Zuma Dogg's First Blog Post About Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga
(from zumatimes.com based on 100% community input and documents.)
COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT HOME DEPOT IN SUNLAND-TUJUNGA
Some folks from the area contacted me directly and conveyed the situation from a very empathetic "local community angle" -- and they tipped me to some things I haven't heard about before and even faxed over more pages of related documents (proof that backs up some of their concerns) and helped tie together the big picture in the mind of ZD (based on their tutelage).
First of all, the first thing that was mentioned is that the Home Depot they want to build in the old K-mart location is less than 500 feet from an LAUSD school (approx 450 ft). Home Depot and Latham & Watkins don't want you to know that. They tried to ignore that fact till the very end of the application process.
Also, consider the Home Depot site is on a liquefaction earthquake "fault zone". This means during an earthquake the land turns to quicksand.
So when you are storing pesticides, hazardous chemicals and other toxic stuff (as Home Depot does) -- you don't want that 450 feet away from a school.
Plus, all those Home Depot delivery trucks will bring a smog parade to the school area on a daily basis. (Move recess indoors, please!)
SUMMARY
According to the Parcel Profile reports from the City of Los Angeles Dept. of Planning and Dept. of Building and Safety;
1. The Home Depot will be located on a Liquefaction site, in a Fault Zone, in a High Wind Velocity, Hillside Grading, and Environmentally Sensitive Area.
2. Home Depot has only requested permits using the address on Foothill Blvd.
3. Home Depot has neglected to use the address 10355 Woodard Ave. which clearly shows Apperson Elementary School is within 500 ft.
4. All previous permits pulled by Kmart corporation used BOTH addresses.
5. The majority of the building sits in Parcel 3 (the Woodward address).
Environmental Quality Issues
1. The LAUSD has written a letter expressing concerns that they were not notified and requested evaluation of Environmental Impacts to ensure the health and safety of the students and staff.
Traffic Safety and Pedestrian issues are being ignored.
1. The LAUSD magnet school bus stop is at this intersection. (Hello trucks!)
2. Plus 2 MTA bus stops used by students. (Hello trucks!)
3. The streets at this intersection are very narrow.
4. Woodward is the north/south pedestrian route for four (4) local schools.
An email circulating that someone sent me says, "Why are large trucks being allowed to exit the construction area and head down Apperson Street past an elementary school on streets that are clearly too small and not constructed for these types of vehicles." And adds, "This contractor is blatantly and knowingly working around the building permit processes that are put in place to protect California residents. It seems that this contractor is being allowed to do this without challenge or recourse.
And the fact that they did floor and roof re-construction at the Kmart site already says to some people, including the area's CM Wendy Greuel means THAT makes it a project.
WHY HOME DEPOT/LATHAM & WATKINS DID NOT WANT IT TO BE A "PROJECT"
CLICK READ MORE FOR MASSIVE SHADINESS
If the Home Depot permit calls the project a "project", suddenly LAUSD needs to sign off on it, entirely. In other words, the LAUSD school board could actually nix the Depot (project) and stop it dead in it's tracks.
So maybe that's why the mayor spent like crazy to make sure Tamar Galatzan and others were elected to the LAUSD school board in that district. Tamar's Husband is Brendon Huffman from VICA. Huffman and VICA were pushing the Home Depot project for the area. And of course, peoples' ears are ringing from the chatter of Galtzan for Wendy Greuel's Council seat. (And I have a feeling Tamar will vote on the Home Depot/Latham & Watkins side on this one.) So Julie Korenstein, LAUSD boardmember of the district can fight this with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, or not...cause at the end of the day, Villar & Watkins have a four-out-of-seven majority vote on this one.
But before we get into why Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's relationship with Latham & Watkins will lead to a settlement where Home Depot gets to build the damn thing, no matter what anyone has to say in the community, here are some other environmental and other issues:
In the case of a school emergency, or local emergency in general (requiring evacuation), there is only one street in and out of the are on the evacuation route -- Foothill Blvd. One little spill at Home Depot, and the evacuation route is cut off, according to one local resident.
A LITTLE HOME DEPOT TOXIC SPEW IN YOUR WATER SUPPLY?
