"NO HOME DEPOT" wins another round in PLUM
The on-going saga that is "SUNLAND-TUJUNGA HELD HOSTAGE, DAY, WAY TOO MANY", is nearing its "DAY OF RECKONING". The City Council's "Planning and Land Use Managment Committee", voted "2-NIL" to require Home Depot, aka, "BIG HARDWARE", conduct further environmental review.
Home Depot, aka, "BIG HARDWARE" contends that the Do It Center, aka, "WANTABEE BIG HARDWARE" is funding the opposition to their plans to expand into the Sunland-Tujunga
Market.
Abby Diamond, a leader within the "Sunland-Tujunga Alliance" against Home Depot, confirm that the Do It Center had help with lawyer cost. But this was only after the "opposition had reach critcal mass", as stated in today's article by Los Angeles Times Reporter, David Zahniser.
Home Depot for their part, will take the battle for "FREE ENTERPRISE RIGHTS", opinion objective, to the full City Council as soon as August 15.
This saga can't end any sooner. From the start, this issue of "NIMBYISM" has grown into a crusade against "BIG HARDWARE". Home Depot has a right to do what they please with thier property. Likewise I can choose to shop there, or go elseware. BTW, "JOE B.", rumor has it that Councilman Huizar wants to build a "BIG HARDWARE STORE" on "DIRTY LAND" in El Sereno.
More inportant, there is a under current here of "ECONOMIC JUSTICE", ie., worker rights, if Home Depot was a "UNION STORE", I would not be typing about this saga. Make me want to sing to the tune "LOOK FOR THE UNION LABEL", "LOOK FOR THE DO IT CENTER LOCAL".
As the "GOOD MAYOR SAM" would say, "BRING ON THE UNDERWARE OUTLET!!".
Home Depot, aka, "BIG HARDWARE" contends that the Do It Center, aka, "WANTABEE BIG HARDWARE" is funding the opposition to their plans to expand into the Sunland-Tujunga
Market.
Abby Diamond, a leader within the "Sunland-Tujunga Alliance" against Home Depot, confirm that the Do It Center had help with lawyer cost. But this was only after the "opposition had reach critcal mass", as stated in today's article by Los Angeles Times Reporter, David Zahniser.
Home Depot for their part, will take the battle for "FREE ENTERPRISE RIGHTS", opinion objective, to the full City Council as soon as August 15.
This saga can't end any sooner. From the start, this issue of "NIMBYISM" has grown into a crusade against "BIG HARDWARE". Home Depot has a right to do what they please with thier property. Likewise I can choose to shop there, or go elseware. BTW, "JOE B.", rumor has it that Councilman Huizar wants to build a "BIG HARDWARE STORE" on "DIRTY LAND" in El Sereno.
More inportant, there is a under current here of "ECONOMIC JUSTICE", ie., worker rights, if Home Depot was a "UNION STORE", I would not be typing about this saga. Make me want to sing to the tune "LOOK FOR THE UNION LABEL", "LOOK FOR THE DO IT CENTER LOCAL".
As the "GOOD MAYOR SAM" would say, "BRING ON THE UNDERWARE OUTLET!!".
Posted by Red Spot in CD 14 @ 8/08/2007 07:58:00 AM
18 Comments:
That's a pretty funny/desperate argument presented by the highly paid lobbyist on behalf of Home Depot re: Do-It Center funding of stakeholders.
When an industry juggernaut like HD is reduced to playground-style whining in testimony, you have to believe that S-T might really have something here.
Didn't mayor sam post a link to the westlake anti-home depot campaign where mayor sam proved that do it center "contributed" $250,000 for the cause?
I think the bigger picture should be how the Dept. of Building and Safety can overlook Specific Plans and Community Design Overlay Zones, make up their own interpretations for these big business and issue these permits. I believe that's why the have the "Case Management" Unit.
Who paid Harvey Englander to represent No2HomeDepot?
Somebody in opposition has $'s and is fighting fire with fire. And it sure as hell ain't the original No2HD crowd.
