A group of Anaheim tourism businesses and community leaders called Save Our Anaheim Resort Area filed a ballot initiative Monday with the city of Anaheim that would give voters a say over changes to the Anaheim Resort District.
If approved by Anaheim voters, the initiative would require voter approval to change the city’s general plan, land use designation or boundaries of the resort district.
It also would require environmental impact reports to be complete before any housing project within the resort district could be built.
Once the petition is certified, the coalition will begin collecting the required 20,000 signatures to put it on a ballot.
Walt Disney Co., which opposed efforts by Irvine’s SunCal Cos. to build houses near its theme parks, is leading the effort. Disney has sued the city over a SunCal housing proposal.
“In prudent planning, there are areas for retail (and other things) you don’t want mixed in with housing,” said longtime Anaheim hotelier Bill O’Connell.
Besides Disney and O’Connell, other coalition members include the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, Anaheim Marriott, Hilton Anaheim and Towers, Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, Orange County Taxpayers Association, and numerous others.
