Does Cindarella object to the sight of poor people in her midst? Is Mickey an elitist?

Here, from an AP story by Gillian Flaccus appearing in the Press-Telegram, is an overview of the basic story being played out in Anaheim, California:

A City Council decision that could pave the way for low-income housing at Disneyland's doorstep is a jolt to the cozy relationship that Anaheim and its largest employer have enjoyed for more than half a century…a zoning change that could open the door for 1,500 condominiums, including more than 200 affordable housing units, just a few blocks from Disneyland and across the street from Disney-owned land that could someday be the site of another theme park.

Disney, however, lobbied hard against the proposal and has sued the city over environmental issues tied to the zoning change.

The story leaves you with more questions than answers. Are there legitimate environmental issues and are they what Disney really cares about? Is this just a local government compensating for years of feeling manipulated by a big local employer? Is low income housing really a factor in Disney's behavior?

It's interesting that Disney's objection is juxtaposed to the fact that the development will include low income housing. That's clever anti-Disney positioning on the part of someone favoring the condo complex, don't you agree? It's likely Disney does not object to poor people but they're getting hammered over how this looks. Seems to me they could have handled it better. If you have experience in community public relations, and assuming this isn't really about Disney's view of poor people, what would you have done to avert this?

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