| SOUND OFF THE ARCHIVES 3/05-4/06 |
| It is so important to maintain our small business' here in Sunland. As a small shop owner, I depend on the community to support me and keep me in business. I understand that they need to go to Michael's or to Wal-Mart, but their local support has kept me in business for the past three years and I appreciate the support. I will follow through with your suggestions and contact Wendy's office and Home Depot. Thank you for providing the community with a resource to contact the appropriate individuals. Deborah Brown Creative Expressions Arts & Crafts ___________________________________________ Thank you for your efforts in safe-guarding our community by opposing Home Depot in Sunland. I agree, we all need to step-up and try to prevent this from happening in our neighborhood for obvious reasons. I have not found one person yet- that was not opposed! What we need is a Target, Wal-Mart, etc! Eleana Burroughs Century 21 Crest 8307 Foothill Blvd., Sunland, CA 91040 _____________________________________________ Thank you so much for putting up this site! I've lived in this area for 19 years, and do tire of traveling to other communities for basic items. Given the population density here, our neighborhood would easily support a Target store (a popular choice!), we'd have people from La Crescenta to Lake View Terrace shopping. We already have a Do-It Center, OSH and several small hardware stores plus the Home Depot in San Fernando. We in this community are tired of the over abundant auto repair shops and old vacant buildings! If we're going to support a large "super store" let it be a family type store where one can buy bed sheets, clothing, books, school supplies etc., I don't know of anyone locally who provides these things, there are so few shopping options in our area! Lisa Black Shadow Hills _____________________________________________ .My family and I have lived in Sunland since 1991. We love it here! We are strongly opposed to the proposed Home Depot project. We don't need another hardware store in the area. If this project is allowed to proceed, it will definitely have a negative impact on our many local merchants who have been here and serviced the community so well! I do not want them to go out of business because a corporate giant like Home Depot has moved into the area. Don't get me wrong, I do frequent Home Depot but I don't need one in my backyard when we already have one a short distance away. We need an establishment here that will help and service the community, where we can go to buy similar items we used to buy at K-Mart. And I'm not buying that this community can't support a Target or a Walmart or some upscale business of this sort. Look at Starbucks!........I was glad to see San Juan Capistrano actually had a similar scene and defeated the Home Depot there. It gives me hope that something effective can be done here but everyone needs to get on board and do it. Let me know how I can help! Deborah Schrock Hawkeye Construction Sunland ______________________________________________ I have been a home owner in Lake View Terrace since 1990 and have always shopped in Sunland. I hated to see K-Mart leave because I could always get household supplies there. Now I have to drive out of the area to get basic items. Home Depot is in San Fernando next to Sam’s Club where I shop every couple of weeks. Why do we need another Home Depot? I drive all the way to Wal-Mart in Valencia or Target in Burbank and we really need a household store for the entire family! Jane Van Pelt Lake View Terrace _____________________________________________ And Now A Letter From The Other Side..... I like the idea of a Home Depot store this close to my business. I am a contractor and I use Home Depot all the time. The other stores in the area, OSH and Do it Center are to expensive! A target store or a Wallmart store would also be needed for our community. I do not think the traffic would be that much different between these type of stores. As for the day laborers, we will always have them as long as people are willing to hire them. Home Depot would be convenient for my business, I spend most of my time driving all around the cities for building materials and this would save a lot of time for me. It will lessen the traffic at the other Home Depot’s and the traveling through those cities to get there. I would be happy to have this Home Depot but if this does not go through lets have a new Wallmart store! Craftworks, Inc. Harold Rody My response: Harold, You don't have to spend all day driving around the city looking for cheaper building materials, simply spend 7 minutes driving to the Home Depot in Sylmar. 7 minutes of your time is not much to ask from the residents of this area who wish to preserve our small town feel, keep the established businesses in business, and avoid the inevitable day laborer problem that will ensue if this Home Depot opens. As to your other points, if opening one Home Depot would drain the business off of another, then why would they do it? All Home Depots maintain about the same amount of business. There is no such thing as a uncrowded Home Depot! But lets assume Home Depot did open here........ Just imagine what this town would be like in two years......... All the Mom & Pop Hardware & Nurseries are now closed, Do it Center is gone, Tru Value is gone, Osh is on the brink of closing.... many more vacant buildings.... Moms still have to drive to Burbank or Valencia for school clothes, etc...... of course you are saving 7 minutes a day, and can shop locally. How nice! Then one day, when Home Depot realizes it has accomplished its mission of killing any competition, they just shut down this store, so that everyone once again has to drive 7 minutes to Sylmar! Even you! Thanks for your Email, I apologize if I sound harsh , but I hope you will reconsider your position. Joe ________________________________________ I enjoyed looking at your website and agree with your point of view for the most part, but I disagree with some of the people who have responded to your "Sound Off" request by saying that we need a Wal-mart. No way! I'd rather have the Home Depot in there, to be perfectly honest with you. The world, including Tujunga, does NOT need another Walmart. Talk about traffic and congestion. The initial euphoria that people might initially have by having a new retail store would eventually turn into resentment, for Wal-mart also puts smaller locally-run stores out of business just as much as Home Depot does. The Kmart property is a very large peice of property that I would personally not devote to a single gigantic store. Being a local resident, i would like to see several businesses start up - not another nail salon, garage, liquor store, fast food restaurant, or general "junk" store - but rather, businesses that are SORELY missing from our local community, such as: - a really decent, moderately upscale restaurant, not a chain like Denny's, Sizzler, Coco's, etc. - an alternative grocery store to Von's and Ralphs (Trader Joes) - one or two movie theatres, not a giant multiplex - some unique retail stores It also would be nice to pay some attention to the architeecture, as the last thing we need is another boxy