Home Depot Goes Down in Sunland-Tujunga!
After a 2+ year battle with the nations 2nd largest retailer, the foothills community of Sunland-Tujunga scored a major victory today as the community's appeal has been upheld by the City.
Effective immediately, Home Depot's Permits are revoked, and a stop work order is being issued.
The Zoning Administrator who rendered the decision, found that "the Department of Building and Safety has erred ......the many questions raised by the Appellant (the No Home Depot Campaign) appear to have merit....I find that a reasonable conclusion can be determined that construction activity constitutes a "Project" due to significant "structural alterations" and is therefore subject to Project Permit Compliance Review".
Score one for the citizens of Sunland-Tujunga! Our all volunteer group spent 1000's of hours
assembling a case against Home Depot, while Home Depot spent $1000's on attorneys and lobbying the City! We could not have pulled this off without the dedicated support of Councilmember Wendy Greuel, the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, and the support of our local residents and businesses!
As Jim Alger once told our group, "Don't let anyone ever tell you that it can't be done."
Effective immediately, Home Depot's Permits are revoked, and a stop work order is being issued.
The Zoning Administrator who rendered the decision, found that "the Department of Building and Safety has erred ......the many questions raised by the Appellant (the No Home Depot Campaign) appear to have merit....I find that a reasonable conclusion can be determined that construction activity constitutes a "Project" due to significant "structural alterations" and is therefore subject to Project Permit Compliance Review".
Score one for the citizens of Sunland-Tujunga! Our all volunteer group spent 1000's of hours
assembling a case against Home Depot, while Home Depot spent $1000's on attorneys and lobbying the City! We could not have pulled this off without the dedicated support of Councilmember Wendy Greuel, the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, and the support of our local residents and businesses!
As Jim Alger once told our group, "Don't let anyone ever tell you that it can't be done."
Posted by Unknown @ 3/09/2007 01:24:00 PM
24 Comments:
Joe et al,
I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I am that you have achieved this victory. I always knew you could do it. After WalMart in Northridge, and now Home Depot in Sunland Tujunga maybe the message will ring out to ConglongoCorporations from sea to shining sea that if you plan n building in our community, it might be a good idea to consult WITH the community first!
For the Walters' of the world let me add this caveat: These fights are about large retailers who wish to alter our communities without our consent. They wish to tax our already crumbling infrastructure, and not pay for it.
In Home Despots case, as was Wal Marts', the proof is in the fact that they will take twice the time and spend twice the money to avoid doing any environmental review. One has to ask what are they hiding?
These clowns were doing major alterations in violation of their permits and got caught. They just wasted tons of money and it's their own damn fault. In the process, they tried to steamroll the community and the council office.
Will they ever learn?
CONGRATS JOE!
Apparent is the total disconnect of average people from the political process when toe tag nutbars such as Jim Alger and Joe Barrett are held up as "leaders" and get to decide things for everyone.
Alas, its their own fault for unplugging. Leadership abhors a vacuum and with a vacuum of leadership and participation those who suck - such as Alger and Barrett - will inherit the dirt.
Hey Alger - does Mayor Sam know you're deleting my comments???
I'm emailing him right now.
Alger the NC "leader" with 73 votes deleted my comment.
My comment was that it was sad if Joe was holding up Alger as a hero.
Mayor Sam, I hope you are aware of/stop this abuse of power.
I have taken screen shots from my cache showing the comment was there. Alger was posting at the same time so he had to have delted my comment. I will send those to mayor Sam and demand Alger be deleted.
What am I 12 and you're telling my daddy?
I don't need to delete your comments. I already know I am the punching bag for a few anonybloggers who don't have the courage or class to attack me using their name... and so does anyone else reading this blog.
So, attack away dum dum.
No, couldn't have been a glitch with the system, couldn't have been anyone else, lets attack Jim.
This asshole wants to take any shot at Alger he can so bad he actually bitches when he fires a blank?
What a fucking idiot!
We in Sunland-Tujunga are very grateful for all of the help Jim Alger gave us. Take your political attacks to the locker room where they belong.
2:02 Joe and Jim are nuts? These guys helped the community with meetings of HUNDREDS of people, not 2.
Get a grip
"Alger was posting at the same time so he had to have delted my comment"
What a fucking whiner. What were you attacking him for anyway? Do you suffer from Penis envy? Is he banging your wifs/daughter/both? Has your life faltered to the abysmal pit of doom so as the only way to justify your existence is to attack him?
Seriously, what is it inside you that makes you care enough to attack a guy, especially when he does the right thing?