The Tujunga-Wash (dirt and rock area) provides 15% of the drinking water for the City of Los Angeles in the form of mountain run-off. (It's the ONLY uncontaminated source in L.A. "Home Depot chemical (spill/run-off) would put that water supply at risk", said a caller to Big ZD.
There is also an L.A. RIVER tributary (arm of L.A. River) that runs through the Home Depot property (at the far corner). If there is a liquid chemical spill, it will contaminate the LA RIVER!
GET A BUZZ FROM THE TOXIC AIR
Any decent meteorologist will tell you that the Home Depot location is a high wind velocity area. So if there is a chemical contamination spill (release) -- it could blow into the Valley like toxic halitosis.
WILDLIFE DOESN'T GET A PASS, EITHER
(Price Is Right loser sounder) Whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp...(deflated) whooooomp): Oh no...it's a "Wildlife Corridor", too. I am told you can see coyotes and other wildlife running along side the K-mart property.
ADD IT ALL UP...
The reason Home Depot/Latham & Watkins does not want this to maintain "project" status is because LAUSD becomes a decision maker, and guess what...
Zuma Dogg is looking at a faxed copy of the letter from LAUSD "Office of Environmental Health and Safety" expressing concerns with the proposed Home Depot development dated February 7, 2007. (Not that long ago!)
"The site is located about 450 feet north of Apperson Elementary School and school pedestrian routes along Woodward Avenue pass adjacent to the east side of the development. Since the project may have a significant impact on the environmental integrity of our school facility, we believe that all of the potential environmental impacts related to the project need to be fully evaluated to ensure the health and safety of all our students and staff."
YIKES! NO WONDER THEY DON'T WANT IT TO BE A PROJECT IF LAUSD GETS TO MAKE THE FINAL "YEAH/NEY"!!!
PLUS...as a "project", it would bring South Coast Air Quality Management (a state agency), and they are even stricter than CEQUA. They develop their own"air quality code" for each area. And it is stricter for school areas.
Now, in case you didn't know: Latham and Watkins was on the advisory board to help TIGHTEN air quality regulations around schools...
SO HOW COULD THEY PRETEND NOT TO KNOW A SCHOOL IS LESS THAN 500 FEET AWAY!?!? First of all, according to the City of Los Angeles/Department of City Planning, Parcel Profile Report (01/15/2007) -- Under "500 foot zone" question, it says, "NO"! (As in, "Oh no...") However, under "Environmentally Sensitive Area"...it says, "YES"!
So did someone not see the school? Because Latham & Watkins is suing the City over this -- and if they fought for tighter regulations around schools -- I HOPE they wouldn't be talking out of both sides of their ass and violating the safety of the parents, kids, teachers and staff on their own issue!?!?
And speaking of shadiness, Zuma Times was told the City had to throw out a FALSE traffic report submitted by Home Depot claiming there would be even less traffic when HD opens as there currently is with the closed K-Mart.
BOTTOM LINE:
City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has close relationships with Latham & Watkins (and they say L&W keeps Antonio's Mayoral re-election and Gubernatorial dreams alive. So look for the City Attorney's office to settle the lawsuit and grant the permits to Home Depot with a slightly scaled back plan. (For example, that location is not supposed to have the traditional outdoor displays you are so used to seeing at Home Depot. But I'm sure with some "mitigation" they will be able to even get around that.
Delgadilldo will claim he has to issue the project permit Depot is aksing for because the City didn't handle it correctly, and they have to cave in to avoid losing big in court. AND, due to Latham & Watkins work it does with the City of Los Angeles/so many conflicts of interest, Rocky's "butter finger factory" will have to hire outside counsel to handle the case. But don't worry, they will settle, because the City needs a Home Depot there, because they will be claiming Eminent Domain all over the area and will be developing the shiznit out of it. (So long quaint neighborhood! You're about to get jammed with mega-developments of thousands of new homes in the area, even though the area cannot accommodate the growth.) But that's why the City needs the Home Depot there. Even though the community residents want something to replace the types of amenities and everyday items they were getting at K-Mart.
Now, they have to drive to Burbank for things -- and so now people are shopping for other things in Burbank (as long as they are making the trip), and that's killing the local business in the area. (So F*CK YOU!)
