Fears Voiced on Disney Plan for Expansion : Reaction: Anaheim residents’ concerns include an influx of employees who would lack housing and impacts on traffic and schools.

Threatened by the imposing public costs of locating Walt Disney’s $3-billion Westcot Center here, residents on Wednesday said they also fear that an influx of new employees would overrun an already depleted stock of affordable housing.

In two meetings Wednesday, local homeowners and business people also expressed concern about traffic and the impact of the project on schools, which has yet to be addressed by the city or Disney officials.

“We have seen nothing but watercolors,” said Curtis Stricker, president of Anaheim Home, a local homeowners’ group. “I have seen nothing but the puff and the fluff. . . .”

City officials held the meetings so consultants from Michael Brandman Associates of Santa Ana could incorporate residents’ concerns in the draft report. That report will be submitted to the City Council by the end of the year.

Anaheim officials had planned for an overflow crowd and had prepared a basement area where people could watch the meeting on television. But only about 100 turned out for the evening meeting and about 75 for the afternoon meeting.

Although Disney has proposed a new hotel district, retail center, a new theme park and lush public plaza areas for Anaheim, the entertainment company has yet to decide whether it will build its second Southern California attraction in Anaheim or in Long Beach, where it has planned a 414-acre ocean theme park called Port Disney.

Disney officials said that local public support, including the willingness of the two local governments to pump millions in public money to offset the cost of the project, will be key factors in determining which city will win the lucrative development. A decision is not expected until the end of the year.

Maria-Elena Romero, a planning director for the Anaheim City School District, told the consultants Wednesday that the district “has serious concerns already. Thousands of new employment opportunities will (mean) new residents and add students to our already overcrowded schools.”

Romero said her department figured that for every 100 new hotel rooms, 90 employees will be needed. Disney’s plans call for three new hotels, providing more than 4,000 new rooms.

“This is going to bring a lot of $6- to $7-per-hour employees who will not be able to afford the commute from Riverside,” Romero said outside the council chamber. “These people are going to have to move here and bring their families with them.

“We are already overcrowded and using emergency mobile facilities. A lot of our facilities are way undersized.”

Lauretta Mohrman, who lives on South West Street just a block from the proposed resort’s hotel district, said she does not want planners to ignore the development’s potential need for water in a time of drought.

“Nobody’s even mentioned water today,” Mohrman said from the council podium. “If I don’t even have enough water to brush my teeth, how can we bring in a new park?”

Franklyn R. Elfend, a representative of Melodyland Christian Center, which stands on land slated for one of two massive parking structures, wanted to know “how the businesses in the area would be acquired and relocated. This project displaces a worship center that is a unique resource to this community and is used by thousands of people.”

Outside the meeting, Elfend said the Rev. Ralph Wilkerson has no intention of leaving the 9-acre site, even though he recently sold 3 acres to the city for a parking structure. “I am very concerned about how that property will be impacted,” Elfend said. “The pastor has had plans to redevelop the property for some time. His plan is to stay where he is.”

After the afternoon meeting, Kerry Hunnewell, Disney Development Co. vice president, said many of the residents’ concerns were shared by Disney.

“This shows people are responsible,” Hunnewell said. “Our neighbors’ concerns are very similar to our concerns.”

City Council members have already begun to talk about imposing additional taxes to bring the $3-billion development to Anaheim. Among the levies being considered is a controversial admissions tax at Disneyland, Anaheim Stadium, movie theaters and other entertainment venues to help pay for elements of the proposed development.

City officials have indicated that Anaheim’s costs just to acquire land for public parking and to build the two massive parking structures Disney has proposed could run to $500 million.

Millions more in taxpayer money is expected to be needed for the construction of freeway ramps from the Santa Ana Freeway to direct traffic into the parking structures as proposed in Disney’s Anaheim plan.