Anaheim magazine, Fall 2022

PLUS Preserving neon history

Wildfire

Mayor Vacant

Mayor Pro Tem Council Member I District 6 Trevor O’Neil

Council Member I District 1 Jose Diaz

Council Member I District 2 Gloria Ma‘ae

Council Member I District 3 Jose F. Moreno

Council Member I District 4 Avelino Valencia

Council Member I District 5 Stephen Faessel

City Manager Jim Vanderpool

Editor Erin Ryan Contributor Mike Lyster

Anaheim magazine is published quarterly by the city of Anaheim. Address all correspon dence to Anaheim magazine, c/o Editor, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92805. Please visit Anaheim.net/magazine for an online version of Anaheim magazine.

The city of Anaheim is a city council/city manager form of government. The City Council makes policy decisions at City Council meetings, Tuesdays at 5 p.m., while the city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the city. If you have any concerns regarding the city of Anaheim, simply dial 3-1-1 from any landline phone or (714) 765-4311. Anaheim Anytime representatives are available 7a.m.–5:30p.m. Monday through Friday. Recorded information is also available.

About Anaheim: Anaheim is a full-service city supporting more than 341,000 residents, 20,000 businesses and 25 million annual visitors. The city provides public safety through the Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire & Rescue, water and power service through Anaheim Public Utilities, parks, community centers, family services and libraries through Anaheim Community Services, neighborhood and transportation improvements through Anaheim Public Works, affordable housing and other services through Housing and Commu nity Development and community revitalization through Economic Development. Anaheim is a modern, diverse city with a proud history dating back to its 1857 founding. Anaheim is known worldwide as the home of the Disneyland Resort, including Walt Disney’s original Disneyland Park, as well as Angel Stadium of Anaheim and Angels Base ball, Honda Center and the Anaheim Ducks, and the Anaheim Convention Center, the largest on the West Coast. Anaheim’s thriving visitor industry and business community help support the city’s neigh borhoods and make Anaheim a great place to live, work and play. For more, please visit Anaheim.net

Anaheim.net/magazine

Halloween is back in Anaheim

The Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade returns in-person to downtown Anaheim bigger and better with a new parade route and new floats

About the cover

Preserving Neon History

Former signs find new purpose through donation to Museum of Neon Art

2 I Community

New park coming to downtown Anaheim is getting a new park in downtown Anaheim

Wildfire ready

Being prepared and packing a bag is easier than you think, make plans with neighbors

Cast your ballot

Here are the council seats up for election, a measure updating the city’s hotel tax, how to find your council district

6 I Service

More library to love!

Thanks to a healthy budget, our libraries are expanding hours

Getting back to normal Paying your water and power bill ensures lower rates and service reliability

10 I Economic Vitality

New Vibes

OCVibe update on housing, amenities, parks and open space planned around Honda Center

18 I Around Anaheim Events and community updates

19 I Calendar

I Stay In Touch

Volunteers help decorate floats in the Anaheim Halloween Parade

Center Greens playground design day: Anaheim Ducks mascot Wild Wing has some fun with neighborhood kids

Work is underway on Anaheim’s newest park.

Center Greens is taking shape behind City Hall just off Anaheim Boulevard and along Broadway.

First up: a 4,300-square-foot playground took shape and opened in September, with a big assist from the Anaheim Ducks and playground nonprofit Kaboom!

A team of volunteers including the Ducks built the new playground in one day.

And it’s already a big hit.

Based on what we heard from neighborhood kids, the playground features a suspension bridge, climbing walls, slides, monkey bars, a group teeter-totter, swings and more.

A new basketball court and skate park will replace the area’s existing court and skate ramps.

There also will be an obstacle course, a loop walking trail, landscaping and more.

For kids and families who live around City Hall, Center Greens will be their neighborhood play and green space, joining nearby Citrus Park as another place to enjoy.

Playground design: first phase of Center Greens opening in late September

The 3.5-acre park is set to be complete and fully open in 2023 with a new basketball court, skate park, playground and more.

The playground is the first step in transforming an informal grassy field into Center Greens alongside the Downtown Anaheim Community Center and Downtown Anaheim Youth Center.

For those who work in and visit downtown Anaheim, Center Greens will be another attraction along with the Anaheim Packing House, Center Street Promenade and the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center.

Center Greens is also expected to host community events.

Wildfire ready

Preparing for the unknown is hard. And it’s not always easy.

We know that adding one more thing on a to-do list can be overwhelming for someone working full time, multiple jobs or caring for a family. But the threat of wildfire is serious this time of year and something we all need to be prepared for.