So no wonder Wendy could be for it being a project. She knows they're gonna get what they want anyway. Cause I don't think Wendy would be very comfortable going against the Latham & Watkins agenda if she wants to be elected Shitty Controller. (Do any CM's husbands sit on any related boards? pushing the Home Depot project?)
LET THE EIRs ROLL...NOT THE TRUCKS AND CHEMICALS DOWNHILL.
zumadogg@gmail.com
NEW ZD videos on YouTube
COMMUNITY CONCERNS ABOUT HOME DEPOT IN SUNLAND-TUJUNGA
Some folks from the area contacted me directly and conveyed the situation from a very empathetic "local community angle" -- and they tipped me to some things I haven't heard about before and even faxed over more pages of related documents (proof that backs up some of their concerns) and helped tie together the big picture in the mind of ZD (based on their tutelage).
First of all, the first thing that was mentioned is that the Home Depot they want to build in the old K-mart location is less than 500 feet from an LAUSD school (approx 450 ft). Home Depot and Latham & Watkins don't want you to know that. They tried to ignore that fact till the very end of the application process.
Also, consider the Home Depot site is on a liquefaction earthquake "fault zone". This means during an earthquake the land turns to quicksand.
So when you are storing pesticides, hazardous chemicals and other toxic stuff (as Home Depot does) -- you don't want that 450 feet away from a school.
Plus, all those Home Depot delivery trucks will bring a smog parade to the school area on a daily basis. (Move recess indoors, please!)
SUMMARY
According to the Parcel Profile reports from the City of Los Angeles Dept. of Planning and Dept. of Building and Safety;
1. The Home Depot will be located on a Liquefaction site, in a Fault Zone, in a High Wind Velocity, Hillside Grading, and Environmentally Sensitive Area.
2. Home Depot has only requested permits using the address on Foothill Blvd.
3. Home Depot has neglected to use the address 10355 Woodard Ave. which clearly shows Apperson Elementary School is within 500 ft.
4. All previous permits pulled by Kmart corporation used BOTH addresses.
5. The majority of the building sits in Parcel 3 (the Woodward address).
Environmental Quality Issues
1. The LAUSD has written a letter expressing concerns that they were not notified and requested evaluation of Environmental Impacts to ensure the health and safety of the students and staff.
Traffic Safety and Pedestrian issues are being ignored.
1. The LAUSD magnet school bus stop is at this intersection. (Hello trucks!)
2. Plus 2 MTA bus stops used by students. (Hello trucks!)
3. The streets at this intersection are very narrow.
4. Woodward is the north/south pedestrian route for four (4) local schools.
An email circulating that someone sent me says, "Why are large trucks being allowed to exit the construction area and head down Apperson Street past an elementary school on streets that are clearly too small and not constructed for these types of vehicles." And adds, "This contractor is blatantly and knowingly working around the building permit processes that are put in place to protect California residents. It seems that this contractor is being allowed to do this without challenge or recourse.
And the fact that they did floor and roof re-construction at the Kmart site already says to some people, including the area's CM Wendy Greuel means THAT makes it a project.
WHY HOME DEPOT/LATHAM & WATKINS DID NOT WANT IT TO BE A "PROJECT"
CLICK READ MORE FOR MASSIVE SHADINESS
If the Home Depot permit calls the project a "project", suddenly LAUSD needs to sign off on it, entirely. In other words, the LAUSD school board could actually nix the Depot (project) and stop it dead in it's tracks.
So maybe that's why the mayor spent like crazy to make sure Tamar Galatzan and others were elected to the LAUSD school board in that district. Tamar's Husband is Brendon Huffman from VICA. Huffman and VICA were pushing the Home Depot project for the area. And of course, peoples' ears are ringing from the chatter of Galtzan for Wendy Greuel's Council seat. (And I have a feeling Tamar will vote on the Home Depot/Latham & Watkins side on this one.) So Julie Korenstein, LAUSD boardmember of the district can fight this with the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, or not...cause at the end of the day, Villar & Watkins have a four-out-of-seven majority vote on this one.
But before we get into why Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's relationship with Latham & Watkins will lead to a settlement where Home Depot gets to build the damn thing, no matter what anyone has to say in the community, here are some other environmental and other issues:
In the case of a school emergency, or local emergency in general (requiring evacuation), there is only one street in and out of the are on the evacuation route -- Foothill Blvd. One little spill at Home Depot, and the evacuation route is cut off, according to one local resident.