building. If all those ideas went to hell in a handbasket, I'd probably be OK with a Target (much more than a Walmart) or perhaps a Sears (yes, I know that is basically K-mart), as I realize that a local store that sells general household supplies is desired by many people (although the same argument regarding a 7-minute drive to Sylmar for Home Depot could be used regarding a 15-minute drive to Burbank to go to Target or any other superstore.) I'd like to keep Sunland/Tujunga as unique as possible with local businesses. Part of the reason I came here in 1995 was due to this area being different. Although I have no experience myself, I have nevertheless contemplated starting my own business in this area as well (such as a restaurant), because I think the locals are STARVED (well, maybe just me) for some more local good restaurants. I'll get off my soapbox now. Just my two cents' worth. Charles Thompson Tujunga My response: Charles, I mostly agree with you , except I would like to point out one thing.............. A 15 minute ride to Burbank for a mom in need, especially if she has a couple of unhappy children in the backseat, is much more of an inconvenience for her than a 7 minute drive for a contractor. Thanks for your letter! ___________________________________________ I am a Tujunga resident who strongly opposes the Idea of opening a Home Depot on Foothill Blvd. In Sunland, California. Foothill blvd is NOT ready , nor will ever be to handle any such traffic that the “industrial” business (home depot) would bring. Also, bringing Home Depot to the area would “kill” the smaller local Hardware, plant nursery, and window supply businesses! DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN! Steve Dearo Tujunga ______________________________________________ Your website is great! You must have heard me griping at STNC committee meetings about my misfortunes at Marshalls, Ross and BigLots trying to find underwear for my son late one Sunday afternoon in pouring rain. What a joke - I thought I was in the Soviet Union or something. "No, we got no boy's underpants here ma'am!" And your comment about moms driving "15 minutes" to Burbank for a household supply or item of child's clothing (at 6 PM on a weeknight? Are you kidding me?) was so right on. And yes, big corporations do open stores, drive locals out of business and then close a few years later. Roberta Actor-Thomas __________________________________________ I would really like to thank you for the effort to prevent a Home Depot being built in Sunland. I've lived in Tujunga for 10 years and love the community, the area has the home town feel of where I grew up in New Jersey. We don't fight growth of our community, because it is good for everyone and helps with jobs and community pride. But, Home Depot is not what we need. There are 3 Home Depots within 10 miles and several home improvement stores in Sunland/Tujunga. What we need is an anchor store to keep locals supplied with Department store type items, so we don't have to spent our money outside the city of Los Angeles. I guess most people do love Home Depot, what they do during natural disasters for communities and hiring practices for the military and seniors , but the site on Foothill Blvd could offer so much more for the community at large. Bert Brescher Tujunga ___________________________________________ K-mart, can I shop there anymore?, no! They might have been a bit un-kept and mishandled, but I miss them dearly. Where do we go for clothing, household goods, gardening supplies, emergency needs? Rite-aid! We need something similar to K-mart, what I don't really care, just something where I do not have to drive too far away from home. I spend all week going from Sunland to El Segundo, who needs more driving? When I first moved here I thought, well, I should start shopping in my own neighborhood, and I did, and then someone took away my convenient store. Home Depot is not that far away, if needed. I think going to Eagle Rock or Burbank for Target or K-mart is just a trip I'd rather not do on my days off. I've been to that Home Depot and its not a bad trip and really close to home. So why can't we put something in that both women and men would like instead of another male shopping experience? Thanks for this website I hope this works and we get a real store! Marian Allen ___________________________________________ As a business that will likely be severely affected by the proposed Home Depot development, we applaud your website and commitment to keep the public informed and mobilized. You may not be aware there was a recent Appeals Court Decision resulting from a case in Bakersfield in which a community group filed suit to stop 2 supercenter developments on the basis, in part, that the required Environmental Impact Report did not address economic impacts of the proposed developments. We believe this court decision may have a bearing on the proposed Home Depot development and are researching the issue further. I am attaching a copy of the decision fyi. (you can read the ruling here) John Lyons CFO California Do it center _____________________________________ I agree with almost everyone I speak with, ( locally !!! ) that Home Depot is a big mistake and if we really do have a chance to stop it we should do all we can. I moved up here to the "Rock" more than 15 years ago because it was a nice "sleepy" town. Since then I've seen traffic almost double and our beautiful hillsides cut away and OVER developed.( I'm not even going to get into the golf course in the river. ) Do we want this community to look like Glendale, Burbank or Valencia with all the "Grand" mega malls and factory stores with NONE of the tax dollars staying here where there spent??? I for one don't mind spending an extra .50 cents for a tube of caulking at Foothill hardware. I have light fixtures and a very nice ceiling fan I bought at Do it Center. If I have a major project I'll drive to Sylmar or North Hollywood. Otherwise I'll shop here in town !!! I do miss K-Mart but it's gone, what will WE do to have a say in what it becomes??? Who remembers the drive in theater before K-Mart ??? Duane D. Pederson Tujunga, psddp@comcast.net _______________________________________ I agree with you wholeheartedly that a Home Depot in Sunland/Tujunga would not be a good thing, in fact, I think it would be devastating to the community and even those surrounding it. So many "Foothillers" have been working very hard to IMPROVE and support our community. Property values are up, crime is down, new little businesses are popping up along foothill, this would be all for naught if Home Depot wins this fight. As you stated they will put all of our hardware stores out of business (which will add up to MORE than the un-employed KMart workers) as well as go into direct competition with our local contractors. There is an added side to this. As part owner of a construction company I was approached by Home Depot to become one of their contractors. We ran the figures of what they were willing to pay and I have to say with certainty that NO EXPERIENCED, LICENSED and INSURED CONTRACTOR WORTH THEIR SALT CAN AFFORD TO WORK FOR HOME DEPOT. So not only will they be in direct competition, they will bring