The Brief

DisneylandForward, the theme park’s $1.9 billion expansion plan, received unanimous approval from Anaheim’s city council early Wednesday morning.

While Disney will not be expanding beyond its approximately 1,078-acre footprint, the approval results in zoning changes which allows the entertainment conglomerate to convert its properties to mixed use “immersive experiences.”

Currently, hotels have to be built within the hotel district and attractions like rides are limited to the theme park areas. Much of the development will be centered on surface-level parking lots.

The proposal will come before the city council again in May for a second vote.

An illustrative map of how the DisneylandForward plan fits into the current Disney footprint in Anaheim.

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Courtesy DisneylandForward

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What are some of the proposed changes

Two of Disney’s surface parking lots, namely the Toy Story lot and the Downtown Disney parking lot, will be “giving way to new development, so new theme park attractions, new hotels, new entertainment, retail, and dining versus the surface parking they are today,” Mike Lyster, Anaheim city spokesperson told LAist.

Lyster added that since the new additional theme park attractions could bring more guests, Disney will also replicate the parking structure (Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals) that are currently on the west side of Disney property on the east side too.

“It would actually do a great job serving those coming from the south,” he said. “So if you were driving up from San Diego, it would be a very easy way for you to come in and get right off the 5 Freeway and go directly into a parking structure of roughly about 17,000 spaces.”

Also included in the DisneylandForward plan is the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare that can carry between 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles daily according to Lyster.

In the plan, Disney looks to purchase three public streets including Magic Way, which carries approximately 15,000 cars daily.

Lyster said a Disney study showed that the majority of the users of the road are visitors to the park and less than 1% use it to cut through to the 5 Freeway.

“We are actually looking to make some improvements to the corner at Ball Road, dedicated right- and left-hand turn lanes, that would make it a lot easier for somebody who may no longer have Magic Way as an option to get to the freeway,” Lyster said.

But longtime Anaheim resident Mike Robbins opposes the plan, including the sale of the streets. Residents, he said, use the street to cut through to the freeway.

“I was told by a specific neighbor who said that he had done both (using Ball Road and Magic Way), that it could be 14 minutes going up to Ball Road and four minutes going down Magic Way to the 5 Freeway,” Robbins said.

How the city benefits from the resort

During Tuesday evening’s meeting that went into the early hours of Wednesday, city staff said that around 30% of the city’s general fund is currently generated by the resort. That number could increase, they said, with the expansion. The general fund, staff said, pays for city services such as the police force, parks, and fire department.

Also included in the expansion plan was a commitment by Disney to the city for $30 million for affordable housing, $8 million for Anaheim parks, as well as $45 million for street and transportation improvements and $10 million for sewer improvements along Katella Avenue.

Disney will give the city $15 million towards affordable housing within one year of the project’s approval, with the remainder of the money to be given within the next five years. And the city has discretion on how to use the funds.

Resident concerns

The meeting on Tuesday evening drew a mix of public speakers: Some residents spoke of the “possible displacement” of Anaheim residents because it could increase rents in the city and “gentrification” of the city because of the expansion.

“No amount of Disney's expensive magic will outweigh the people's right to simply live and survive outside their doors,” one speaker said.

But, other residents spoke of their excitement at their home value potentially increasing because of the expansion.

“When Disney wins, Anaheim and the residents win,” the speaker said.

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena and Pasadena’s music community have really shown up to support fire survivors, especially fellow musicians who lost instruments and record collections.

That effort continues this weekend with a special donation concert at a Pasadena record store, with the aim of getting vinyl records back in the hands of survivors who lost their collections.

“You know, our name is Healing Force of the Universe, and I think that gives me a pretty clear direction… especially after the fires,” said Austin Manuel, founder of Pasadena record store, where Sunday’s show will be held.

The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s instruments in the Eaton Fire. Through Altadena Musicians’s donation and registry platform, Jay said he and his partners have helped some 1,200 fire survivors get their music instruments back.

Brandon Jay.

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Robert Garrova

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LAist

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Now, that effort has fanned out to restoring vinyl record collections.

“All of that stuff evaporated for thousands of people,” Jay said. “Look at your own record collection and be like, ‘Wow, what if that whole thing disappeared?’”

You might know Jay from several bands over the years, including Lutefisk, a 1990s alt-rock band based in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, composed music for TV shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds.

Jay plans to play some holiday tunes at Sunday's record donation show (which LAist is the media sponsor), along with fellow musician Daniel Brummel of Sanglorians. Brummel, who was also a founding member of Pasadena’s indie-rock sensation Ozma, said he was grateful to Jay for his fire recovery work and to Manuel for making Healing Force available for shows like this.

Brummel, who came close to losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, recalled a show he played at Healing Force back in March.

Ryen Slegr (left) and Daniel Brummel perform with their band, Ozma, on the 2014 Weezer Cruise.

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Even Keel Imagery

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“The trauma of the fires was still really fresh,” Brummel said. After playing a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to a Town,” that night — which includes the lyrics “I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” — Brummel said his neighbors in the audience told him the rendition hit them hard. “It felt really powerful. And without that space, it just wouldn’t have occurred.”

Details

Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show
Featuring: Quasar (aka Brandon Jay), Sanglorians (Daniel Brummel) and The Acrylic.
Sunday, Dec. 14; 2 to 5 p.m.
1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
Tickets are $15 or you can donate 5 or more records at the door. More info here.

Topline:

The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.

Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.

Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.

Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.

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Destiny Torres

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LAist

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Why do they celebrate? 

In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.

To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.

Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.

The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).

“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”

The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.

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Destiny Torres

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LAist

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Gathering in a time of turmoil 

Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.

“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”

Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.

“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.

Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.

“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”

See it for yourself

The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.