Stop deleting posts Alger!
Jim Alger does the right thing only for Jim Alger. Maybe he find a neighborhood that likes him, he's going to move there and run for something.
Home Depot: A simple $50K contribution to the Mayor's Partnership will get the zoning admin ruling overruled and the store back on track. Please contact Mick Trujillo for details.
Joe and Jim,
what you two are expousing is that any company (coporation is an evil word), would have to pass a "POLITICAL/COMUNNITY LITMUS TEST, disguised as EIR's. This a dangerous precedence. If COSTCO would of been the "BOX STORE" wanting to move into S-T, they be doing business now, why ? Because they are a "UNION" store. This "CHARADE" of community outrage, was a blatten attack on "FREE MARKET PRINCIPLES", nothing more. I hope you guys love the "DEPENDS OUTLET CENTER" coming your way
3:04 Enlighten me, what is my master plan there slick?
Have anything intelligent to actually ADD to the conversation or just more snide remarks? Have I run for multiple offices that would lead you to believe I plan on running for something that would require me to move?
Perhaps you could place your hat, and ideas, into the public arena for discussion, debate and ridicule? Perhaps you would be willing to start by answering this question: How does putting oneself forward benefit them? In other words, how does my assisting another community so that imbecils such as yourself could throw rocks at me day in and day out help me exactly?
Or is it more as another blogger eluded to; you have no good ideas, no leadership skills and not enough courage to stand behind your words with your name so you throw rocks like a coward because you envy those that do?
These guys had a problerm that was identcal to what we had here in Northridge so I gave them ADVISE, didn't lead the fight at all Joe did, and that advise combined with Joe's leadership and the commu nities support won the battle. Period.
I don't do what is right because it benefits I, I do it because I give a damn. You do what you do because you don't.
Class dismissed.
Red Spot,
Target isn't a union store and they'd be welcome in S T. This was never about unions. It was about serving the community.
And by the way, there IS a litmus test, it is called a community plan and zoning ordinances. "Free market" doesn't mean anarchy. Community standards and infrastructure ability has always been a factor. If not, there would be a strip club next to every church.
Home Depot broke the law, plain and simple. If they would have followed the law, nothing the community did could have stopped them. They didn't, and now they're screwed.
The Sunland Tujunga NC and the No To Home Depot group do not speak for the majority of the area. Most of us contractors supported Home Depot opening in the area. Now they are eyeing Petsmart as an intruder. Some of us prefer progress.
Speak for yourself
Well at least there won't be another "day laborer" center(i.e., illegal alien pest lounge) destroying the community.
4:23 must attend the DAC meetings or s/he wouldn't have Pet Smart on her/his mind.
Kate is that you from HD's legal team at Latham and Watkins?
I have seen or emailed or spoken to many of my friends and neighbors today. I am so proud to have gotten to know them. Together, about two years ago, we pitched in and we took on the predatory presence in our midst.
At times we doubted; at times we disagreed; we even argued. But we kept on sacrificing; we kept on working.
We were told we could not overcome the strength, power and money of this corporate giant. Still we continued to fight.
So many had something to give, and we stood together despite it all. And today we won a huge battle if not the war.
I thank everyone who helped us by sending us your good thoughts and vibrations. We needed them.
Today, we have established that we, who live up here on the rock, can still be of, for, and by the people.
BLAH BLAH BLAH..save it for your minuteman column that everyone is sick of reading. BOO HOO BOO HOO noboby voted for me.
What is with the Alger-bashing?! This is not about Alger -- this is about the Sunland-Tujunga community fighting for its own survival. Our community needs a general merchandise store not another home improvement/hardware store. We also do not need a car dealership, or a pet-orientated store. Please. folks, you do not live her so butt out. No Home Depot; we want socks and underwear!
What is wrong with ya'll? Can't you see the real issue here? The folks up there in S-T have won a key ruling. They proved LADBS, as well as Home Depot and their fancy lawyers, were up to no good.
There should be an audit of LADBS as to why they let that project go thru in the first place. I tip my hat to that fellow in the zoning admn office for doing the right thing, the honest thing.
8:30 AM, if you don't like what is printed in our newspapers, for Christ's Sake don't read them or do you have to read them as part of your job?
If that is the case, it goes to show you how much clout we carry up here these days. If not, shut the f___ up and change your reading habits!
Your "paper" is lop-sided and mean spirited. David Cain is a blow hard and the town joke. As long as you keep printing his drivel, the paper can't possibly be taken seriously. Lighten up.
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