A LITTLE HOME DEPOT TOXIC SPEW IN YOUR WATER SUPPLY?
The Tujunga-Wash (dirt and rock area) provides 15% of the drinking water for the City of Los Angeles in the form of mountain run-off. (It's the ONLY uncontaminated source in L.A. "Home Depot chemical (spill/run-off) would put that water supply at risk", said a caller to Big ZD.
There is also an L.A. RIVER tributary (arm of L.A. River) that runs through the Home Depot property (at the far corner). If there is a liquid chemical spill, it will contaminate the LA RIVER!
GET A BUZZ FROM THE TOXIC AIR
Any decent meteorologist will tell you that the Home Depot location is a high wind velocity area. So if there is a chemical contamination spill (release) -- it could blow into the Valley like toxic halitosis.
WILDLIFE DOESN'T GET A PASS, EITHER
(Price Is Right loser sounder) Whomp, whomp, whomp, whomp...(deflated) whooooomp): Oh no...it's a "Wildlife Corridor", too. I am told you can see coyotes and other wildlife running along side the K-mart property.
ADD IT ALL UP...
The reason Home Depot/Latham & Watkins does not want this to maintain "project" status is because LAUSD becomes a decision maker, and guess what...
Zuma Dogg is looking at a faxed copy of the letter from LAUSD "Office of Environmental Health and Safety" expressing concerns with the proposed Home Depot development dated February 7, 2007. (Not that long ago!)
"The site is located about 450 feet north of Apperson Elementary School and school pedestrian routes along Woodward Avenue pass adjacent to the east side of the development. Since the project may have a significant impact on the environmental integrity of our school facility, we believe that all of the potential environmental impacts related to the project need to be fully evaluated to ensure the health and safety of all our students and staff."
YIKES! NO WONDER THEY DON'T WANT IT TO BE A PROJECT IF LAUSD GETS TO MAKE THE FINAL "YEAH/NEY"!!!
PLUS...as a "project", it would bring South Coast Air Quality Management (a state agency), and they are even stricter than CEQUA. They develop their own"air quality code" for each area. And it is stricter for school areas.
Now, in case you didn't know: Latham and Watkins was on the advisory board to help TIGHTEN air quality regulations around schools...
SO HOW COULD THEY PRETEND NOT TO KNOW A SCHOOL IS LESS THAN 500 FEET AWAY!?!? First of all, according to the City of Los Angeles/Department of City Planning, Parcel Profile Report (01/15/2007) -- Under "500 foot zone" question, it says, "NO"! (As in, "Oh no...") However, under "Environmentally Sensitive Area"...it says, "YES"!
So did someone not see the school? Because Latham & Watkins is suing the City over this -- and if they fought for tighter regulations around schools -- I HOPE they wouldn't be talking out of both sides of their ass and violating the safety of the parents, kids, teachers and staff on their own issue!?!?
And speaking of shadiness, Zuma Times was told the City had to throw out a FALSE traffic report submitted by Home Depot claiming there would be even less traffic when HD opens as there currently is with the closed K-Mart.
BOTTOM LINE:
City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has close relationships with Latham & Watkins (and they say L&W keeps Antonio's Mayoral re-election and Gubernatorial dreams alive. So look for the City Attorney's office to settle the lawsuit and grant the permits to Home Depot with a slightly scaled back plan. (For example, that location is not supposed to have the traditional outdoor displays you are so used to seeing at Home Depot. But I'm sure with some "mitigation" they will be able to even get around that.
Delgadilldo will claim he has to issue the project permit Depot is aksing for because the City didn't handle it correctly, and they have to cave in to avoid losing big in court. AND, due to Latham & Watkins work it does with the City of Los Angeles/so many conflicts of interest, Rocky's "butter finger factory" will have to hire outside counsel to handle the case. But don't worry, they will settle, because the City needs a Home Depot there, because they will be claiming Eminent Domain all over the area and will be developing the shiznit out of it. (So long quaint neighborhood! You're about to get jammed with mega-developments of thousands of new homes in the area, even though the area cannot accommodate the growth.) But that's why the City needs the Home Depot there. Even though the community residents want something to replace the types of amenities and everyday items they were getting at K-Mart.
