It Takes Two To Tango!
One of the more notable observations about the ongoing battle between Home Depot and
Sunland-Tujunga is the apparent absence of Home Depot supporters!
Here we are, almost 2 years in, and there has yet to be seen or heard even a peep of organized support for Home Depot.
There are community meetings held, almost on a weekly basis, where these supporters could show up and express their desire for a Home Depot, and yet no advocates, if they exist, have bothered to turn up.
Home Depot is assumedly paying the PR firm, Dakota Communications, to build an opposition group to the No Home Depot Campaign, and pave the way for their intended acceptance by the community. And yet, no Pro Home Depot group has emerged!
Dakota Communications has been sending their Home Depot flack, Scott Svonkin, to meetings, but sitting in the back of the room and chatting up the female attorney that represents Home Depot, from Latham & Watkins, hardly qualifies as consensus building.
As No Home Depot activists, we're starting to feel a little short-changed!
The least they could do is bus in some paid supporters from somewhere, just so we
have something to do at every meeting besides preach to the choir!
On a more serious note, the community is appealing the decision by LA City planning
to issue permits for tenant improvements to Home Depot ( they currently have the option of renovating the old K-Mart building on the proposed site and opening for business), and we also met recently with the Department of Building & Safety and LA City Planning to try and decipher their "Alice in Wonderland" logic in granting permits to a project that will affect the community in such a profoundly negative way.
The intent of the community now, is to have Councilmember Wendy Greuel bring this matter before the full City Council, as she previously indicated she was willing to do!
Expect a very large turnout of angry people from Sunland-Tujunga ready to defend their town, and of course, buy Zuma Dogg T-Shirts!!
Posted by Unknown @ 8/20/2006 05:56:00 PM
25 Comments:
Yeah, like Rick Taylor and Kerman Maddox are going to piss off their real patrons like Zev and Wendy by actually doing some work for the fat cats they're ripping off. They sell their "contacts" and "relationships" to these stupid out-of-towners, then laugh behind their backs when they lunch with Wendy. It's all a game.
What Sunland Tujunga needs is a leader NOW. Writing a tough letter is only a start, Wendy. Time to be a LEADER and not a POLITICIAN.
Ms Greuel needs to wean herself off the developer trough, and do something for her constituents for a change. The word on the street is that her entire district is pretty upset with her, especially Sherman Oaks, and Sunland Tujunga.
I don't know about her entire district, but I do know that Sunland-Tujunga is expecting her
to step up and stop this project!
"Expecting" Wendy to step up is a rough road to hoe. Wendy is a known fence-sitter and the only assertive thing I have seen her do is the original letter to Home Depot claiming she would fight for the community. I want Wendy off that fence and in full battle gear with the rest of the Sunland-Tujunga community to stop Home Depot from taking over.
Step up and call it like it is, money plays the game and Wendy's hand is out...
What action will Wendy really take that she hasn't already taken behind closed doors? Do you all think that she honestly didn't know that planning was going to approve this project? Even if she brings this before City Council, does anyone honestly think the Council is going to vote in opposition to a big-box (read that tax generating) store like Home Depot? The only way the community is going to be able to protect itself is to hire a lawyer, like Walter!
Wendy is AV's scared little puppet!
DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING FROM HER!!!!
Get a petition going and hire a lawyer!!!!!!!!!
She's a mouse!!!!!!!
I don't know who this Joe B character is, but after review the anti-Home Depot website, I can’t help but theorize that true HD opposition is as soft as their website is schizophrenic; which puts them on par with the HD’s consultants. It’ll be interesting to see which side blinks first. WGruel is probably thinking the same thing.
talk about special interests--these NC rep's are the biggest hippocrites of them all. they oppose term limits because every one of them is planning on using their NC position as a springboard to run for the City Council. Just watch them all run. they are cowards too frightened to take on an incumbent. At least Laura Chick had the cajones to take on Picus. they loud mouths can only bitch and moan. they want the glory but they don't want to work for it. cowards--spoiled brats-every one of them.
Wendy is a coward. She keeps quiet while the local Sunland Tujunga rag writes racist anti-foreigner/Armenian columns. How could she stand up to Home Depot?
Getting rid of Home Depot might get her some salvation but not in the Armenian community.
To 11:02 -- you must not be Armenian because Armenian's would not lower themselves to your level. I should know. Wendy has been and is a wonderful supporter of her Armenian constituents. To drag Wendy or (anyone else for that matter) into something she has no control over is wrong and puts you in the ill category you are hung up on. Get over it! One person or one paper doesn't speak for the community.
To shift this topic away from the issue of No Home Depot in Sunland Tujunga is self-serving. The entire community is "UNITED". Wendy will do all she can in this fight and so will the community. Armenian-Americans included.
Sorry to tell you folks, Wendy is looking at the big picture (the political picture) and that my friend’s is why you have only 70% of her support. She is looking at how far should she go incase HD wins. You want change? The ballot box produces change. Bottom line here is that when somebody puts their belief in front of them they sacrifice and put up the big fight and usually prevails. I think at this point we need to face the fact that Wendy wants us to hire a lawyer so she can keep all that she has and of coarse as a Politian will do claim victory with us or claim she put her career on the line for this if we lose, but she will still be in office and that’s all that matters to her. Wendy has been a face for her office and a ghost for the fight against HD.
