The Bombshell Wrapped In A Bow!
The Battle against Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga is proving itself far from over!
Last Thursday’s Hearing was over seven hours long, and included many passionate statements from the community, the usual bused in paid supporters for Home Depot
( many who had not a clue why they were except to pick up their $80 for wearing an orange T-Shirt), the “agent provocateurs” that HD used to incite the crowd, a befuddled Planning Commission that appeared to have not even a basic understanding of "Real Planning", 700 people in attendance, the media, lots of cops, and a very eloquent Council Member Wendy Greuel.
The vote to approve Home Depot’s Appeal was a 3-2 split with the motion being made by a Planning Commissioner who seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty staying awake for the proceedings.
11 Hours later, Councilmember Greuel invoked Charter Section 245, and the entire matter will likely wind up in front of the City Council.
After the Hearing, The No Home Depot Campaign reviewed the tapings, and suddenly a bombshell appeared!
Here is an excerpt from the July 19th Hearing where Planning Commissioner Fortson
suddenly contradicts the very vote she has just cast! Her sole purpose at this proceeding was to decide whether the Zoning Administrator was correct or not in declaring the proposed Home Depot a "Project".
She had just voted that it wasn't a "Project" and then, when asked by LA City Planning to clarify her vote, she said this
(note the LA City Attorney trying to silence her!):
Gee, who appoints these people?
Last Thursday’s Hearing was over seven hours long, and included many passionate statements from the community, the usual bused in paid supporters for Home Depot
( many who had not a clue why they were except to pick up their $80 for wearing an orange T-Shirt), the “agent provocateurs” that HD used to incite the crowd, a befuddled Planning Commission that appeared to have not even a basic understanding of "Real Planning", 700 people in attendance, the media, lots of cops, and a very eloquent Council Member Wendy Greuel.
The vote to approve Home Depot’s Appeal was a 3-2 split with the motion being made by a Planning Commissioner who seemed to be having a great deal of difficulty staying awake for the proceedings.
11 Hours later, Councilmember Greuel invoked Charter Section 245, and the entire matter will likely wind up in front of the City Council.
After the Hearing, The No Home Depot Campaign reviewed the tapings, and suddenly a bombshell appeared!
Here is an excerpt from the July 19th Hearing where Planning Commissioner Fortson
suddenly contradicts the very vote she has just cast! Her sole purpose at this proceeding was to decide whether the Zoning Administrator was correct or not in declaring the proposed Home Depot a "Project".
She had just voted that it wasn't a "Project" and then, when asked by LA City Planning to clarify her vote, she said this
(note the LA City Attorney trying to silence her!):
Gee, who appoints these people?
Posted by Unknown @ 7/23/2007 09:27:00 PM
24 Comments:
I believe the Mayor makes these appointments! Let's see, Home Depot donates to Tony....Tony appoints the Commissioners....Go figure!
You can see more videos from the Hearing at this link:
http://foothillsforum.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=21
The hearing was a sad defeat for Joe and his No 2 Home Depot friends.
Wendy needs 10 votes to get this before the Council. Does she have them? We will see on Wednesday.
This issue seems to be, whether the Home Depot remodel is significant enough to require a new EIR; per the City Attorney and Planning Commission the answer seems to be no. Right now EIR's can stand indefinitely, unless there is significant change to the underlying conditions upon which it was granted. This doesn't please the anti-development people, but as it is, developments are often dragged out for years. So whether Wendy gets the CC votes, depends on whether the current legislation/ ordinances would support it; the CC and C/A's office won't want to risk a certain lawsuit, and Home Depot can certainly afford it.
Real problem seems to be, that this area prefers a Target or general merchandiser, to one that attracts illegals seeking day jobs and working as staff. That is not a Planning Dept. issue, but means she needs to work harder to attract new businesses to the area.
Hard for those of us on the Westside to imagine, an area which actually WANTS more retail, as long as it's not Home Depot. Why aren't the stores going there, then?
I find it interesting that when something like this is passed through a committee who has the job of approving and a council member doesn't like it they come out strong and hard and want to undo it. Why have committees if council members are just going to override them?
Hilarious cartoon of AV and Salinas in Daily News. Again, DN not afraid to do this type of cartoon.
...The Sunday Viewpoint cartoon showing Mayor Villaraigosa frolicking naked with Mirthala Salinas in the "Garden of Telemundo" is now online at the Daily News website. That's Cardinal Roger Mahony as the snake in the tree.
http://dailynews.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?userphoto=0&image=15608737&thispage=1
Who appointsa them? Is this a ZD question so he can learn to run the city?
The Mayor appoints them, WITH the consent of the City Council, who can approve or disapprove.
If council colleagues don't support Greuel on an issue in HER district, why should she support them if/when they have an issue in THEIR district(s)? That is a big part of the politics here....
There was an issue recently in hillsides north of downtown in which a developer wanted to build based on a very old EIR. Community was upset, councilmember said he agreed with the community that, yes, a new, updated EIR should be required. Council voted with the local representative.
5:36: Yes, in this case I'm afraid it's political grandstanding on Wendy's part, not based on current legislation and requirements. If she doesn't like them, the thing to do is propose changes at the City Council, so the process can be straighforward for all.
By doing something like this, she opens up in Pandora's Box for OTHER disgruntled residents elsewhere, to pressure their CM's to overturn the Planning Commission on a whim just to please public opinion -- she puts her colleagues in a bad place.