So rather than suggesting you need to pack a new go-bag, let’s talk about what you already have on hand, stashed in your car and at the ready in your home.

You might be surprised by how prepared you already are.

In your car

Do you like to exercise or keep a pair of running shoes in your car? How about a towel or blanket? Those are good items to have in an emergency or evacuation.

If you’re a parent, it’s highly likely you have a stash of snacks on hand. If the snacks are high in carbohydrates, consider adding protein bars to the mix.

And things like charging cables and even face masks will come in handy during a wildfire evacuation.

At home

Take a look in your pantry to see what nonperishable foods you have that require little preparation and can

be taken on the go. If you have extra bottled water on hand, be sure to keep that supply stocked.

Locate any flashlights and extra batteries and keep them with a first aid kit.

When it comes to pets, do you keep a leash or crate close by your front door or in an easy to reach place? Simply knowing where these things are and making them accessible will save you time in an emergency. And remember to create a backup evacuation plan for your pets if you aren’t home when a fire breaks out.

Find more wildfire preparedness tips at Anaheim.net/BeReady

Find more wildfire preparedness tips at Anaheim.net/BeReady

Rather than suggesting you need to pack a new go-bag, let’s talk about what you already have on hand, stashed in your car and at the ready in your home.

Cast your ballot

Anaheim will start voting in October for the Nov. 8 general election with mail-in ballots, early voting and ballot drop-offs.

City Candidates

Voters across the city will choose a new mayor, three City Council members and weigh in on a city ballot initiative that would update Anaheim’s hotel tax.

As your official city magazine, we don’t talk about individual candidates and their platforms. We want to leave this important decision to you.

Make Sure Your Voice is Heard!

• Register: Make sure you are registered to vote to be sure your voice is heard this November. The last day to register to vote for this election is Oct. 28. You can register online at RegistertoVote.ca.gov

• Your District? Visit Anaheim.net/Elections.

There, you will find an interactive map where you can input your address to find which district you live in.

Here’s a quick rundown of the field for Council seats:

• Mayor: four candidates

• District 2: two candidates

• District 3: two candidates

• District 6: two candidates

You can find a full list of candidate names and other details at Anaheim.net/Elections.

• Early Voting: Early voting sites are set to open Oct. 10 through Nov. 7, including here in Anaheim.

• Election Day: On Election Day, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Polling Location: To find your polling location, call the City Clerk’s Office at (714) 765-5166 or visit the Orange County Registrar of Voters webpage at OCVote.com.

Find all the information you need for the Nov. 8 election in one place at Anaheim.net/Elections

Vote center at West Anaheim Youth Center: early voting starts in October

Measure J

Voters also will be asked to consider Measure J, a ballot measure specifically for Anaheim.

The measure, placed on the ballot by Anaheim’s City Council, would update the city’s hotel tax, which is paid upon checkout by those staying at a hotel or motel in Anaheim.

If approved by a majority of voters, Measure J would require online and other travel companies that book hotel rooms in Anaheim to apply taxes based on the

full rate charged to guests for accommodations.

Right now, a gap in the hotel tax section of the Anaheim Municipal Code has resulted in online and other travel companies being required to pay tax only on a flat rate agreed to with hotels and motels, rather than on the final hotel bill, which reflects what the hotel room actually sold for as well as hotel fees and other charges.

Measure J would close that gap by removing any question that online and other travel companies are subject to

the city’s hotel tax on the full retail amount of a hotel or motel stay.

If approved, the city’s audit manager estimates the update could generate up to $3 million in additional hotel tax collected annually to go toward public safety, community services and city bond obligations.

Measure J would not raise the rate of Anaheim’s hotel tax.

Anaheim residents would not encounter the tax unless they pay for a hotel or motel in our city.

The update could generate up to $3 million in additional hotel tax collected annually to go toward public safety, community services and city bond obligations.

Our library services are getting even better with the expansion of hours at six branches.

Did you know Anaheim has the most libraries of any city in Orange County?

Our more than 340,000 residents can enjoy seven branches, the county’s only mobile library, a mobile STEAM Adventures education van and a self-serve book kiosk at the ARTIC transit center.

As extensive as that is, our library services are getting even better with the expansion of hours at six branches.

More library to love!

Three Anaheim Public Library branches recently extended their operations from three days a week to five days a week.

The change is in place at the East Anaheim, Euclid and Sunkist branches. And, in coming weeks, we’ll see the Central Library, Haskett and Ponderosa Joint-Use branches open on Saturdays, in addi tion to weekdays.

The expanded days are part of a return from pandemic

operations and funding allocated by Anaheim’s City Council in the current city budget through June 2023.