This not so much about Home Depot as it is about a local community that wants to control it's own destiny. HD didn't follow the rules and they were caught and the delay has cost them. It's beyond me why they would want to establish an outlet where there exists such hostility toward them. Their business model must show that Sunland-Tujunga is the "up and coming" place to be... Why.. it's the next Malibu , Brentwood or Beverly Hills. Hang on to your property STers.... it's going to be worth a lot! I mean .. Gosh. A Home Depot in our town.
Lets make a post card of their store and posed in front.... a smiling family of locals with kids in a stroller and a big Golden Retreiver panting. "Raise your Family in Friendly Sunland-Tujunga. We have us a Home Depot here. " Yup Yup.
We need a Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga.
We need more jobs to feed our children and pay our mortgages.
I HOPE YOU WIN HOME DEPOT.
A resident of the community who will apply to work at your store if you locate in our community.
Thank you,
Home Depot.
P.S. the opposition people have nothing better than to wine and complain.
5:23, I agree with you. Listening to Cindy Starret's speach yesterday made me nauseus! Where was Home Depot's concern for the Sunland-Tujunga community during the nearly eight months that our poor Kmart employees (most lived in S--T) were hearing from the outside that H.D. was buying their store. H.D. kept that information hidden, while they did their diligency for purchase, extremely well while those poor employees, many whom had worked there for 20 years or more, lives were in a turmoil. Where was H.D.to help them?
One of our neighborhood council members took on the chure of contacting Home Depot for verification to no avail. No one would talk to her or Councilmember Wendy Greuel.Inadequate notice or concern for their welfare was given to them buy H.D. It took a No Home Depot rally and media coverge to make you come out of the closet!
Home Depot you have been telling us nothing but lies. And, you been telling nothing but lies about Sunland-Tujunga. It's time you stop. Everyone knows to watch everything you do through a magnifying glass because you are sneaky and unreputable. I feel sorry for the 400 plus people you hauled to the hearing you told were going to have jobs. How low can you go? You are not trustworthy. No to Home Depot any where, anytime!
As a member of the No Home Depot Campaign, I can tell you that all Do It Center has ever given us is a bunch of poinsettia plants to sell at a fund raiser. The NHDC pays 50% of the cost of the attorney. Of that 50%, all of the funds are donations from residents and local businesses, including 6 other hardware stores.
This non issue is nothing but Home Depot reaching for straws as their ship sinks!
I'm sick of all the gloating the No HOme Depot people have been doing, as a non-res of the area. Wendy wanted to placate people in her district who oppose expansion of the Sherman Oaks Westfield and lambast her over that, so she gave the people a temporary victory here -- but after the EIR, the project can still proceed. What I don't understand, is why H D wants to go into an area which resists so much -- if this area is so desperate even for a KMart or Target, they're a unique area in the city indeed.
If they're so intent on bringing on an "underwear outlet," why can't zuma and matt and their other venice gang bus out there and peddle their wares?
IF zuma has t-shirts, surely he can round up some crummy underwear, too?
I can tell you that all Do It Center has ever given us is a bunch of poinsettia plants to sell at a fund raiser. The NHDC pays 50% of the cost of the attorney.
Why pays the other 50%? Let me guess: DO-IT CENTER. All they have given you is a bunch of poinsettias and 50% OF LEGAL FEES.
Nothing wrong with that, my friend!
They have an interest here as well.
This is smart on everyone's part!
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
What ever happened to property rights. The owners of this property have the right to build what they want. They are going from retail to retail. They should be allowed to go in. I hope that HD personally sues each one of you nimbys. You are the reason everything has gotten so expensive. You soon will have to conduct an EIR before taking a crap. Why does everyone think an EIR is the answer to everything? All it does is make things more expensive and harder to build.
I am suprised that Wendy, a smart person, is paying attention to you bunch of racists, inbred wackos.
I hope that this HD goes in I will go shop there from Pacoima, just to make you mad. And, I will speak spanish while I am there just to annoy you.
