SOAR Files 21,243 Signatures to Qualify Referendum Protecting Anaheim Resort District

The Save Our Anaheim Resort (SOAR) coalition today delivered 21,243 signatures – 8,000 more than needed – to protect Anaheim's internationally known Resort District, which is a vital funding source for City services.

The petitions were delivered to Anaheim City Hall, when it opened at 8 a.m. this morning. The referendum seeks to overturn a City Council decision to alter the original tourist-serving vision for the District. In April, the Council voted 3-2 to allow high-density residential development in the Resort District.

"The fact that we delivered more than the required signatures in fewer than 30 days sends a clear message to the Anaheim City Council that it should rescind its vote and protect the original vision for the Resort District," said Todd Ament, co-chairman of SOAR and president and CEO of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. "More than 100 volunteers personally secured many of these signatures, despite some blocking tactics by the opposition aimed at depriving people of the right to vote on this issue."

The LA/OC Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents affiliated construction unions, voted recently to support the protection of the Anaheim Resort area as a tourist-serving area and the jobs it represents.

"On behalf of the tens of thousands of working men and women who depend on jobs in the Anaheim Resort Area, our members support protecting the district as a tourist-serving area," said Jim Adams, Council representative, Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building & Construction Trades Council. "Our members who live in Anaheim actively supported SOAR in gathering signatures and we are pleased that this issue will now be put before the voters and taxpayers of Anaheim to decide."

SOAR, a broad coalition of community and business leaders, had 30 days to collect a minimum of 13,200 signatures (10 percent of registered voters in Anaheim) and turn them into the Anaheim City Clerk. Once the signatures are verified, the City Council has the option to rescind its earlier decision or place the issue on the ballot, asking voters to overturn or endorse the Council's vote.

More than 100 volunteers participated in the signature gathering effort, walking neighborhoods and staffing tables at community events.

"I'm overwhelmed and so pleased with the tremendous response of our residents. I want to thank the many volunteers who gathered signatures and the thousands who signed the petition," said Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle, who along with Councilman Harry Sidhu voted against permitting high-density residential development in the Resort District.

"Preserving the Resort District as envisioned is so important to the economic future of the City. The District generates 50 percent of the revenues we use for vital city services including police and fire, yet covers less than five percent of the City of Anaheim," Pringle said.

"The recent decision to change the zoning in the Resort District is entirely inappropriate," said SOAR volunteer Cynthia Ward, life-long Anaheim resident and mother of four, who helped gather signatures from her neighbors. "The resort area is planned to meet the needs of tourists who help pay for half of our police officers and fire crews, and must stay that way."

In 1994, the Anaheim City Council created the Resort District by a unanimous decision, and limited new developments to tourist-serving needs, such as theme parks, hotels, restaurants and convention facilities.

Since then, billions of public and private dollars have been invested to upgrade streets, improve landscaping and aesthetics and turn the area into a world-class resort destination. The Resort District as a result has become the City's single largest source of revenue that funds police, fire and other city services. In fact, since 1994 the Resort District has more than doubled the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) it pays to the City from $33 million to $80 million. Anaheim's annual revenue from TOT is ten times higher than any other city in Orange County.

This referendum is separate from a ballot initiative SOAR filed in March. The ballot initiative addresses the longer-term principle of protecting the District, its boundaries and land uses, and seeks to ban any similar proposals for future non-tourist uses in the Resort District without the approval of Anaheim voters. SOAR has made significant progress in gathering the signatures needed to place the initiative on the ballot, and will continue to collect signatures over the next few weeks. The coalition has 180 days to gather the required signatures for the initiative.

SOAR is a broad coalition of concerned Anaheim businesses, organizations and residents, who want a permanent solution for the future of the Anaheim Resort District and believe voters have a right to decide about that future.

Information about the referendum and the petition drive for the initiative is available by contacting the SOAR office at the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce offices, 201 E. Center Street, Anaheim, CA. Phone: (714) 400-0734. Web site: www.soaranaheim.com.