In light of the discussion of Disney's plans a few months ago, I thought there might be some interest in the following story from Reuters. Alan Woods > > Path: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!newsfe ed.pitt.edu!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!news.mic.ucla.edu!library.ucla.edu!nntp-server .caltech.edu!ames!hookup!news2.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!bass!clarinew s > Comment: Subject mapped from all upper case > Approved: [log in to unmask] > From: [log in to unmask] (Reuters) > Newsgroups: clari.biz.industry.tourism,clari.living.entertainment,clari.local .virginia+dc,clari.tw.environment > Distribution: clari.reuters > Subject: Disney Park Clears Another Hurdle > Keywords: urgent > Copyright: 1994 by Reuters, R > Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Wed, 18 May 94 14:00:04 PDT > Expires: Wed, 25 May 94 14:00:04 PDT > ACategory: washington > Slugword: USA-DISNEY > Priority: regular > ANPA: Wc: 349/0; Id: a1721; Src: reut; Sel: reute; Adate: 05-18-N/A > Lines: 49 > Xref: magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu clari.biz.industry.tourism:133 clari.living.e ntertainment:57 clari.local.virginia+dc:2017 clari.tw.environment:4033 > > WASHINGTON (Reuter) - A Disney theme park due for > construction next year in Virginia cleared another hurdle > Wednesday despite a last-minute protest by opponents fearing > massive traffic congestion. > A regional interstate agency, the Transportation Board of > the Metropolitan Council of Governments, gave preliminary > approval to road improvements for the park. > Their decision came after a group calling themselves > ''Citizens Against Gridlock'' argued that locating ``Disney's > America'' in Haymarket, an area of rolling hills and farms near > Washington, would cause pollution, traffic jams and congestion. > The Board, made up of officials from Virginia, Maryland and > Washington, D.C., voted 29 to 1 with four abstentions to approve > the road widening and other improvements and include the roads > in a long-range transportation plan for the area. > The transportation board must approve all major > transportation projects in the region before construction can > start. > Preliminary approval clears the way for an air quality study > of the traffic the park will generate. > A final vote by the inter-agency board was planned for > September 21 after the study. > Other hurdles for the park include local zoning changes and > a federal environmental impact study on the park's overall > effect on the environment. > The environmentalist foes of the project made their last > minute pitch to delay approval by the inter-governmental > transportation agency before the vote. > At a news conference, the group promised to continue the > fight against the park if approval were given by the board. > Construction on the park is due to start next year with an > opening planned for 1998. The biggest hurdle so far has been > approval by the state of Virginia of some $163 million in > financial assistance for roads and other development toward the > 3,000-acre complex some 35 miles west of here. > The Walt Disney Company said it would invest some $650 > million for the park, hotel, housing, golf course and business > around the complex that would recreate events in American > history. > -- > This, and all articles in the clari.* news hierarchy, are Copyright 1994 > by the wire service or information provider, and licensed to ClariNet > Communications Corp. for distribution. Except for articles in the > biz.clarinet.sample newsgroup, only paid subscribers may access these > articles. Any unauthorized access, reproduction or transmission is strictly > prohibited. > We offer a reward to the person who first provides us with information > that helps stop those who distribute or receive our news feeds without > authorization. Please send reports to [log in to unmask] >