He’s encroached on Anaheim’s best-laid plans, infuriated Walt Disney Co., put City Hall into a tizzy and managed to do it all without having his name mentioned in the media. He’s Bruce Elieff, low-profile boss of hard-charging SunCal Cos., a big Irvine-based developer locked in a high-profile zoning battle with Disney. Elieff is seldom quoted and wasn’t available for this piece, the first to mention him in connection with the Anaheim issue. SunCal’s Web site mentions his dad and company founder Boris Elieff, but not Bruce. SunCal has developed more than 120,000 lots, and has another 140,000 units on the way in California, Arizona and Nevada. It recently led the winning $250 million bid for New Mexico’s historic 57,000-acre Atrisco Land Grant. Last May, Elieff outbid Donald Trump, paying a record $1,124 a foot for a 2.25 acres in Century City. SunCal’s marks are all around OC, from Amerige Heights on the former Hughes Aircraft site in Fullerton to the 250-acre Marblehead development on San Clemente’s coast. In Anaheim’s resort district, SunCal wants to build 1,500 condos on 26 acres currently zoned for a hotel or similar use. The Planning Commission is opposed, but SunCal’s “affordable housing for Disney workers” pitch appears to be just a legal opinion away from carrying a divided City Council. Disney has preemptively sued Anaheim, but SunCal has agreed to foot the city’s legal bills. There are rumblings that if The Mouse loses in court the SunCal project will be targeted by a ballot initiative. Disney backers Mayor Curt Pringle and Councilman Harry Sidhu are trying for a compromise that would allow some housing, but not along thoroughfares …
John McCain drew a VIP crowd led by Donald and Brigitte Bren and raised $500,000 here last week. A good turnout was expected at week’s end for Mitt Romney, too …
Capt. Stephen Miller, tireless OC Fire Authority spokesman and omnipresent television commentator during the Windy Ridge fire, is EE RR’s son-in-law … OC Register Features Editor Cathy Lawhon has joined UCI as director of media relations, reporting to Assistant Vice Chancellor Susan Menning …
OCer Gabriel Tirador, who runs Los Angeles-based Mercury General Corp. out of the Brea office, rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to mark the company’s 10th year on the Big Board …
Trampolinist Logan Dooley of El Toro High and Saddleback College made the U.S. Gymnastics Team competing next month in the World Cup …
Mark Chapin Johnson’s recent weekend included getting together in Newport Beach with Karl Rove and skiing in Deer Valley with Mitt Romney …
OC photog Yana Bridle snapped Ed Meese’s picture nine years ago and nine years before that. So when she photographed Ronald Reagan’s AG at the Madison Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, she left him with the message, “Let’s do it again in 2016!”