low-quality work with them as well. I live a stone's throw from the old KMart. It already takes me 3 minutes on average to turn left onto Foothill. I think your "Cons" section is understated. Along with the decrease in property values you will have less pride of ownership, less homeowners (meaning more and more renters), and very importantly - more crime. As a single mom I have to admit that if a Home Depot comes into the neighborhood I will move. I am sure there are other concerned parents as well. The flight of families in the area will only speed up the inevitable situations above. I have written my letters to Wendy and Home Depot. I think it's important not to rely too heavily on politicians, however and would like to get more involved in getting the word out. I don't think there is enough community involvement to stop them yet. But I do think we can do it. T.S. Sunland Homeowner ______________________________________ Thanks for fighting the good fight. We've already submitted a petition to Wendy Greuel about this issue. This area is desperate for the following: 1. A multi-use store, so we don't have to drive to Burbank to buy clothes, etc. 2. Non-fast food/chain restaurants, as some of us don't like to eat junk all the time. 3. Easily accessible coffee shops. We have Starbucks, Seven Hills Cafe, the Coffee Drive Thru and Kaffea, but those four can't support two neighborhoods. 4. A cute centralized walking/shopping area where families can shop, eat and visit (a la Honolulu Ave. in Montrose). The revitalization of Commerce St. is the best bet for that. Foothill is not a pedestrian-friendly street. 5. Some kind of cultural/intellectual center, like an arts district with movies, live performance (theater, spoken word) and a dance hall where all ages can enjoy live music (not a pick-up bar). What the area doesn't need is more junk. There's plenty of lowscale, ugly and unneccessary stores here already. (Do we really need something like 15 99c stores?) It also doesn't need a Home Depot or a Wal-Mart!! (If we invite a Wal-Mart to Sunland-Tujunga, I'll be starting my own "Say No to Wal-Mart" organization/web site.) Thanks for letting me air my opinions. Rita Zobayan Resident _____________________________________ Home Depot is store that will lower property values for miles around. We do not need a store that is unnecessary in the community,and also unfair to our nearby hardware stores in which we have grown close to. What we, as a community need, are nice looking fun filled store or stores. We do not need three hardware stores within a few blocks from each other. I hope all in the community feel as I do, for if this is the case our community will grow to become even more beautiful than ever. If it is not the case than prepare for more accidents, road work, and pure destruction to our community. One Concerned Neighbor, Damon A. Pratt _____________________________________ How many Mini Malls do we have to have in our community? How many Auto Repair Centers do we keep allowing into our community??? I won’t even drive down foothill at times because of the junk I see and the businesses that have not taken care of their properties. How many liquor stores do we have to keep granting licenses to? Then you come across the day laborers in front of the store fronts and no one seems to care. Then you see the homeless pushing shopping carts back and forth and have no where to go. This is wrong!!!! I watched as one just urinated against the wall in public in front of my kids. No one should be exposed to this or should people have to live like this. No wonder Home Depot see this community as a great opportunity for them. It's a great dumping ground for them and other business that are not community friendly. We need to take back our community. Tell me what help you need. This is my community too. I will fight to get it back as a place people want to raise their families. I am tried of people in the surrounding communities thinking of us as a place their children can’t go to visit. We are nicknamed Scum land by the other schools. How sad for our kids. Our kids need a community they can be proud of being a part of. Place families can go and not have fear. Home Depot is a threat of taking away all we are trying to work hard to change We need a Trader Joes and retail business that are community friendly. Thank you for all your hard work. Please let me know how I might help. I am already spreading the word and getting everyone up in arms over this. Chris Cancelosi Sunland _________________________________ Put me down as opposing a Home Depot in our neighborhood. We are not a warehouse or industrial district. Dawn Greene Sunland _____________________________________________ Yes, I think the idea of a Home Depot stinks! (I personally would love a Trader Joe's!) Why I hate Home Depot? Hey, I already got a beef with Orchard Supply and Do It Center. Yeah I've shopped at both of those, but there's a problem. If I need to talk to anyone who actually knows anything about hardware (!), I have to go to a local "real" hardware store, (like Merithew's on Commerce) or some place that doesn't hire 14 year old nit wits to stand around in orange vests and mouth breath all day. (Did you see the episode of "King of The Hill" where Hank tries to buy a hammer? It's just like that.) Did I move to Tujunga to get away from that sort of thing? You betcha! I love eating at real restaurants with real food and no plastic booths. I like shopping at stores that might have something I haven't seen at every other store in the universe. I like to shop and interact with real live humans! The air here is cleaner than down in Hollywood, there is less crime and crowding, and I know you call what we have up here "traffic", (LOL) but have you ever tried to find a parking space at the Post Office in West Hollywood?? Or even get in to the parking lot at Whole Foods across the street? Puhleeze. I'm like 30 - 40 minutes from where I used to live and I feel like I moved to Idaho. How about a clothing store? A Mervyn's? A Marshalls? OK, I know I'm not going to get a Bloomingdale's, but why should I have to drive to Burbank to buy a new bra? In this neighborhood, lumber I can get, quality lingerie is a bit more difficult. I like what's been happening on Commerce. Can we see more restaurants, live theatre - nightclubs? Yes, I would like to help. Alison Arngrim Joe's Note -( Alison Arngrim played Nellie Oleson on " Little House On The Prairie" and has recently resettled in the Sunland-Tujunga area) Her website is http://www.hgd.com/alison/ ___________________________________ I moved to Sunland 6 years ago and have seen the traffic problem growing on Foothill blvd. A Home Depot would add to that problem. We could use more retail shops and real restaurants. A Trader Joes or Whole Foods and a Target should would be a definite plus but a Home Depot would not appeal to me. There are plenty of Home Depots within driving distances. There is already a Home Depot within a 10 mile radius. Cecilia Zambrano Sunland _____________________________________ My name is Kim Bailey, I live on Mt. Gleason and McGrorty. I attended my first STNC meeting this month, and wow, you are doing a great job. I had no idea how our community