Anaheim's Platinum Triangle Through the Eyes of Mayor Pringle

The Anaheim City Council recently approved a master land use plan and mixed-use overlay zone for the Platinum Triangle area surrounding Angel Stadium. Share with our readers the city's vision for that area and what was laid out in these zoning ordinances.

The vision is to create an urban center around Angel Stadium. When Angel Stadium was first built, it was in the middle of orange groves. After the area developed, it was primarily low-rise industrial. Now, we are looking to allow for a lot of mixed-use, higher density uses all around the stadium to take the place of much of that low-rise industrial property that has been there. Every use that is presently there today is allowed to remain and will not be declared a nonconforming use. People who have their businesses will have every right to expand and grow them in the industrial buildings they now occupy. However, by putting in an overlay zone, where they in fact could put multi-story residential on top of commercial or office use blended within their product, we believe the market will push most of the landowners into adding more residential units.

Transit seems to be a big part of the City's vision. A major mass transit hub is being planned for one part of the Triangle, linking commuter buses and trains with a proposed high-speed rail line to Las Vegas. Elaborate on the value of transit oriented development in Anaheim.

Around the country, the transit oriented development options have become very popular. Anaheim has had on the books for many years what is know as ARTIC-the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center. And it really is that one major transportation hub of the county that would bring all of those different types of transit systems together into one station. This presently is envisioned, and has been for many years, to be on the connecting road between Angel Stadium and the Arrowhead Pond. It is very convenient, because we will be able to accommodate the greater density around that site as it has been envisioned for many years. And yes, that's all part of this same Platinum Triangle overlay zone.

You've served in both state and local government. Are there capital funds now available for underwriting the creation of a nexus between public transportation and this development?

Yes. Mostly though the development, not the public improvements, will primarily take place with private dollars. We believe the market is there to create greater densities and urban living environments, and much of the development, if not most of the development, will take place on private land and not as part of a redevelopment project and not with city support. City support came by changing the zoning to allow for the market to move. And if you look at the development interest in the area, the market certainly is moving.

The public improvements, such as the ARTIC station, will be a combination of local, state, and federal resources to ensure that gets developed.

Mayor Pringle, Orange County is growing like every other urban metropolis in the State. Santa Ana has just approved a 37-story office tower. Anaheim is fast developing a dense downtown. To be provocative, what in the future will distinguish Orange County -Anaheim and Santa Ana -from the congested Los Angeles that many tried to escape from years ago when they moved to Orange County?

This planning doesn't come in a haphazard way. That's why we have an overlay zone – to ensure that certain things happen, but not such that it is limiting. It's more of an opportunity zone. A lot of urban downtowns have ballparks, for example. You look at SBC Park in San Francisco, or Petco Park in San Diego, or what's happened at Camden Yards in Baltimore or other areas-those types of anchors have created a lot of energy within an urban downtown area. We have the luxury of doing it the other way around-having a very successful anchor of a baseball stadium and to build an urban community around it. I think that is not seen in L.A. And a type of urban environment where people want to come and visit, where there's multiple destinations, as well as multiple residential opportunities is probably unique to a Southern California area.

Anaheim has now approved an EIR for a new football stadium, and the NFL has shown renewed interest in Anaheim. Can you give us some insight into the heated competition among Anaheim, Pasadena, and Los Angeles for an NFL team?

Actually, the EIR that envisioned a football stadium on the northwest corner of the parking lot at Angel Stadium was a part of a prior plan in which the city engaged in the late ‘90s. That would be on city owned property-the city owns the property at Angel Stadium. That football stadium, with an approved EIR, was part of this new Platinum Triangle overlay zone. We maintained that potential within the planning documents. We maintained that it was in the EIR we did. We are very much aware of the potential for an NFL stadium to complement the Arrowhead Pond as well as Angel Stadium.