Ballot Box is change, and if you don’t want HD in Sunland hire a Lawyer!!!!
The bottom line is Wendy is looking for the money that she (and Photo-op Tony)are expecting HD to bring in- it doesn't matter that we locals want-
Does anyone think for a moment that some low-level Building and Safety guy could issue permits to HD if our politicians didn't support it?
Just an update to this story....
Last night the Design Advisory Committee, an important sub-committee of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, unanimously passed a motion urging Councilmember Wendy Greuel to us any and all powers of her office to bring the Home Depot proposed project to a halt. They also want the matter brought before the full LA City Council, the "tenant improvement" permits revoked, and upgraded to the "Project" status they deserve. A "Project" status will justifiably force Home Depot to undergo full environmental review.
And now we wait for Councilmember Greuel's response.
6:03, "some low-level Building and Safety guy" was able to issue permits to HD because their plans comply with the law. Politicans are not above the law, so it doesn't matter if Greuel supports HD or not.
If Greuel tries to make this a political issue instead of the simple matter of law that it is, she will pay a hefty price. HD knows its rights under the laws and will wage a lawsuit that will make the whole City pay dearly. It's a fools game to try to appease Joe B. and the other NIMBYs that hate Mexican day laborers.
Sunland-Tujunga is opposing Home Depot
because of the lack of a general merchandise store in the area, the increased traffic, and especially the
nature of the traffic (18 wheelers, etc) the fact that the property is surrounded by residences on 3 sides,
and that there is an elementary school 500 ft away. The community is seeking to reverse unwanted industrialization, and bring economic balance to the area.
Obviously, the last comment at 10:47 was written by a H.D executive who doesn't care about the truth regarding the desire of Sunland-Tujunga residents to plan their own destiny. They need a general store not another big box that will put their small businesses out of business with a "BOX" whose havy industrial traffic will endanger residents. How low that person is to use the "race" card! Don't you have a better argument to show why H.D. should be there although not wanted?
11:43, HD "should be there although not wanted" because its plans are in compliance with the law. Concerns about traffic and the surrounding land use are adequately addressed by the laws that the ture majority of Sunland-Tujunga citizens wanted.
A small minority group can try to delay the plans at their own peril. Zoning laws say general merchandise is "general merchandise" whether its HD, Kmart, Costco, or Target. If you don't like the laws, change them, don't hat HD for following them.
The "race card" must be played because there is no rationale for your fringe group to argue with. Kmart was also a haven for 18-wheelers and surrounded by residences on 3 sides; the only difference is that Kmart doesn't have day laborers in front and HD doesn't. Sorry to hear that there are Mexicans in Sunland-Tujunga, hope you succeed in getting rid of them.
11:43, HD "should be there although not wanted" because its plans are in compliance with the law. Concerns about traffic and the surrounding land use are adequately addressed by the laws that the ture majority of Sunland-Tujunga citizens wanted.
A small minority group can try to delay the plans at their own peril. Zoning laws say general merchandise is "general merchandise" whether its HD, Kmart, Costco, or Target. If you don't like the laws, change them, don't hate HD for following them.
The "race card" must be played because there is no rationale for your fringe group to argue with. Kmart was also a haven for 18-wheelers and surrounded by residences on 3 sides; the only difference is that Kmart doesn't have day laborers in front and HD does. Sorry to hear that there are Mexicans in Sunland-Tujunga, hope you succeed in getting rid of them.
Wendy "Groupie" Greuel is an antonio lap dog just like the rest. You don't think she's taking direction from him? Please its known throughout city hall that more than anyone she kisses his ass more. She's an embarrassement to all women. Before Antono was mayor she had a mind of her own now she blatantly sides on every issue with him and goes to his photo ops. She's lost a lot of support for her dumb ass actions this year alone.
"Fringe Group"? Hardly.
K-Mart had one or two 18 wheeler truck deliveries per week. Home Depot admitted that they expect 18-20 per day.
Big Difference!
We need a general merchandise store, not an industrial retailer that stetches the definition of retail. Yes the laws need to be changed, and they will eventually. In the meantime, the City must respond to this problem by
acting on the consensus of the entire community, not outdated building codes that were written before big box stores even existed.
We encourage our City gov't to be
flexible and to realize the real threat that Home Depot is to Sunland-Tujunga.
Error! Error! The Dept. of City Planning, via Daniel Scott, made a discretionary decision. It has nothing to do with the law! It has to do with what we the anti-Home Depot people believe is an abuse of discretionary power and nothing more.
True. There is no rigid interpretation
of the law, it is a discretionary
action. This is where Daniel Scott made a grievious error by discounting
the evidence presented and ruling in favor of the developer.
Surprise! Surprise!
Not a discretionary decision to by this sexy boat!!! Home Depot supports Walter Moore in recovering his losses in establishing an ill-fated real estate business.
p.s. Bitches.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home