is pulling together on so many topics and issues of concern. My family in Sunland and Burbank want to thank you very much for the efforts of "NO HOME DEPOT, Sunland-Tujunga. Not only will it hurt our fellow store owners, we don't need an industrial type of anything HERE!! We don't want more big rigs delivering supplies or transporting huge shipments up and down foothill either. I use to live in Sun Valley and my neighbor was a Truck driver for Home Depot. He would come home late at night and park his big rig across the street with huge supplies of wood, cement, equipment whatever. It drove us crazy, but it was his job. We don't need day laborer's hanging around either. WE DON'T WANT HOME DEPOT PERIOD !!! We need a general merchandise store or stores....... for God's sake we don't even have a place to run and buy a pair of socks, etc if needed... ridiculous. Plus every time I go down to Burbank to buy items at Target, etc. I end up doing all my shopping down there and eating too. So I'd say our town is losing a lot of money to Burbank, Glendale, Montrose etc. How dumb is that??? Keep up the good work, Joe. We will be there in unity on May 7th. I know many of my neighbors will be showing up too!!! Bumper stickers would be appreciated, and you can bet I will give you some contributions for this cause. Thanks again, Kim R. Bailey & Family __________________________________ Here is a letter that was sent to Home Depot in September of 2004 by Lauren Kennedy (she sent me a copy today, nice work Lauren!) -Joe September 7, 2004 The Home Depot, Inc. 2455 Paces Ferry Rd., Northwest Atlanta, GA. 30339-4020 Ph: 770-433-8211 Fax: 770-284-2356 To Whom It May Concern: Subject: Replacing K-mart Site with a Home Depot Center With the closing of the Sunland-Tujunga K-Mart nearing, it has been said that Home Depot would like to put a Home Improvement Center in its place. Other than the mere convenience of having a store closer, it would offer nothing more than that, but would have a tremendous, negative impact on our surrounding community and neighborhoods. Our small Community of S-T has begun a rejuvenating transformation and is heading in a direction to refurbish its quiet small town feel and appeal. A Home Depot would be a grotesque distraction and misuse of valuable land that could be put to better use by providing our community with retail services that are much more needed and within the theme of things to come. I would like to present a few key oppositions and very important concerns to why a Home Depot would not be a good fit or best choice of Venues for this location or locality: • K-Mart, as it is, has been very noisy with its Deliveries at all hours of the day and night. Forklift noise has always been an annoying and disruptive factor. With a Home Depot in its place, these disturbances would only magnify enormously. • We have only one major thoroughfare in and out of our community, Foothill Boulevard, which has become increasingly more congested over the years. A Home Depot would only bring in more unwanted traffic, from outlying areas, to an area that can’t support it now and doesn’t want to have it either. • We currently have a Day Labor Problem impacting many businesses in the Tujunga area of Foothill Blvd. A Home Depot, with its history of Day Labor issues, would only mean a spread and increase to our problems with Day Labor issues, not to mention an increase in Crime that seems to be historically attracted to and prevail around these kind of Venues. • I currently travel 7 miles to the San Fernando Home Depot for all my major needs or if needed, I’ll travel 11 miles to the Glendale Home Depot. Outside of this, I support our Local Hardware Stores, Foothill and Merithew’s True Value Hardware Stores, Do-It and OSH Centers, all conveniently within a couple of miles from home. • K-Mart presented another, but much lesser problem in the scheme of things with its Shopping Carts being strewed all over the community. It was more a nuisance and an annoyance to hear and find these Carts in and around our neighborhoods. Our Community would really prefer to see this property be developed for a Retail Center that would attract more useful and needed services for our area. This is a community that has always been a little behind the times, in a sense, but we prefer it that way. What would really benefit us, and appeal to all, is having venues or services that would allow our community to shop close to home. A Center that would be more community enhancing and enchanting to our shopping experience, that’s what we’re looking for, that’s what we deserve. Please consider these points and place our humble needs and plea’s first. Thank you, Lauren A. Kennedy Sunland, CA Cc: Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) Councilmember Wendy Greuel Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce ___________________________________ I moved up to Sunland from the Silverlake area in 1977. I love the rural atmosphere here. I used to drive up and go the Drive In Theater before K-Mart.. We love our local businesses, Foothill Hardware, Merithew’s, Marisol’s Nursery, and so on. The traffic and congestion we would have for a business we do not need is clear. We need a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe’s., a movie theater. Some restaurants would be nice. A place to buy clothing would be great! We have enough hardware stores; Home Depot is only 7 minutes away, why are they trying to saturate this area? I live off of Woodward and do not look forward to any more traffic or day workers hanging about. Carl de Silveira Sunland _______________________________________ Chris Tickner just posted the following at the feedback section of the Home Depot Web Site: I live in Tujunga, CA. Several months ago, your organization bought a piece of property on Foothill Blvd, in Sunland. Fomerly this site was occupied by K-Mart. It is vital that your organization understand that the vast majority of citizens in this area, and the City Council Member, Wendy Greuel (who's office is just up the street from your proposed site), all strongly oppose the building of a Home Depot in our area. We have several hardware store options in the area, including Do-It Center, OSH, and an old time True Value on the main drag in Tujunga. We even have a Home Depot just 7 miles away that I frequent quite often. Please, please, please, reconsider. We don't need a Home Depot. It will close out the other stores, detract from an up and coming community, and take up valuable space that could be used for so many other needed facilities. Here's an idea, how about Home Depot show its true nature, its compassionate side, and build a multi-use facility, including a park, recylcing center, volunteer health services center, library, etc. What an opportunity to show your true community-minded side. Oh, by the way, did you not get the letter from our council person when she asked that you run any plans for this property by the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council? You didn't do that and it has left a lot of folks really upset. Its interesting that the hugely popular TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition is working with Sears as their provider of tools