Groups Press for More Time on Disney Study

Representatives from several groups Tuesday night asked the City Council to allow them more time to review the draft environmental impact report on the $3-billion Disneyland expansion project.

Doug Kintz, a member of Home Owners for Maintaining their Environment (HOME), said that the sheer size of the document and the fact that the current 45-day review period falls on several holidays necessitated additional time.

He urged the council to stop refusing the extension requests, which have been made by a growing number of groups in the past month, including city officials from Garden Grove and Orange, representatives of Melodyland Christian Center and the city’s two school districts.

“In the movie ‘Pinocchio,’ Jiminy Cricket once said, ‘Let your conscience be your guide,’ ” Kintz said. “I not saying you’re not doing that, but it gives the appearance that this thing is trying to be rifled upon the citizenry.”

The council listened to the public comments, but did not take any action on the requests for more time. The city attorney asked those who spoke before the council to submit their concerns in writing.

Deputy City Manager Tom Wood said that city official will “carefully be reviewing” the comments and requests made on the draft environmental impact report. At the present, he said, the city is still on a 45-day review course.

A Garden Grove representative also spoke before the council to reiterate her city’s desire that the review time be extended.

Millie J. Summerlin, a planning services manager with Garden Grove, told the council that her city was disappointed that requests to extend the review have repeatedly been denied.

“The concern we have is that because this is such a large project it will have an impact on the city of Garden Grove,” Summerlin said.

Jaime Gonzalez, a representative of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employee Union, did not speak before the council, but was in the audience. He said that his union, which includes about 2,000 Disneyland employees, also wants the review period prolonged.

“We want to be sure that we digest the impact that this will have on the city (including those) who work at Disneyland park and the Disneyland Hotel,” Gonzalez said.

The deadline to respond to the draft document is Dec. 28. Although it is the city’s document, Disney paid for it. The final report, which is required by law, must take into account written public comments and answer questions raised about the project. The minimum review time mandated by law for a project of this size is 45 days.

The impact report must be approved before construction begins.

Disney officials could not be reached for comment.

Under current plans, Disney has proposed building a large new resort with three new hotels, a second theme park called Westcot Center, a 5,000-seat amphitheater and two of the nation’s largest parking garages.