Disney’s Plans for Expansion

I read with interest your editorial (“Saving a Project--and the Coastline,” April 30) addressing the subject of a proposed Disney theme park in the Port of Long Beach. Those of us in the maritime industry--who are tenants and users of the Port of Long Beach--share your concerns over Disney’s attempts to tamper with the California Coastal Act. The citizens of California spoke loud and clear when they approved the proposition to form the California Coastal Commission, granting it powers and overview regarding any projects to be developed in coastal areas, and especially where landfill was required. We trust that our legislators in Sacramento will recognize what is going on and evaluate Sen. Ken Maddy’s Disney bill appropriately and completely.

I must, however, take exception to your comment that said, “Currently, the run-down Long Beach port, long designated as a major tourist area, has fallen short of expectations, despite attractions like the Queen Mary and the Spruce Goose.”

First off, the Port of Long Beach is not “run-down”! It is a modern, multibillion-dollar array of terminals, facilities and infrastructure that now ranks among the top of the list of all U.S. ports. In fact, the Port of Long Beach, together with her sister Port of Los Angeles, are now the No. 1 port in our nation, with more vessel calls, more tonnage and more container units than New York, New Orleans, San Francisco or any other port you can name!

Second, the Port of Long Beach has never been designated as “a major tourist area.” What it is, is a major industrial asset for the handling of world trade. True, it does offer some recreational venues and sites, but these play a very minor role in the overall contributions made by the Port of Long Beach to the Southern California community.

The prospect of putting a massive Disney theme park adjacent to one of the most prosperous, progressive and productive ports in America is not necessarily the prudent thing to do. I would have to agree with the Coastal Commission’s viewpoint--that allowing Disney to arbitrarily fill 280 acres of San Pedro Bay for recreational purposes is not making the best use of our coastal assets.

To simply declare that the Disney projects would “help the state’s economy and help rescue Long Beach,” while ignoring the impact on the port, is neither intelligent nor prudent.

M.H.K. ASCHEMEYER

Vice President, Marketing

Stevedoring Services of America

Long Beach