More than $225,000 was allocated to expand weekday operations. Another $780,000 was dedicated to open the branches on Saturdays.

There’s much to explore at Anaheim libraries. So visit your local branch today!

Anaheim Libraries

• Central Library

500 W. Broadway

M–F: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Canyon Hills Branch

400 S. Scout Trail

M–Th: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. F: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• East Anaheim Branch

8201 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road

M–Th: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Euclid Branch

1340 S. Euclid St.

M–F: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Haskett Branch

2650 W. Broadway

M–Th: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. F: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Ponderosa Joint-Use Branch

240 E. Orangewood Ave.

M–Th: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• Sunkist Branch

901 S. Sunkist St. M–F: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Learn more about Anaheim Public Libraries at Anaheim.net/Library

So as we look to the future and keeping our water and electric rates as low as possible, we’ll be resuming utility disconnections starting in January 2023.

Getting back to normal

Anaheim residents and businesses see great benefits from our city’s own water and power utility.

They include affordable utility rates, bill assistance programs for those in need, and, most important, safe, reliable and cost-effective water and power service.

When customers pay their utility bills on time, they’re

helping to pay their fair share and keep our city utility — and all its benefits — going.

When customers don’t pay bills, others have to unfairly bear the cost of providing service to our community.

Since the start of the pandemic, Anaheim Public Utilities has kept the lights on and water flowing to all residents, including those

unable to pay their bills during the hardest days of the past few years.

Now, nearly three years since the start of the pandemic, much of our everyday life has returned to pre-pandemic normal. People are back to work, Anaheim’s economy is fully open and thriving and there are no remaining pandemic restrictions.

So as we look to the future and keeping our water and electric rates as low as possible, we’ll be resuming utility disconnections for nonpayment starting in January 2023.

We don’t take service disconnections lightly, and it is always a last resort. But it’s important to address past due bills before they become unmanageable and bring higher costs for those who are paying their bills.

Anaheim Public Utilities: call (714) 765-3300 if you need help with your utility bill

We understand some may still be experiencing financial hardships. We have options to help our customers reduce their balance and avoid the risk of disconnection.

Payment plans, low-income assistance, free home surveys and weatherization services are all available.

Learn more by calling (714) 765-3300 or visit Anaheim.net/ CustomerService

Learn more at

Do you

Prepare for an emergency by knowing your evacuation zone and route during a wildfire

Economic Vitality

Our planning calls for a modern, urban village built around sports, entertainment, jobs, public transit and open space.

We already know and love Honda Center, home to Anaheim Ducks hockey and Orange County’s best concerts and entertainment.

There could be a lot more to love in years to come.

Plans to develop the area with more entertainment, offices, homes and open space went before Anaheim’s Planning Commission in late August and are set to go before the City Council in late September and early October.

including some 200 affordable apartments — and plazas, paseos and park space.

There would be Anaheim Ducks hockey, concerts, great food and cool workplaces surrounded by walkable spaces, outdoor dining and digital displays and signs that create a sense of place and excitement.

revenue, subsidies or rebates. We could work with the OCVibe team on federal and state grant applications for parks and roads that would benefit Anaheim.

The OCVibe proposal is part of Anaheim’s planning for the Platinum Triangle, the area around Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

OCVibe: would transform the area around Honda Center

Known as OCVibe, the proposal would bring a new concert hall, amphitheater, farmers markets, a food hall, craft breweries and rooftop bars.

There also would be offices that mix indoor and outdoor workspaces, apartments —

Estimated at $4 billion, OCVibe is a proposal by Anaheim Real Estate Partners LLC, a company of Anaheim Ducks owners and Honda Center operators Henry and Susan Samueli.

It would be the biggest project in Anaheim since the late-1990s expansion of The Anaheim Resort.

Development would be privately funded with no city

Our planning calls for a modern, urban village built around sports, entertainment, jobs, public transit and open space.

Already, since the 2000s, the once-industrial area has transformed with apartments, condominiums, restaurants and craft breweries alongside the ARTIC transit center, baseball, hockey and other events.

Economic

In decades to come, plans call for more to come to create the type of excitement and experiences seen around arenas and stadiums in San Diego, Sacramento and Los Angeles.

The OCVibe proposal is the type of master planning that could bring benefits to Anaheim.

The project is the result of bringing together properties around Honda Center and then master planning them for maximum benefit.

The properties include 16 acres of formerly city-owned parking lots sold in 2019 to what’s today the OCVibe team for development as part of the project.

Road improvements and new parking garages with technology to get people in and out easily are part of the OCVibe plan.

