Ehrle said. “I think this is a new-wave project that will be out of style in five years.”

The center will include a CostCo, a Home Club, a service station/mini-mart, a restaurant and a number of specialty shops.

The city stands to gain up to $1 million in annual sales tax revenue generated by the center. The city is contributing $5.7 million toward public improvements for the shopping center, including the widening of Weir Canyon Road.