Impact Study Released for Disneyland Expansion

Writing in The Mercury News, Brady MacDonald describes the environmental impact study released by the city of Anaheim as it weighs approvals for an expansion of the Disneyland parks. The two sites, one located on a former strawberry farm-turned-Disney parking lot, would remain within the company’s existing 500-acre property. “The DisneylandForward plan envisions two pedestrian bridges over Disneyland Drive and up to three over Harbor Boulevard that would connect to a 17,000-space eastside garage along Disney Way that would be the world’s largest parking structure.”

The study reveals that the biggest impacts would come from air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise. “Air quality would be significantly and unavoidably impacted during the construction phase and park operations of any Disneyland Forward project, according to the EIR.” Required mitigation measures would include sound buffers, water conservation measures, and energy efficiency initiatives.

MacDonald adds, “Transportation and traffic were not considered major issues in the EIR in part because Disneyland, Caltrans and Anaheim overbuilt resort area streets, intersections, freeways and interchanges in recent years.