Anaheim OKs Revitalization Despite Fullerton’s Protests : Redevelopment: The 895-acre project would attempt to lure industrial and commercial businesses. Neighbor city fears increased traffic and pollution and threatens lawsuit.

ANAHEIM —  Despite the threat of a lawsuit from the city of Fullerton, the City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a massive, 895-acre redevelopment project aimed at revitalizing two of the city’s most run-down areas.

Anaheim officials want to use the project to attract new industrial and commercial businesses to the city while injecting much needed public assistance into the area.

Fullerton officials, however, oppose the project, arguing that the urban renewal effort near Fullerton’s borders will adversely affect traffic, pollution and other environmental problems in their city.

“Anaheim is going to get all the benefits and Fullerton is going to get all the impacts,” said Barry Eaton, chief planner for Fullerton.

Eaton said the biggest concern is industrial land north of the Riverside Freeway that could be rezoned for commercial uses, which would directly compete with Fullerton businesses. Furthermore, he said, even though the parcel is in Anaheim, it is serviced by Fullerton roads and sewers.

“It’s a classic case of one city using redevelopment to steal the commercial base from another city,” he said.

Richard Bruckner, development services manager for Anaheim, said the city has dropped plans to allow commercial land uses in the area.

“It’s clearly going to be industrial,” he said.

However, Fullerton City Manager James L. Armstrong said Anaheim officials have made no guarantees that the land will not be rezoned in the future. Such a guarantee, “would alleviate a major portion of our concerns,” he said.

Armstrong said the two cities are attempting to work out a compromise on the situation, but added that if nothing is resolved, legal action is a possibility.

“I wouldn’t foreclose any option,” he said. “(But) two cities ought to be able to work together without going to court.”

As approved by the council, the redevelopment project will consist of the North Central Industrial Area and the Anaheim Boulevard Commercial/Industrial Area. The north section is bordered by Fullerton to the north and La Palma Avenue to the south. It reaches from Harbor Boulevard and Lemon Street on the west to East Street on the east. The Anaheim Boulevard redevelopment area is bounded by Broadway on the north and Orangewood Avenue on the south.

Local community and business leaders hailed the council’s approval of the project. For years, they said, the areas have been neglected and left to deteriorate.

According to Elisa Stipkovich, Anaheim community development director, the buildings in the north industrial area date back to the 1920s and are in desperate need of rehabilitation.

Many of the structures have been targets of graffiti and other vandalism. As many as 34% of the buildings are “obsolete” and 90% of the properties are in violation of one or more city codes, she said.

Another major problem in the redevelopment areas is crime. More than 450 residents in those areas have complained about gangs, prostitution, drug activity, loitering and other crimes.