and equipment, and not Home Depot. Hmm. Maybe this could be a chance for you to improve on that. "You can do it. We can help." We do need your help. But not your store. Take a daring step and do something that is not about profit. Help out a community by not being greedy! Chris Tickner Tujunga ____________________________________ Sunland Tujunga is at a fragile turning point which with the watchful eye and input of concerned citizens of the area could be nurtured into a beautiful prideful gem tucked away amongst the foothills. Geographically isolated by the Verdugos and the Foothills we have an opportunity to maintain a warm and welcoming small town environment that most towns have lost to the likes of big businesses such as Home Depots. No town of similar demographics as ours have any need what so ever for businesses of that size or mentality. As the past owner of La Canada Ace Hardware (14 years) I can assure you that the Home Depot has no more interest in our community than to drive out all businesses and control the market shares. They have no remorse in doing so and will not pass along any savings at all once they control all these various markets. These include rentals, hardware, appliance stores, flooring stores,tile stores,garden centers. John Hastings Proud citizen of Sunland since 1984 and a local contractor. _______________________________________ I too am very annoyed at the idea of a Home Despot (yes I said DESPOT) infiltrating our neighborhood. Having just purchased a house here in Sunland in November, the LAST thing I want to see is that most vulgar of all stores coming into the only large sized available retail space in the neighborhood. Talk about killing property values. After having spoken to people in the neighborhood, alot of them say it's pretty hopeless fighting because the city of LA doesn't care, and that HD is most likely kicking them back a ton of money to make it happen. I also heard from one of the local hardware store employees that he already saw the "approved" plans at the Sunland Chamber of Commerce. When looking in the neighborhood for a home, I forgot to notice that there are NO restaurants here. It's a drag to have to leave town to go to a decent restaurant. Has anyone from the chamber contacted any of the restaurant chains to propose a location here in Sunland ? A Chili's, Outback Steak House, or something comparable would sure be nice, and take away the industrial vibe of the town. We could really use a nice department store as well...Target would be great in that location.....I wrote a letter to Target Corp requesting they consider a Target here in Sunland.....below is a copy of the response I got. I've also written a letter to Trader Joe's requesting the consider a store here....we certainly have enough empty stores to accomodate them ! Anyway, I don't know what they're doing over there at the Chamber of Commerce, but they should be trying to draw in some of chain stores that would fill a needed niche here in Sunland. I mean, how many auto repair and 99ç stores do we need ? These are my concerns, having just moved here from Rancho Glendale, where there were many options for shopping. I like it here, but we really need some good retail. Mom and Pops are great too, but some bigger stores would really help out. Anyway I'm willing to aid in the fight. Please let me know of the latest developments in this crucial matter. Thanx, Jim Bacchi ***THE TARGET RESPONSE LETTER*** Dear Jim Bacchi, We're glad to hear you want a Target store in Sunland/Tujunga, CA. Interest from Target fans like you is a major factor we consider when we decide to build a new store. As you might imagine, a lot of time and work goes into determining where and when to build a Target store. There's involvement by people in the private and government areas, and it may take months or even years to build a store. Right now we're evaluating other areas in the continental United States, but don't worry -- I'll be happy to pass along your suggestion to our Real Estate team for review. ________________________________ We the residents of 8827 Mulberry Drive, wish to state our extreme displeasure at the thought of a Home Depot going in on Foothill Blvd. First of all, there is a Home Depot so close in San Fernando, one in Glendale, a Lowes in Burbank, not to mention our OSH and other home building supply stores that are up and down the Boulevard. Why are we not supporting our established businesses? Why can't we lift the Boulevard with retail business that appeals to the social side of life? Something the family can enjoy? A family store, a restaurant that involves sitting down at a table and having a converstion with family or friends? We need businesses that keep community people in the community, not contractors and day laborers who do not care about this community. Our Boulevard needs a face lift of new and modern shops-----let's step into the 21st century. If we are trying to attract a higher socio-economic group of people with the new homes that are selling for $6-800,000, we are not going to do it with having a Home Depot close by. An up-scale mall that appeals to young families on the move up, is what we need. There is a definite difference on the Boulevard between La Cresenta and Sunland/Tujunga and our area looks low class, rough, and in some places, scary. We are so against a home building type of business moving in, adding to the "valley" look of auto detailers, muffler shops, radiator repair, and tire stores we have already up and down the street. Residents of 8827 Mulberry Drive Sunland __________________________________ I am absolutely at a loss why Home Depot would open an outlet when they already have a store within easy access. Furthermore, two stores in the community carry the same items as Home Depot: Do-It Center and OSH. The logic you should address directly to Home Depot is that it will simply not be profitable for them, given the above. Every time my wife shopped at a Home Depot, she was repeatedly accosted by day workers of all nationalities. As a result, she avoids the store. Home Depot is now knowingly and willingly inviting the same problem into our community. Do-It and OSH don't permit it. Home Depot looks the other way. You should bring this entire matter to the local news. Make a huge impact with the corporate offices of Home Depot where it counts. Last month, my wife and I implored Target to open a branch at the exact site in question. If Home Depot takes possession of the premises, there will be enough angry residents to force them out. Communities are now sophisticated enough to take direct action against companies which are ruled by greed and overthink. Thank you for organizing this motion. We will back you up in any way we can. Stephanie Payne Robert Anthony Foster __________________________________ Thank you for taking so much time and devoting it to the No 2 Home Depot cause. As a wife and mom of two boys, the last thing I need is the convenience of another home improvement center; Sunland has so many. I must say that I miss Kmart terribly and once a week make the drive to the Walmart center in Porter Ranch to do my shopping. It may be twice as far than the Target in Burbank, but the traffic is lighter. I