Now, they have to drive to Burbank for things -- and so now people are shopping for other things in Burbank (as long as they are making the trip), and that's killing the local business in the area. (So F*CK YOU!)
So no wonder Wendy could be for it being a project. She knows they're gonna get what they want anyway. Cause I don't think Wendy would be very comfortable going against the Latham & Watkins agenda if she wants to be elected Shitty Controller. (Do any CM's husbands sit on any related boards? pushing the Home Depot project?)
LET THE EIRs ROLL...NOT THE TRUCKS AND CHEMICALS DOWNHILL.
zumadogg@gmail.com
NEW ZD videos on YouTube
Labels: rocky delgadillo
Posted by Zuma Dogg @ 11/14/2007 10:50:00 PM
32 Comments:
Brenden Huffman, (Tamars husband) and head of VICA testified at several hearings as to why Home Depot should be allowed to open.
This is Tamar's district in LAUSD.
The Mayor made sure she got the job.
Her husband is fighting for Home Depot.
Peter Guiterrez,the City attorney in charge of the case has left his post and gone to work for Latham & Watkins, (Home Depot's Attorneys).
This just reeks!!!!!!!
Zuma,
A big ole Irish kiss upon your blessed face! You nailed it my friend. You absolutely nailed it!
Zuma, you are one of the few not in the foothills who actually has put all the pieces together here! Not the LA Times, who thinks of it as a newcomers vs oldtimers argument; not a chunk of the downtown establishment who rely on their developer friends to let them know what a potential land grab this place could be if it wasn't for all those pesky zoning laws. If only this was just a land use issue. Check it out people - this issue in my humble town of Sunland-Tujunga, via the NoHomeDepot campaign and now Zuma Dogg is showing you the wizards behind the curtain and how the power elite and the city work together for their own interests in spite of what is best for the citizens and the city and it's not pretty. ZD has laid out the cards, and the deck is stacked against the average citizen, again. Sunland-Tujunga knows this is much more than just a Home Depot - these fights are for the soul of this community against those who are forcing their will via their wallets to gain control of the farthest square inch of city. Thank you Zuma, Thank you.....
Joe...thanks! Was hoping I didn't blow it with you on this one...but don't be TOO impressed with me...like Ringo Starr, I got by with a little help from my friends! And your website gets mentioned on any conversation on the matter!!!
We don't need those damn Mexicans up here.
You last paragraph, which Greuel used as an excuse to halt the project and require a permit, is actually her and S-T's dumbest one: HD did structural improvements to the building precisely to reinforce it in case of an earthquake -- the fear mentioned first. So the opponents and Greuel worry about an earthquake, but penalize HD for mitigating against it. It all sounds like they're making up excuses to stop the KIND of big box store it is -- if KMart could go in that close to a school, that argument makes no sense either.
HD is a sleazy, pushy divide and conquor operation at least as they acted there, but that's different.
By the way, another HD in Marina Del Rey area was recently fined for improperly storing flammable paint or something -- you can use that one. Look, I think the NIMBYism there was naive, but for the city's sake I don't want them to win.
This is clearly not a post by Zuma Dogg, but has been hacked in by an imposter.
Zuma Dogg never had a post with almost clear grammar and so few spelling mistakes before. Also, no HOODY HOOO's or other stupid edits. Just can't be the authentic loser we all know.
So, either this was totally ghost written by some activist FOR the illiterate, third grade education phony named Dave Elliott, or it was hacked into the blog here.
The revolving door rules prevent Pete Gutierrez from working on this issue for Latham, in fact, they are building an "ethical wall" to avoid any claims of conflict of interest, however, how will Rocky replace Pete? Outside counsel is indicated, but at the cheap rates they pay, who really wants this work?
Looks like the hacker is right on this one, a cave in is the clear end game.
But then again, why not? Don't we still live in the United States of America, where property rights are sacred? Isn't the owner of land entitled to build something upon it that allows him to realize its value?
Sure, mitigation will be extracted, but it is only a question of how much is required to avoid severely damaging the environment of the neighborhood, so, as everyone suggests, the end game is upon us. Now, it is only a question of how much it is going to cost Home Depot to mitigate the effects of the construction and operation of its next big box.
