ANAHEIM : Councilman Links Schools to Disney Plan

Local schools should be guaranteed part of the new revenue that Disney officials say would flow from the proposed Disneyland Resort project, City Councilman Tom Daly told a community meeting Friday night.

“We can make improvements in the area and beautify the downtown, but if we don’t bring the schools along, we are all going to suffer,” the councilman told about 100 members of the group, Anaheim Homeowners Maintaining Their Environment. “We have to make sure our school systems are the recipients of some of these benefits.” He didn’t elaborate about how the money should be divided or provide a formula for how the school system should benefit.

Disney says the city’s annual revenue from the project would be about $38 million.

Daly was the only council member at the meeting at Loara High School after the homeowners group issued invitations to all but Mayor Fred Hunter, who is on vacation.

The group, which has voiced opposition to elements of the $3-billion Disney expansion, had called the meeting to discuss the proposal directly with the council.

Daly told residents that they would have to weigh the prospects of living with an expanded theme park. “What happens in this neighborhood is crucial for Anaheim,” Daly said of the central and near west-side residential communities.

Deputy City Manager Tom Wood, the city’s lead negotiator in upcoming talks with Disney officials, joined Daly at the meeting and told local residents that no decisions on the plan would be made without careful consideration.

“Some areas would give their eyeteeth to have the opportunity we have,” Wood said. “It will happen, if it makes sense for us and if it makes sense for Disney. Some people think this is going to happen instantaneously. I hate to disappoint you, but there are people still trying to figure out what the (water) runoff will be like, how much concrete to use and how large the pipes will be.”

Although Wood said he could not answer questions about the public cost of developing the project in Anaheim, he did say that timetables would be established in upcoming negotiations that would lock the entertainment company into completion dates so that surrounding land would not stand vacant.

Homeowner group President Curtis Stricker said he was disappointed by the lack of public officials and council members who attended the Friday meeting.

“This was supposed to be an opportunity for people to nail them (city officials), and they are not taking advantage of it,” Stricker said outside the meeting. “. . . But I promise, before this is done, there are going to be fireworks over this sucker.”

Friday’s meeting was the second called by the organization to discuss the Disney plan.

During the first gathering last month, about 100 members loudly complained about the prospects of increased traffic, noise, air pollution and potential public costs of building the entertainment company’s proposed $3-billion project next to Disneyland.