ANAHEIM : Disney Makes Case Against Hotel Plan

The Walt Disney Co. and several hotel managers on Monday voiced opposition to a proposed hotel development near Disneyland, saying that the impacts of the project have not been fully reviewed.

“There are fatal flaws in the (developer’s) documents,” Disney attorney Marian A. Harvey told the city’s Planning Commission at a public hearing. “It would be an abuse of the city’s discretion to approve this project.”

The city’s planning staff has recommended that the commission approve the plans of Tarsadia Inc., a Costa Mesa firm that hopes to build three hotels with as many as 834 rooms.

After hearing testimony Monday from Disney and area hotel representatives, the commission requested further information from the city staff and continued the hearing until June 13.

Disney officials contend that Tarsadia failed to analyze the environmental impact of its plans.

Further, they are concerned about Tarsadia’s requests for variances on zoning, sign and landscaping requirements.

City planning officials and Frank Elfend, Tarsadia’s planning consultant, said that impacts of the Tarsadia project were fully reviewed when Disney conducted its own environmental study for the proposed $3-billion Disneyland Resort.

Elfend added that the variances being sought by the developer are far fewer than the ones that Disney requested from the city for its resort project, which calls for a new theme park named Westcot, more than 5,000 hotel rooms and two of the nation’s largest parking garages.

Elfend charged that Disney officials oppose Tarsadia because they want to eliminate potential competition in the hotel business.