The project’s design itself would also ease traffic that comes with any new development.

Ideally, someone could both live and work at OCVibe and not have to get in their vehicle for days.

Someone who just works onsite could park a vehicle for the week and utilize ARTIC next door, with a proposed bridge linking the station to the offices and apartments of OCVibe.

Conversely, someone who lives at OCVibe could walk to ARTIC and take public transit to workplaces somewhere else.

And coming to OCVibe for hockey, concerts and other fun would be even easier with better use and integration of ARTIC.

For residents across our city, OCVibe would bring new entertainment, shopping, dining and outdoor spaces to enjoy.

It also would bring new revenue that will help us fund public safety and community services.

As land around Honda Center gives way to new uses, we would see property values and our share of county property tax revenue go up.

With new shopping and dining, we would see our share of state sales tax increase.

Hotel taxes — Anaheim’s largest source of funding for public safety, community services and city obligations — also would increase as the proposal calls for two new hotels with more than 500 rooms.

If approved, we could see construction of parking garages start in 2023 with significant overall project completion by the 2028 Olympic Games, when Honda Center hosts indoor Olympic volleyball.

You can learn more about OCVibe at Anaheim.net/ OCVibe

OCVibe paseo: walkable spaces, minimizing traffic are part of master plan design

For more information, visit Anaheim.net/OCVibe

View from ARTIC: transit hub would see a park and foot bridge over Katella to boost public transit

Andy Anaheim float scavenger hunt: the 2021 parade invited the community to find, visit floats on display around downtown

It’s hard to tell who’s more excited — the parade organizers or the community.

While much of the world has returned to pre-pandemic activities, there’s still one hallmark Anaheim event eagerly awaited to make its return: the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade.

If you’ve ever seen it, you know it’s a labor of love by dedicated, creative community volunteers.

For the past two years, event organizers did their part and adapted the event to follow public health best practices during the pandemic.

In 2020, floats from the parade were set up along Center Street Promenade in downtown Anaheim, and residents drove by to see them on display.

A year later, and still weary of lingering coronavirus variants, the parade pivoted again and became an outdoor scavenger hunt. Parade floats were positioned around downtown. Clues were shared leading residents to find and enjoy the floats in a fun, festive and safe way.

Now, nearly three years since the onset of the pandemic, the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade will return in all its glory as a full, in-person event on Saturday, Oct. 29.

What’s the big deal?

Just ask any longtime Anaheim resident and they’ll say it’s the history, creativity, talent, people and the community bonding that make this time-honored event so special.

The Halloween parade made its debut in 1924 with Babe Ruth as its grand marshal.

In the early days, the parade was said to have attracted some 75,000 people to downtown Anaheim.

The Walt Disney Co. played a role in designing some of the floats, even prior to the opening of Disneyland.

music performances will return

Today’s parade is organized by former Disney staff designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daly with a lot of help from others.

Each float is built and maintained by volunteers.

The floats harken back to the early days of the parade with Andy Anaheim — our city’s official mascot, designed by Walt Disney himself — and the always fun Rocket Witch, a replica of a 1951 parade float.

Beyond floats, the parade invites marching bands, youth groups and other festive entries. The deadline to apply is Oct. 1. Visit AnaheimFallFestival.org

Young trick-or-treaters: kids dressed up and hunted for floats and treats during the 2021 Halloween Parade scavenger hunt

Bisabuela rendering: a new float honoring passed loved ones in the spirit of Dia de los Muertos

Leading up to the nighttime parade, the Fall Festival on Center Street Promenade will fill the day with old-time games such as apple bobbing and crafts for kids. There will also be kid and pet costume contests, entertainment and food vendors. The parade will start at 7 p.m. with a new route this year. The parade will begin at Anaheim Boulevard and Broadway, travel west down Center Street Promenade to Harbor Boulevard, south on Harbor to Broadway, then west on Broadway to Manchester Avenue, where the parade ends.

New floats to look for this year include a Dia de los Muertos-themed float of a beloved great grandmother, appropriately named Bisabuela.

The community is invited to help decorate Bisabuela by visiting the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center to leave the names of remembered loves ones passed or other memories on pieces of paper that will be made into origami-style butterflies.

This year’s new Home Town Hero float will resemble a 1920s-era coach car with eyes for lights and decorated in Halloween colors. The float will honor an Anaheim community member.

Residents are invited to set up chairs and blankets along the parade route and enjoy this family friendly event.

Free parking is available in structures around downtown Anaheim.

You can find more info at AnaheimFallFestival.org.