So, here's my prediction: Home Depot will be building and the losers who are fighting it will declare victory and leave, somehow content that they have delayed the project a little and cost them a few bucks more.
In the development world, folks, that is simply known as "go to plan B" (or "C", or in this case, maybe "D").
You've been had, and if you are relying upon Zuma Dogg to be your champion, well, good luck. The guy is a homeless vagrant loser, and all the shouting in the world ain't gonna make this project go away.
We don't need illegal alien mexicans loooking for illegal work in front of home depot.
Deport all the illegal alien mexicans, especially those mexicans in front of home depot!!!!
Yes, report them all to the Midget Mechista Mexican Mayor and to ZD, both of whom will handle the problem in the same way.
When you run out of quarters or cell time minutes, blame them both for doing nothing about the problem.
Then report the problem to Wendy Greuel and she'll do the same.
If you want to keep the Mexicans off the streets in LA, it is easily done; stop employing them and paying them, and they will return to whence they came. Pronto!!
It is obvious that the Home Depot People have invaded your post.
Only they, would continue to throw in the race card. This is how they treated the whole issue, Nothing but the old Bait and Switch.
We were assured at the Sunland Tujunga N.C. Meeting last night
that Peter Guiterrez can not
help Home Depot. It would be a Violation of Integrity.
Well Thank You, for the update!
Why would Latham and Watkins want Integrity now?
Sorry, I have trouble believing it.
He knows every detail about the case.
2:54am said, "Zuma Dogg never had a post with almost clear grammar and so few spelling mistakes before. Also, no HOODY HOOO's or other stupid edits. Just can't be the authentic loser we all know."
(ZD Taking bows): Thanks you, thank you! Sometimes the moon lines up with the stars, and the coffee lines up with the chronic -- and I RISE to the occasion! (But again, remember...ZD just listens and takes notes from people...so I just get credit for writing fast and having enough THC in my system to be able to type 'em up and paste the pieces together into a story.
And 2:54am also said, "all the shouting in the world ain't gonna make this project go away."
That's what I said, too...it's kinda sad. It's all just a big shell game of plan "A", "B", "C"...like you said. They are all in it together. So how the permits eventually get issued is just a "dog and pony" show for the opponents to make it look like an actual fight. (Like WWE/Wrastling, but city politics.)
And 6:46am...EXACTLY! Where was there any mention of anything besides environmental issues?
To be 1000% honest...NO ONE I SPOKE WITH -- AND NONE OF THE FAXES OR EMAILS THAT WENT INTO THIS THREAD MENTIONED A THING ABOUT ANYTHING THAT WASN'T MENTIONED IN THE THREAD. (In other words, no one mentioned those concerns to me...the envirnomental/safety/trucks rolling through school zone issues are so deep and wide -- there's no need or room to go any further.
I am not discounting 5:51sp on payment and employment policy...that's just a discussion for a separate thread.
90% of the San Fernando Valley is an earthquake liquifactionzone, argument there is null.
All you KKKers aren't helping our cause.
Zuma, Great post! I wish the rest of the world could see how sneaky and underhanded our LA pols are!
RECALL TAMAR!!!
"The revolving door rules prevent Pete Gutierrez from working on this issue for Latham, in fact, they are building an "ethical wall" to avoid any claims of conflict of interest,"
How naive are you? When a corporation sinks so low as to manufacture websites, fabricate supporters and hire people to stand up and try and instigate riots, what would possibly make you think that they wouldnt use him to help them get what they want. If they only wanted him for his WONDERFUL qualifications, they just couldnt wait til this decision was made by the courts before they brought him on board?
I suppose you believe in the Easter Bunny too?
The community of Sunland Tujunga is NOT represented by Tamar Galatzan on the school board, it is Julie Korenstein's area.
We are not Nimbys in Sunland- Tujunga
We would like smart growth, "SMART"
the kind that actually has thinking in the process. what we are tired of are
"SPACE INVADERS"
9:23am,
Thanks...I made the correction.
The City may actually rip HD a new asshole on this one!
2:12's comment - yeah "earthquake" reinforcement was HD's goal. So was their 'protecting against global warming' with new HD/AC systems. In the end the HD model of business needs an HD type of facility, and they were using all these other excuses to deflect that the whole "project" was in fact a "project" and subject to those laws.
