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April 2005, Page 3
Behind the Scenes at WDI, "Donald's Apprentice," Send Your Kid to DCA day, Anaheim's Conquest by Eminent Domain, Cruise on Disney Magic
In other news:
The Orange County Sentinel reports that the City of Anaheim needs new schools and is considering exercising its power of eminent domain over unused property in Tomorrowland.
Eminent domain is most commonly used to repurpose private property for a public use, such as an airport or highway. But cities have extended the "public use' requirement over the years to include economic or community developments, often seizing property so that developers can build more expensive homes or retail centers, in hopes of increasing the city's property and sales tax revenue. In order to condemn and take over the property, the city often only needs to show that an area is "blighted" and that a certain project would serve the public good.
The article suggests that several properties in the area known as Tomorrowland are highly underused and not bringing in the expected tax revenue. The City of Anaheim has an obligation to it's taxpayers to correct this imbalance. The article states: "Tomorrowland offers several unique solutions to the city's problems. Imagine the Carousel of Progress being turned into classrooms where the students sit at their desks and are rotated into a new learning environment every 50 minutes! Space Mountain would make an excellent indoor sports center and the Submarine Lagoon an indoor/outdoor swimming and boating area. The upper level of the Starcade has apparently been abandoned, as has the Peoplemover track, so they will be the easiest to tag for repurposing. Expect to see luxury apartments and a new highway open in this area in 2008." Disney lawyers were too stunned to comment. A city council representative said, "If Disney cannot grasp the future -- the city of Anaheim will!" Should this project succeed, we would not be surprised to see the City of Anaheim move on Disneyland's Festival Area and the San Francisco and Paradise Bay areas of DCA next. The InsidEar will certainly be keeping an eye on this situation as it develops.
There are two pages today, click here for page four.
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