would be pleased as punch to have a multi-purpose store in Sunland again. I want to spend my dollars here in Sunland. Eileen Garner Sunland _______________________________ I totally agree that a Home Depot would not be in the best interest of the community. I live in Glendale within walking distance to Montrose. I have lived in the foothills most of my 65 years and I board my horse in Shadow Hills so I am very familiar with the area. I have seen very little changes in the Sunland/Tujunga area to provide the residents nice restaurants, shops and services that they would enjoy. The area really hasn't changed much since I was a child. I was disappointed when K-Mart sold their store. It wasn't a Macy's but it did provide us with many of products a household needs. I understand that it was a profitable store as well. I kept hoping that somehow with the new Sears/K- Mart merger, that maybe they would take the property back and build a really nice department store. That would be a step in the right direction. Foothill Boulevard to me looks as though it should be in the middle of an industrial park. The traffic is awful and the businesses, for the most part, are downright unpleasant looking. I agree that it is about time changes should be made to give the Sunland/Tujunga residents a community they deserve and can be proud of. Patricia Tubbs Glendale Joes response: Thank You so much! We appreciate and need the support of our surrounding communities! ______________________________________ Just wanted to let you know I’ve written to Home Depot via their website and have printed out Wendy’s letter (the one for use) and am calling Home Depot (Michael Abbate) to express my negative feelings regarding their purchase of the K- Mart site. Thanks for all your amazing work! I couldn’t be at the meeting but I was there in spirit! Andrea Stark Tujunga Joes Response; Thanks, everyone involved is doing amazing work! You should also go to the STNC website and fill out their survey form. They need to hear from you! http://www.sunlandtujunga.org/council/ _________________________________ Thank you for the opportunity to express our views. We have lived in Tujunga since 1986 and we love it here. Instead of a Home Depot which is such a BAD IDEA. We would love to see a Trader Joe's and a movie theatre go up instead. We do our hardware shopping at the local hardware stores. We find everything we need locally. If I wanted to shop at Home Depot I can just hop on the 210 freeway and there I am. Personally I do not shop at Home Depot at all instead once in awhile I shop at Lowes in Burbank. What we really NEED is a store like Sears. Which has everything. Or at least a Target. Something where we can buy clothes and household goods such as sheets. Since K-Mart has left I have been shopping online a lot more. Good luck and let me help in anyway possible. I am taking direction from your website and writing letters and making phone calls. I hope we win. Sincerely, Rick & Debbie Herres _____________________________________ The loss of a general merchandise store such as KMart has been very hard on the community. KMart was profitable and filled the needs of the community. Home Depot would put Do-It Center, OSH, Marisol's, Tru-Valu and smaller businesses completely out of business. Sunland Tujunga would lose our small town feel and the very nature of our rural culture. We do not want to become another Valencia or Palmdale. There are Home Depot warehouses in North Hollywood, Glendale (which I understand is closing and relocating to Atwater), San Fernando-Sylmar. Foothill Boulevard cannot handle the big rig trucks, and traffic. There is no buffer area between residential and the current Home Depot leasehold property. The community does not want the noise. Please encourage Home Depot to be a good landlord to small specialty shops (not 99 cent stores or Big Lots), restaurants, possibly a movie theatre, and a general merchandise store (e.g. Target). Do not turn Foothill Boulevard into an industrial area -- let's try some shopping/housing combo that brightens and adds to our community. A giant beige-and-orange Home Depot warehouse is not beneficial to Sunland Tujunga. ~****~****~****~****~****~****~ Louise Clarke Stone Sunland, CA ____________________________ On a recent visit to Home Depot in Hollywood, I was shocked at the number of day laborers standing in the driveway at every entrance to the store parking lot. There were so many people that it caused a safety hazard, not only to the workers themselves, but also to motorists slowing down on the street to try and make the turn into the parking lot. We do not want this situation repeated here in Sunland! Alvin Wilson, Sunland, California __________________________________ I agree with all the very well-stated postings on this website as to why we do not need a Home Depot in our community. I have lived in this area since 1968. At that time Sunland-Tujunga had several thriving departments stores, Hess and Newberry's, we had two movie theaters and numerous independent groceries. There were no abandoned, blighted storefronts. Now fast-forward to 2005, when more people reside in this area than at any time in it's past and we have a shopping wasteland with less choices than were available 30 years ago when there was a much smaller population. So many more homes have been allowed to be constructed in our once rural area that a severe strain has been put on our fragile infrastructure of substandard winding streets. These streets were never intended to conduct the massive amount of traffic that we now experience. Where we once had large beautiful lots, developers are being allowed to cram in as many generic, monolithic units as they can. Our whole hillside existence is being degraded. Add into the mix Home Depot. Here will definitely be more traffic , straining even more the capacity of Sunland Blvd. Here will come all the semis to deliver materials, and the day laborers and all the other problems well outlined by the other writers. Our community does finally deserve some respect again. Take a look at the CSUN library website of the Sunland- Tujunga community pictures from the 40's, 50's and 60's, when there was a rural community everyone could be proud of. Yes, our community deserves a heart, not more strip malls, not more fast-food joints, not more 99 cent places, not more traffic. We don't want to have to go outside our area for basic necessities, we don't need more building materials, we need clothing and household goods. Thanks for letting me express my thoughts. Rose Marie Smith Tujunga ________________________________ The list of better choices for that location is endless – whose idea was a Home Depot anyway? Home Depot’s? What’s amazing to me is that I never even considered the day laborer problem, which I read about in the no2homedepot website. (I consider that proof of the benefits of having many minds collaborating.) I’m not comfortable walking on the street in front of the Chevron in Tujunga because of the stares of all those day laborers, and there are so many you have to squeeze between them – I’d hate to have the teenagers walking home from school through them. The day laborers in front of the Chevron are frequently seen (by