For more information, visit AnaheimFallFestival.org

Anaheim was once a land of neon

During Southern California’s neon sign heyday of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, motels, restaurants and stores across our city lit up with stylish, colorful, illuminated signs.

Neon signs were a big part of Anaheim’s postwar development, led in part by the opening of Disneyland in 1955 and what’s known as Googie architecture inspired by the Space Age and other mid-century design trends.

The area around Disneyland once housed one of the region’s largest collections of neon signs.

So did Beach Boulevard, where neon signs beckoned road trippers on their way from Los Angeles to the beach.

Some great neon signs still can be found in Anaheim. The giant neon bowling pin of Linbrook Bowl at Brookhurst Street and Lincoln Avenue is one of the most prominent.

But in other parts of our city, neon signs have run their course.

In the late 1990s, the area around Disneyland needed to reinvent itself as an expanded, modern place for visitors.

Along Beach and elsewhere across Anaheim, many motels, restaurants and other businesses that pioneered neon signs in our city sadly outlived their usefulness.

Linbrook Bowl: neon sign lives on today at the west Anaheim landmark

In the case of Beach and other areas, some motels became nuisances for nearby residents and businesses. Their once appealing neon signs reminded residents about all too real problems in their neighborhood.

As businesses have gone away, Anaheim has saved neon signs, some for decades.

Earlier this year, Anaheim donated four neon signs to the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale, the region’s premier neon sign museum founded in 1981 to celebrate the art, craft, and history behind these signs.

The four Anaheim signs are now in the Museum of Neon Art’s Pomona warehouse, which the museum plans to open up for tours starting in 2023.

The Anaheim signs at the warehouse:

Sandman Motel: a large blue sign from the former motel, which was demolished in 2018 and replaced by El Verano affordable apartments for seniors.

Silver Moon Motel: a large blue and red sign with a crescent moon that was saved during the 2002 demolition of the Beach Boulevard motel, which had outlived its usefulness as lodging and today is part of a site set for redevelopment as housing, including affordable housing, with some retail.

Americana Motel: a large, red sign saved from the former Beach Boulevard motel that was demolished in 2021 and is part of a site set for redevelopment as housing, including affordable housing, with some retail.

5 Points Liquor Market: a blue and red sign with a directional arrow from the former liquor store and market along Lincoln Avenue near the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway.

The city of Anaheim donated the four signs to the Museum of Neon Art to preserve part of the city’s architectural history.

Also at the warehouse is the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop sign, which was a staple along Euclid Street south of La Palma Avenue for decades.

The Museum of Neon Art’s gallery is in Glendale and hosts signs and historic photos from Anaheim and across Southern California.

You can see more about the museum at neonmona.org

5 Points Liquor sign: once a fixture along Lincoln Avenue

Silver Moon sign: makes way to museum’s warehouse

Postcard from former Sandman Motel: Lincoln Avenue site now houses affordable senior housing

Holiday Lights Drive-Thru

Nov. 19 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Center Street Promenade

Join us for the Anaheim Public Utilities Holiday Lights Drive-Thru. Stop by to trade in a strand of old holiday lights or donate to our toy drive and receive two strands of new, energy saving LED holiday lights (a 29.5-foot, 100-light strand). LED lights are more energy efficient than incandescent lights and can help you save on your electric bill.

Anaheim.net/HolidayLights

Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade

Oct. 29

Downtown Anaheim

Everyone’s favorite Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade will return in-person to downtown Anaheim this year. The parade will travel a revised route and include awesome new floats. Prior to the parade, enjoy authentic fall and Halloween activities with costume contests, games and food!

AnaheimHalloweenParade.org

Founders’ Park Open House Tour

Oct. 1 | 9 a.m.–noon

400 N. West St.

Experience Anaheim during the Victorian era and learn about our agricultural history!

Founders’ Park is free to the public on the first Saturday of each month. Knowledgeable volunteer docents are available to answer questions about the historic Mother Colony and Woelke-Stoffel Houses, the agricultural exhibit in the Carriage House, and the landmark Moreton Bay fig tree.

Anaheim.net/FoundersPark

Nutcracker Holiday Village and Tree Lighting

Dec. 3 | 10 a.m.

Downtown Anaheim

Downtown Anaheim will be kicking off the holidays with a daytime village filled with crafts and vendors, children’s holiday performances and pictures with Santa! The day will conclude with the 6 p.m. lighting of the Christmas tree in the Center Street Promenade roundabout, known as Feldhaus Circle, and performances by Anaheim Ballet, Sean Oliu, a children’s choir, and a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” Parking is free and widely available around downtown Anaheim.

DowntownAnaheim.com