The Mayor came to Sunland to support the community.
What a joke.
He didn't even mention the school,
nor the fact that almost the entire lot sits within the 1,000ft School Safety Zone, set up by the Mayor to Protect the students.
2:12 am,
Huge difference between a Kmart and a Home Depot!
Kmart does not sell in bulk.
Kmart does not have to replenish it's stock by receiving 18 to 20 semi deliveries per day.
Kmart has very little hazardous materials stored.
KMart attracts Moms with Shopping carts not stakebed and diesel trucks.
KMart does not use forklifts to load its merchandise for customers.
KMart does not have tons of contractors showing up at 7am
to buy their supplies for the day (the same time everyone is going to work and to school).
I understand your preferences for the Kmart, but don't see that they are legally enforcable distinctions. Once they got their permit from the city, it's a little late to tell them they're the wrong "kind" of big box store. (Did you suggest that there's a problem with how they got the lease in the first place? That never came up in Council and Wendy didn't even go there.)
My neighbor house was bought by some Russians who must be in some sort of mafia, they party all the time into the wee hours and keep me up. I keep calling the "noise police" when they go overtime, then I get my house pelted with stuff, and I'm not sure these people aren't gangsters. Some neighbors are afraid to say anything.
We can't prove they're criminals although their gaudy mansion and how they party and behave indicates that to us. So we can't force them to move -- just have to deal with their noise, parking issues, etc.
I wish we'd have had a chance to veto them moving into the street. But unless you're a posh New york City condo, even creeps have a right to develop their property. You can go after them if they come before 7, work and make noise late and violate other laws.
What concerns me is this precedent, now Alarcon is referring to S-T in forcing Mission Hills Hospital to do a full EIR (that's a definite lawsuit waiting to happen), and what's his thing over Las Lomas? Huizar doing the same for Elephant Hill. Huizar won the popularity vote but violated the law in doing so. All of these have ramifications for us as a city. S-T is just part of this continuum -- many other areas have developments they didn't like, but when you've got an empty, blighted space generating no revenue, your personal preferences don't trump.
Can you show statistics re: which are more profitable, KMarts or HDs in taxes to the city? That might have an impact right now at least on the Mayor's office. They're desperate to get big box business.
There are some points here not being made:
1) The original employee who issued the cookie cutter permit to allow an obviously industrial business to do business within 450 feet of a school yard full of children and in the back yards of peoples homes, is conveniently unavailable to explain why he was asleep at the wheel when rubber stamping that permit. So is Home Depot saying the there is no corrective measures or safeguards in place to protect the taxpayers children and homes from city employees who fall asleep on the job?
2)I was at the July meeting of the North Valley Area Planning Commission where at least one Commissioner forgot what her job was. It is on tape where she states that this WAS a project but she felt sorry for Home Depot and voted that it wasn't a project. If she had done her job, it would never have been necessary for it to go in front of the City Council in the first place.
When a company is in the right, it isnt necessary to fabricate 'supporters', falsify testimony of white against mexican, manufacture 'websites' in a smear campaign against our town and basically try to bully their way into an area that does not want or need them. There is proof of how Home Depots that are put in residential neighborshoods simply destroy them. Look on the internet. There is plenty of video evidence. Once their stores are in residential areas where they do not belong, Home Depot turns their back and takes no responsiblity for the tractor trailers, toxic waste, trash and traffic their business brings with them. It is simply left for the residents to suck up.
Dont worry about the jobs and taxes that Home Depot is saying they will bring to this town and the city of Los Angeles. A Target on that site will do the same thing. Probably more so since we can then stop driving into Burbank or Glendale for our clothing and household needs. Home Depot is not singular in offering jobs and tax revenue to our town.
It seems to me that the only one doing their job concerning Home Depot was our Councilwoman. Isnt her job to protect and serve the wants and needs of the people who placed her in office?
Funny isnt it? The ten million that Home Depot is suing for is the same amount they got fined for mixing all those toxic chemicals and illegally transporting them that resulted in a toxic explosion?
Now, isnt a nice toxic explosion EXACTLY what we need 450 feet from a school in Sunland?? Don't say it cant happen. It already has. Just ask the people in Marina del Rey.
