THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060517
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Gov. George Allen's administration hid the true costs of the Disney theme park from taxpayers and legislators who approved $163 million in public subsidies for the project, an environmental group said Wednesday.
Allen denied that. He blamed the Piedmont Environmental Council for killing the $650 million project planned for Prince William County.
The environmental council released Disney-related documents that it obtained by filing a lawsuit against state officials. The settlement came several days before Disney announced last week it was abandoning the Haymarket site but might build elsewhere in Virginia.
The council said the documents show an administration determined to stifle opposition to the project and hide figures that raised questions about the park's cost to taxpayers and its effects on other state tourism attractions.
``These documents portray a state government which let itself become a virtual arm of Disney in its efforts to smooth the way to ultimate approval of the Haymarket development. Everyone from Cabinet secretaries on down was engaged in a full-court press to help Disney,'' the council's staff attorney, Tim Lindstrom, said at a news conference.
Allen said the council is trying to stop a public backlash for helping kill a project that would have created 19,000 jobs.
Among the documents is a Jan. 14 memorandum to Allen in which Secretary of Commerce and Trade-designee Robert Skunda wrote: ``Based on the information Disney gave to VDOT on (Jan. 12), the numbers for transportation improvements are looking much higher than any of the figures that have been rumored publicly or that have been discussed in private briefings with members of the General Assembly.
``We could be looking at as much as $180 million for the transportation improvements in order for the project to be approved by the feds. This is critical information which we would not like to have circulated publicly because it will substantiate the claims of opponents that Disney has not been forthcoming.''
KEYWORDS: DISNEY'S AMERICA by CNB