This is surprising coming from her, as she normally seems level-headed. Maybe she's criticized for approving too many developments, but this is "the wrong project, in the wrong place, at the wrong time" to oppose, to use her words.
9:21 a.m.: Huizar in that case caved to public opinion, defying the advice of City Attorneys and Plannig commission, and opened up the Council to a lawsuit. All because he wanted to score some political points, trying to prove that he's not too much in the thrall od developers as he has been accused; and because he's neglected his district so that it looks like a slum outside Tijuana.
Now he had a chance to talk about saving green space and birds and such, to sound P C. But unless the Council changes how EIR's are done and conditions for re-do, he's just scored a temp. "victory." Maybe he hopes the thing will drag out until he's out of office.
Like Wendy, he's mucking thngs up for the rest of the Council, so when they follow the advice of the Planning Commission and C A, they're the ones attacked. Anarchy.
Folks should consider their economic arguments don't mean anything without context. Sunland-Tujunga is a community locked in by 2 mtn ranges and the largest and really only parcel of this size. There is ample proof that this particular KMart store was profitable and always had significant business. Home Depot got to chose which properties they wanted out of the KMart bankruptcy deal, so the free market arguements about what the community supports do not apply here - bigger corporate gears beyond our control are in play here. But I know ultimately people vote with their feet/wallet. Prior history proves this in S-T. The S-T general merchandise business district went under when in convergence the 210 and 2 fwys finally met, and when the Glendale Galleria was built and the KMart took the place of a drive in theater. Small general merchandise retailers went under and KMart became the only game in town. Overall the big box model is currently king. The problem is S-T was not really built to accomodate the big box stores - with the exception of this lot. This lot is surrounded by homes and schools - not a good mix with most box stores but ESPECIALLY Home Depot. Whatever business goes in, no matter what it is, it has a major impact on the other businesses in town. The chance people will chose H-D over the smaller outlets is high,putting them at risk. But also the chance that small general retailers will fill those smaller lots and buildings is low. They just don't really exist too much any more in the same form as 30-40 yrs ago and unless the current retail model undergoes a significant change, our town will be stuck with what we have - there is no more land to fulfill those other needs given the current retail models. This is a fight on whether Sunland-Tujunga is the place which people from other communities come for things they didn't want in their neighborhood, or if S-T is a place where their own residents can both live and shop. In some ways, it's our own fault - Big Boxes would not be popular if no-one shopped there - There are ample examples that Home Depots do not in every case cause positive ripples of local business invigoration as they like to mention.
KNBC will air an investigation on the proposed Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga on Sunday night (7/29) after the 11 pm news.
The show is called Channel 4 EXTRA and will feature many prior
recorded interviews with our residents and others involved in this issue.
Council Member Wendy Greuel will be appearing on the Show, as will NHDC Chairman Joe Barrett. Home Depot Real Estate Manager, Richard Greene, has also been invited to appear but has yet to respond.
_________________
Will the Home Depot flyers that show pictures of all the places you can buy underwear in sunland/tujunga be allowed to be posted here or will you delete them? Gotta give HD credit, they debunked every argument you make against them.
Your only hope is to boycott them and show them it was a bad business decision to open in sunland/tujunga. Of course that means telling all the local contractors that already pick up the day laborers in front of Troys, why else would your community have day laborers if they weren't being used by the local residents.
General merchandise is more than socks and underwear. The stores Home Depot showed in the flier are very small specialized stores with not a large selection, they mostly cater to women, and do not provide other general merchandise needed in the community.
The HD flier was an insult, and further proof of HD's total disregard for Sunland-Tujunga.
I hope someone will post the flier so that all can see this piece of propaganda poop.
I was at the hearing, and Home Depot was getting their a** kicked by the No Home Depot people.
Their vote reeked of the Mayor's influence!
Tony Villar met with Home Depot CEO on Tuesday July 17, 2007, 10 am for one hour in Tony's mayoral office on the third floor of the city Hall. The topic of the discussion was what it would take for Home Depot to bring more stores to Los Angeles.
Mayor's staff made calls to North Valley APC.
Two days later North Valley APC voted to approve Home Depot over the objection of residents.
Surprise Surprise!!
10:18 p.m., can you provide proof that Home Depot's CEO met with the Mayor on July 17? If what you wrote is true, then it's all over. The City Council won't challenge Home Depot and Joe B. will be forced to shop there for his home improvement needs.
Interesting! Got any proof of this meeting and the phone call to NVAPC?
If this is true, the City Council
will defiantly side with Sunland-Tujunga.
HD's goose is cooked!
This sounds like BS! Proof!
We need Proof!
You got the day, time, location and the attendees. Check Mayor's office calendar and e-mails. They are public records.
Big Boxes would not be popular if no-one shopped there
Boy that has got to be the most astute comment yet!
Shows what we are dealing with in ST!
Joe B. said...
KNBC will air an investigation on the proposed Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga on Sunday night (7/29) after the 11 pm news.
yea we will all be watching it Joe
As I was in one of our local businesses having a petition signed, and blowing off steam of how Home Depot is hooked up with the Mayor's office and the Latin communities, a woman i didn't know said everything i said was true. That she saw it everyday. She worked in the Mayors office. Since I have her contact info, I'll try to get it to Joe before the meeting tomorrow.
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