The NFL came to us a few weeks ago explaining that they are committed to having a football team in the Los Angeles media market by 2008. I think they're looking at all the opportunities and locations that may present themselves. But one thing that was important to hear from them is that they want to build a state-of-the-art stadium, they want to own it, and they also suggested, specifically, that they want to create a destination. So, they are looking for a facility to be not just a football stadium where you play a dozen games a year, but in fact a facility with other elements and complementary uses-such as hotels, an NFL experience and a component of the Hall of Fame. So, when they talk about creating a destination at a football stadium, I believe there's no better place than Anaheim. With all of the visitors-nearly 20 million people-coming to Anaheim a year already to visit different venues and activities within the city, and with the largest convention facility on the West Coast in our city, Anaheim would be a great fit for the type of football stadium the NFL envisions for Southern California.

One more ‘next step' question re the Platinum Triangle. How might our readers benchmark the progress of this redevelopment effort in Anaheim?

First off, the city has done everything it needs to do. The city passed a new general plan for our entire city in May. In July, we passed this overlay zone, which basically set up the parameters for the Platinum Triangle. Now, I believe the shackles are off of many developers, and they are moving forward. The measures will be how quickly things get built. One unique aspect we put in the overlay zone was basically a competitive aspect that encourages immediate development. What I mean by that is, there are different zones within the Platinum Triangle that have units distributed to them. Again, this Platinum Triangle created an additional 9,175 unit potential to be developed around the stadium. Within each of these zones, those 9,000 units are distributed. What we have done is created a plan by which those that are first in the marketplace will get the greatest opportunity, therefore their densities can be greater. So there is an advantage in being first, and as a result we have many developers already moving forward. I think the measure of success will be, between now and the first of the year, how many projects are under development. And I believe there will be at least three or four.

Changing subjects, Mayor. You worked politically before the state budget was passed in a bipartisan way to try to create some meaningful reform in our state-local fiscal arrangements. Unsuccessfully, as it turned out. Can you address what that budget agreement has/ has not accomplished re mitigating the impacts of our present dysfunctional state-local fiscal arrangements.

I actually believe that the biggest step in realigning and addressing state and local finance issues was part of this budget. Even though we didn't get everything that I would want, and I believe I'm consistent with much of what the housing community would like to see in terms of realigning state and local funding issues, there were very significant parts of that deal that will benefit local government and housing opportunities for the long haul. They are all envisioned in Prop. 1A, which is on the ballot in November.

Some cities are so dependent on sales tax they'd never want to consider giving up a portion of that to get more property taxes. Cities should receive the largest share of their funding from property tax, because cities provide property-based services. If they receive more property tax revenue, that will incentivize a lot more reinvestment in property. With more property tax revenue, land use decisions will allow for a greater focus on putting in the highest and best use for that development, not just what will generate the greatest amount of sales tax. There is an element within that budget deal that does allow for the Legislature to create a plan by which cities can swap out their sales tax for property tax in the future. I'll be working with some of the leading legislators on this issue-soon to be Senator John Campbell, and soon to be former Assemblyman Darrell Steinberg, who are champions of realignment of local revenues. Together with former Speaker Bob Hertzberg, we will be working to take the next steps to ensure that there is something in law next year to enhance the cities' take of property tax revenue.

But this budget deal actually created an opportunity for this realignment to take place. Otherwise, there were other proposals out there that would have eliminated any of that opportunity. So this budget deal that was passed, and the commitments that were made by the Governor to ensure that this happened, is on the ballot in Prop 1A.

Last question. Many members in the State Legislature have come from local government, and that was supposed to result in their having a greater sensitivity to the concerns of local government. You've returned from the Legislature to local government. How has your experience in the Capitol helped and benefited your constituents in the city of Anaheim?

Most of the time, wherever you sit, you're in a constant battle with those who sit someplace else. A lot of local government leaders battle the state, and a lot of the state leaders battle local government. I totally respect the state Legislature and the challenges that they face. And, I take that respect into negotiating deals with them, in terms of how to benefit local government. They have responsibility and local government has responsibility, and it is good to have a perspective from both sides to see what you're doing and to understand how that balance can actually come to benefit both the state government and local governments. We are all still a part of this state. Therefore, we have to be respectful of how to work within the scheme such that we are able to benefit both areas of government, state and local.