Supervisors Pave Way for Disney’s Planned Resort : Development: The board’s unanimous approval of street changes means transportation funds could flow, but the theme park’s expansion is on hold.

Orange County officials on Tuesday approved street changes for the proposed $3-billion Disneyland expansion in Anaheim, making the project and the city eligible for millions of dollars in county transportation funds.

The Board of Supervisors gave a unanimous endorsement to the plan even though the Walt Disney Co. has delayed a decision on whether to build the new Disneyland Resort.

The changes were approved for inclusion in the county’s highway master plan and center on street improvements planned for the western border of the existing park, including renaming a nearby thoroughfare “Disneyland Drive.”

The board’s decision Tuesday was not expected to speed any decision from the entertainment company on whether to move forward, but one supervisor said the availability of county money represented “one more piece of the puzzle” that could make the expansion a reality.

“This is part of a continuing effort to send a message to Disney that county and city government is committed to them,” said Supervisor William G. Steiner, whose district includes the theme park.

“Timing is very important, but I continue to believe the Disney project is still very viable. That’s why our decision was important today.”

Kenneth R. Smith, the county’s director of transportation, said the approval was important for the city because it could provide much-needed funds for “any street project in Anaheim, whether it was related to Disney or not.”

A study of traffic in the Disneyland area supported changes the city and Disney have planned for the area, Smith said. The changes have been proposed for some time, and officials said the board’s action was not intended to coincide with Disney’s recent announcement to delay a final decision on building the massive resort.

The board’s action allows Anaheim to compete with 12 other cities for $3.5 million in street maintenance money distributed by the Orange County Transportation Authority and for traffic improvement funds available through Measure M, the half-cent sales tax passed in 1990 that is expected to raise about $3 billion over a 20-year period.

Smith said the county approvals were necessary to maintain Anaheim’s eligibility for transportation funds and continue to reflect the entertainment giant’s plans to transform Disneyland and surrounding properties into a major resort.

Funding for needed public works and transportation improvements are a major concern for Disney officials and have weighed heavily in the company’s delay in making a final decision on the resort project.

City and Disney officials have estimated that up to $1 billion is needed to pay for the public portion of the project.

Last week, Disney officials announced that it would be at least another year before the company would decide whether to build the expansion that is expected to include 5,000 new hotel rooms, a major shopping district, an amphitheater and a theme park called Westcot.

Doug Moreland, development director for the Disneyland Resort project, said Tuesday that the company has been “actively pursuing various funding sources” and believed the local transportation money could benefit the project.

Tom Wood, Anaheim’s deputy city manager, said the potential funding could boost not only the plans for the Disney project but also other areas of the city that have been targeted for various street improvements.

The changes approved by the supervisors Tuesday included the proposed reconfiguration of Anaheim’s West Street, which Disney and the city have planned to rename Disneyland Drive.

The county approval and possible funding also extends to the planned construction of an interchange, connecting the Santa Ana Freeway with a proposed parking garage on West Street to serve the intended park expansion.