Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://www.ocregister.com/news/group-council-initiative-1899868-suncal-ballot" target="_blank">http://www.ocregister.com/news /group-council-initiative-1899868-suncal-ballot</a> >>Anaheim A developer-funded group withdrew its request for the City Council to put an initiative on the ballot to require voter approval of a Disney project. Instead, the group plans to collect signatures to get the measure on the ballot. The majority of the council supported the initiative and city staff had started preparing paperwork. By asking the council to place the measure on the ballot, the Defend and Protect Anaheim group would have avoided the signature-gathering process. But the group, funded by developer SunCal, decided the debate was getting too "nasty," said chair Diane Singer. Today, the group filed a letter to withdraw its request for the council to take action. A Disney-led group is vigorously fighting the plan. "It's just so vitriolic," Singer said. "We just can't operate that way. It's not good for the city." Singer said she believes all three council members continue to support the group's initiative, which would force Disney to take any development plans, like a theme park, on the company's 52.9-acre plot before voters. SunCal wants to build about 1,500 homes across the street from the plot. Councilwoman Lorri Galloway, who backs the SunCal-funded initiative, said she continues to back the measure. Council members Lucille Kring and Bob Hernandez, who also supported the initiative, could not be reached for comment. "I'll just tell you honestly, as much as I know, that was a decision they made on their own," Galloway said about the group. A Disney-funded group, Save Our Anaheim Resort, collected enough signatures to qualify two other ballot measures, both meant to fight SunCal's plans. SOAR disapproves of the council's support of the SunCal-led initiative, saying that group should also be required to gather signatures for a ballot initiative. At the Oct. 9 council meeting, some SOAR members criticized the three council members, with one calling Hernandez a "moron." "We're happy that they have to go through the same process we had to go through," said Annette McCluskey, the SOAR spokeswoman. ,,
