Roughly 450 apartments are expected to replace a vacant cinema in the Anaheim Hills Festival plaza despite fierce and persistent opposition from nearby residents raising concerns it will increase wildfire evacuation times.
Developers with Shea Properties argue the project will revitalize the shopping center, bring needed housing to Anaheim Hills and will give hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund wildfire mitigation efforts and to help support evacuation training.
A host of neighboring residents have repeatedly shown up to city council meetings this year to oppose the project, chiefly saying it would drive up already high evacuation times in an area heavily prone to wildfires…