7:04 pm Good question -
I've done the work already on behalf of this cause - a Target has a comparable sales per square foot figure as HD, based upon the annual report data and Home Depot's numbers submitted in their economic estimate to the city.
When you factor in the eventual loss of revenue from the existing hardware stores in the area which will go out of business, and the lower property tax values of the homes immediately surrounding an HD store, the city would be much better off encouraging SMART development in the area. BTW Home Depot does NOT own the building and the lot. They are leaseholders (for 40 years). They could easily sign off their lease to some company which is more beneficial to the city of LA and the neighborhood of S-T
7:04am...nice!
7:14am...also nice, mi amigo!
7:14 said..."They could easily sign off their lease to some company which is more beneficial to the city of LA and the neighborhood of S-T."
Yeah, they sure could...but unfortunately I don't think "beneficial to the neighborhood is part of the formula...
spill away home depot! and like zd's vocal mentor Eddie Kendricks said..."Keep on Truckin'" (right past the narrow school crosswalk!)
OK, Zuma PUSSY.
You delete, I'll be posting,the same post, time and time again, until you leave it up for all to see.
But, I'm not about to tell you when or where, so you can just try to read every post on every blogger's threads all the time.
That ought to keep your smelly butt busy and out of other peoples' hair.
Hey 1:17 not so anonymous sissy-bitch-for-others:
why don't you repost what i deleted so everyone can see what you are fighting for! just make sure it's the same stuff that i deleted. i was simply trying to protect the someone's feelings against a non-issue personal attack on physical attributes that have NOTHING to do with the job at hand.
you weren't even tying it into making a point...just anonymous posts about someone's physical appearance -- over and over and over...i'll tend to maybe leave the first potshot up there...but not a string of 'em.
but go ahead...re-post it so everyone can see what i deleted. (just make sure it's the same stuff i deleted.)
IS THIS THE STUFF YOU ARE FIGHTING FOR IN YOUR COMMUNITY...YOU'RE A REAL LEADER.
Is that Bitch ZD deleting again?
He pulled that crap on me back when, and I just saved the post and every time he deleted it, I just posted it back up, but adding that he was deleting it.
That way, everyone saw it and saw that the insecure bitch was deleting.
He finally got tired of it and let it stand.
So, in the future, if he deletes one of your posts, or edits it, just keep a copy on your browser and post it on every single post on Mayor Sam.
The biggest crybaby loser of them all, ZD, censoring. What irony!!!!
He whines like a two year old every time a Council Chair shuts him down for being out of line or off topic.
(Yes, ZD, I've saved this one as well. Want to see it all over the blog? Just try deleting it, you whiny, insecure bitch.)ge.
hey coward 4:14pm,
that's not the original stuff i was deleting...that's what you posted after i deleted the personal stuff about someone else's physical appearance. but anyway...ya...that's really important stuff you reposted.
you win. i lose. everyone loves you. everyone hates me. congrats! how does it feel?
Feels like the truth to me.
There is an exception. I think Matt has burnt out receptors in his olfactory tissues, because he doesn't hate you.
But then again, Aussies don't really count for much for anything, do they?
Zuma Dogg,
Thank you very much for taking your time to print the facts truthfully, as to why the majority of residents in Sunland-Tujunga say Home Depot does not belong in our communnity.
A billion dollar international corporation such as Home Depot must follow the rules and local ordinances, the same as any type of company expecting to do business in the city of Los Angeles.
Despite their propaganda, they are not as wonderful as they would have us believe. If so, they would pick a more appropriate site for their business, that would not be harmful to a community. In return, they would receive respect and loyalty of potential customers. They not only lost me but almost an entire community, and possibly many more people, who value quality of life over saving a couple of bucks.
Home Depot should fire their law firm, as well as their marketing firm, for suing the city (us). That law suit is going to cost them dearly due to the loss of more customers and good will.
What idiot lawyer decided that "elected" Councilmember Greuel had a "conflict of interest" beause she represented and voted on behalf of her constituents who "elected" her to advocate for them!
Sadly, the leadership that made Home Depot an outstanding company at one time, must have left that company because they are going downhill repaidly.Their current reputation is not desireable. It may be damaged beyond repair!
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