me) with a six pack and a joint too – just what we need more of! I also drive through the San Fernando Rd and Tuxford area pretty regularly and HATE it. This proposed Home Depot location is within walking distance of my house. I’m depressed at the thought of having Foothill look like that area does. Do we really stand a chance at keeping Home Depot out? K Mason Sunland JOES REPLY: Kimberly , We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think we could beat them! __________________________________ I bought a house in Sunland one year ago.I was so happy with KMart because for all the home supplies only I need to drive couple blocks and get it.When I heard about Hope Depot Store will be that close to my home I was really upset.The reason I moved here is because the traffic is not bad like Glendale where I lived before for 8 years.I appreciate my new community also I have a 8 years old daughter ,who needs one store like Target or Walmart,Sears no Home Depot.My husband is a contractor and he feels the same way.He is so upset because is absurd to have Home Depot in our backyard.Is very negative for our community ,for every small business.I'm a realtor who will be affected for this kind the business in the area.Please we don't need Home Depot in Sunland. Thanks The Littlefields Sunland _______________________________________ I moved to Sunland-Tujunga 27 years ago, when I was 10 years old. Then left for Louisiana approximately 10 years to pursue a Commercial Diving career. About 5 years ago I moved my family back to Sunland-Tujunga. It is amazing to me to see so many run down automotive shops and day laborers hanging around on Foothill Blvd. Home depot will only increase the amount of laborers loitering our streets as so many other postings have stated. As a child I used to see this downtown like San Fernando, Northridge or Van Nuys and thought how sad for any neighborhood. I now have 3 young beautiful girls and hate to think what it will be like for them in our neighborhood as they go to school or cross town only to be gawked at by the laborers. I am already concerned for my wife and children as they travel around Sunland- Tujunga along Foothill Blvd. Please let's not make it any worse. As anyone knows crime rates go up and housing depreciates. There have been small steps already taken to improve our town like a Starbucks and a new Golf Course. Many homeowners of all ages are making great strives to spend hard earned wages to improve their homes and properties. My wife and I for one have spent a great deal of money over the last couple of years at "Home Depot", Do-It-Center, OSH and Tru Value. Therefore I personally like having the smaller hardware stores around and do not mind driving to Home Depot in Sylmar when I need. It is my belief that most of our community feels the same. We all would like to keep things moving forward so that our children can grow up in a clean and safe environment. I am positive that any executive working for Home Depot feels the same about their community and families. How many of the current executives working for Home Depot actually have a "Home Depot" store in their neighborhoods? Home Depot will only be a crime ridden, drain deficiency on our community, please reconsider. I agree with the majority of the postings, we need Sears or Target along with a movie theatre and other small shops like a Jamba Juice, Trader Joes, etc. Even a decent automotive center would be nice to add into the shopping center, so we can clean up some of the polluting auto shops that line Foothill. Target has a large assortment of clothing, food, house ware, infant goods, etc. at decent pricing for families to appreciate. Target would also provide more jobs suitable for young adolescents, single mothers or families looking for second income than Home Depot. Whenever myself or my wife need to pick up household items we usually drive down to Burbank. Anyone with small children knows the experience of that drive. By the time you get there the children have fallen asleep, now you have to either wake them up or carry them through the store. Thank You for this opportunity. Lets put an end to the Home Depot development. Scott & Heather Bursch Sunland ___________________________________ I live in Glendale, within walking distance of Montrose. I have lived in the foothill area for approximately 65 years. In fact, I grew up in La Crescenta. in the 1940's and 50's. I own a horse that I keep in Shadow Hills so I am very familiar with the Sunland/Tujunga area. I have watched the changes in La Crescenta, La Canada and the Sunland/Tujunga area over the years. Most of the foothill areas have been improved with nice stores and restaurants. I am really dismayed and cannot understand why the Sunland area has been left out. It is as though it is a step child that nobody cares about. The area really hasn't changed much since I was a child. Foothill Boulevard looks like it should be in an industrial area. I don't think this is the image the residents want to promote. It was dissapointing when the K-Mart closed. It wasn't an upscale department store, but a person could find the basics and it certainly was convenient to get to. I even heard it was profitable which tells me there is a need for a store of that type in the area. Personally, I think a store, such as the new Sears/K-Mart merger is creating , would be a boon to the area. I'm sure it would be attractive and would provide residents the state of the art department store that they deserve. It could be the start of a new look for the area. I hope that the community has some clout in this matter. It is about time that the Sunland area residents have a chance to make a change in their area for the better. A Home Depot would not be in their best interest. Patricia Tubbs 3030 Sparr Boulevard Glendale ________________________________ I must say I miss the old K-Mart. I could stop off on my way home, and get just about anything I might need at the moment...a shirt for my husband, a new dish drainer, a Halloween costume. I've lived in the area just about my entire life. I remember when the K-Mart was a drive in theatre. What this area needs is something where a busy mother can stop and get a variety of things. Target, Wal-Mart, something that appeals to the majority of the community. We already have a Home Depot down the road a bit. We have an OSH, we have a Lowes not too far away. Who needs another? We also have a lot of local businesses that would be put in financial jeopardy should Home Depot move in. Another problem with having a Home Depot on Foothill is the traffic. During the weekends we would be swamped with traffice, not to mention huge trucks delivering. I am deeply opposed to bringing a Home Depot in the area, especially when there are better options. BDC, Tujunga _______________________________ I have lived in Sunland Tujunga for the last 5 years and have noticed that there are many people here who are negative about everything. Some people just don't like change. Change would be great for sunland. Well for Tujunga, just by having that building painted that would be a major improvement for that city(too tired of seeing the run down buildings!!!). Look, I dont mind paying less up to 50% less or even more with Home Depot. The little stores here charge much more then home depot. Sunland NEEDS a major influx of money, may be then, we can actually afford to have it become an independent city(dream here). The little stores need to stop being hypocritical and make themselves more competitive. Corporate america is doing it, so should the small stores. There is no reason why the consumers of this cities have to pay more money, just because there is no home depot. I love progress and if the little guys fail to be competitive, then thats their fault. We all compete for jobs everyday of our lives, let them compete and let the consumer get the benefits. We need better service, if the small stores here in sunland would be friendlier and more people and need minded then there would not even be a problem. Let them come, and let the community benefit from the taxes they will pay. WE NEED MO MONAY!!!