10:55: I think 7:49 must be right, that he is under seige by a wealthier area of NIMBY's in Sherman Oaks, with their rather flashy newsletter on the warpath against her and the Westfield expansion of the Sherman Oaks mall, so she wanted to show she was FOR her district, by deflecting attention from that in an area where it was a lot more cut-and-dried and simple to "win" -- against an unglamorous store in a more modest neighborhood.
But now the Sherman Oaks crowd wants the same treatment, so she opened a can of worms. Messing with a rich and powerful developer like Westfield, which has a lot of people who do favor modernizing and expanding the stores, won't be so easy. She's avoiding that one.
Westfield draws the same reaction wherever they go, from Century City to Westfield Topanga (Zine's area) in that they are a class operation, and do a good job of bringing in top stores and clientelle, but with the inevitable traffic. CC is the most innovative, trying to mix retail with housing to create a walking, village aspect as well.
Despite its critics, it's a well- designed project and there are a lot more residents in support of it than the vocal opponents would have you think. Westfield has been very responsive to the neighborhood councils and H A's -- as they have at the Sherman Oaks mall.
Apparently not true of H D, another reason they were an easier mark for Wendy: easy to hate.
10:55 Retail to retail? Not quite. Even the Home Depot CEO has stated publically just a couple months ago that 50% of the volume in their retail outlets were professionals (read wholesale) and that this was in line with their attempt to attract more wholesale $$. Sure, they have property rights by being a leasee on the land, but like any NEIGHBOR, you have to be considerate of your other NEIGHBORS. It is very evident that Home Depot is not interested in being a GOOD NEIGHBOR and that is why an EIR is a good thing. Being behind a Kmart did not drive people away from around that property, but you try living next to a 24 hr Home Depot operation. Much, much different.
Hey,10:55 here is another thought: I get this is America and that Home Depot is a business and the first priority is to the shareholders and that if customers come the company can then pursue their goal of global hardware domination. That being said, a cost of doing business is govt regulation. Communities zone their land as a way to improve the quality of life for all residents. It's common sense that sometimes you do not want a meat rendering plant next to a school but by your arguement that would be ok. I'm not saying govt is close to infallible (like when they zone houses from old farmland next to long time farms - that is just asking for trouble for people who move in) but besides trying vote with your wallet, it is really the only other mechanism to make companies be good neighbors. Home Depot is circumventing the rules that everyone else has to play by and that is the problem.
10:56 you'vd got that right! Actually, we a should have some sympathy for Building & Safety. Of Course Home Depot say they met with them 20 times as they piecemealed their "Project" without Building & Safety realizing what was going on under their nose. Home Depot only showed them the plans they wanted them to see when they got their permits. Tthey then proceeded to do whatever they wanted thinking they would never get caught! Can you belive Home Depot actually demolished the second floor mezzadine of that building with only an electrical permit! Also, when the community disclosed that Home Depot was going to use approximate 5,200 ft of the former auto area of Kmart for a Pro Desk and it would be considered a "change of use" They said they would close it off! Does that make any sense to you. Because of their previous actions, I believe they most likely thought no one would monitor them as they slip in under the rador again.
Of course they don't want a new CUP and they don't want that it to be known as a "Project" because they don't want to go through the Environmental Assessment process!
Home Depot continues to think they can make fools out of the city and bully the community by using every dirty trick possible.
An example is: out of almost 300 responses to a survey regarding Home Depot, taken by their Neighbohood Council which were published on their website by the way, only about 6 that could be considered inflamatory because they referred to "Illegals" a couple referred to Day Labors, (which is known to be a problem at some Home Depots in the city according to an expose by Channel 4) and one was actually racist. However, that does not make a entire community of aproximately 67,000 people racist. That is how Home Depot attempted to stigmatize the Sunland-Tujunga community in order to disguise their own "illegal actions."
Because they are liars, Home Depot can not be trusted to be
in charge of their EIR. The city should appoint their own firm to do the EIR for the good of the community and the city!
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