(more money, hehe) Giovanni Joes' response- I'm at a loss for words, I think you have said it all! Listen, please call Scott Mommer, the Home Depot developer ( he is looking for people like you to help support him). Mobile 1- 559 976-7060 Office 1- 559 297-5522 (Don't forget to tell him who sent you!) _______________________________________ My husband and I purchased our first home here in Sunland -2 years ago. We live on the first block off Foothill Blvd. on Rhodesia Ave. (the street directly across from the former K-mart lot). Since K-mart closed, we have dreamt about a plaza that's pedestrian friendly with restaurants, movie theater, general store, bookstore. Months ago, to discover that Home Depot leased the land, our hearts and wallet sank. We would rather that the value of our home, lives and neighborhood increase, not plummet. Home Depot is a disgusting, dirty place- Example A= Sylmar. My MAIN concern and question is....why are the demographics of our area so FALSE?! When are the records DOWNTOWN going to update and translate what the reality of our community IS? Definitely OPPOSED to the H-Dep. We look forward to the future. Shannon Gardner Sunland Joes' Response: Thanks Shannon, We look forward to the future as well! Hang in there! And yes, we are equally as concerned about these outdated demographics, and Home Depots Bogus Traffic study! ____________________________________ I've been a resident here in Tujunga for going on eight years now. Thanks to builders and irresponsible thinking our hillsides are being torn out and new homes are going in at an alarming rate. The traffic has increased quite a bit in these few years. Foothill Blvd. gets so congested now and they want to putin a Home Depot? I wonder how much that traffic survey company got paid by HomeDepot to come up with their findings? If they looked at it at all it must have been in the middle of the night. With such irresponsible companies doing big business's bidding for them we need to fight harder as a community. Let's face it, that company lied. And you know who was behind that assessment. Get it together. Get active. Do something or Home Depot is going to jam this store into our neighborhood regardless of it's impact to our little foothillcommunity!...... j.c. Tujunga _______________________________ I think that there has to be a place that people like me can go.... to shop, eat, and hang out. Maybe a music store. There isn't a place around here that sells music and well, being in the high school marching band, music is a big part of my life. If i could make a difference with this problem, I'd be happy! Anthony Sandino Verdugo Hills High School student Joes Response; Thanks for your e-mail, I believe you may be the first high school student to have sent us a letter! We would love to have more of your peers involved with us. _________________________ Wow, Those Home Depot Reps couldn't care less about us. We NEED to stay on top of this! A 10,000 ft. retail ACROSS from the HD is bogus! OH.....that sounds like a TACO BELL! GREAT! Like we NEED that crap! Thanks for your hard work. We are OPPOSED to the HD! Shannon Rhodesia Ave. Directly ACROSS Foothill Blvd. from the ex-K-mart ____________________________ As 26 year residents of the Sunland-Tujunga area, we don't feel that a Home Depot on Sunland Blvd. is in the best interest of anyone in our community. Besides the fact that we already have a huge Home Depot within 10 minutes; we don't need the increased traffic on an already accident prone boulevard with plenty of stop lights; we don't need the competition with local small businesses (which only causes more vacancies in established strip malls); we don't need day laborers protected by Home Depot's private property (don't let them fool you, unless they are breaking the law, the police don't usually worry about loiterers during the daytime); and we don't need another mega-store sucking the tax base out of our community without the proper Environmental Impact Reports. Since when do we allow developers to dictate what our community needs when they don't even live here! Oops, we forgot, just look at what they are already doing in our Verdugo hillsides! And, despite Wendy's lovely letter to Home Depot, we are sorry but we think we only have our current elected official to blame when it comes to "introducing their fat-cat deep pocketbooketed pals" to the formerly sleepy communities of Sunland and Tujunga! Think about that next time you vote! The Barnards ___________________________ I have been in the area since 1961 and grew up in Sylmar, also lived for a while in Tujunga, currently am on Foothill in Lakeview Terrace. We don't need a Home Depot! We need something to replace K-mart. There is no shopping in the North East corridor anymore. All the shopping in Sylmar has moved as well in San Fernando. Now K-mart is gone. I am tired of driving to Northridge or Burbank and even the Santa Clarita Valley to buy household goods or clothes. A Target or Walmart would be great. Who needs another HOME DEPOT! I have shopped in the area all my life and was very upset when K-mart closed. ON YOUR SIDE Barbara Siebler Lake View Terrace _______________________________ I wanted to say thank you for no2homedepot.com...I saw a bumper sticker on someone's car today and promptly wrote down the site address. As a teenage resident of the area, I have to saw it's amazingly empowering to see a community come together like this for a worthy cause. Personally, since day one, I've been against the idea of a Home Depot. There are plenty of places to buy lumber, but a store like K-Mart is important to many families in the Sunland-Tujunga area. Initially, I was incredibly upset, but I quickly got over the loss of a K-Mart until I heard what would be taking it's place. How about a place for families? A family restaurant, a park...anything that the bulk of the area can enjoy? Thanks again! -Dani Martinez _______________________________ I grew up in S-T, and currently live in Tujunga. I am old enough to remember the drive-in theatre BEFORE the K-Mart. I am proud how the residents, both newbies and oldtimers in our community have rallied to support such community efforts. I agree that among the many assaults against our community that this is one fight that will significantly determine the future of our town. I went to that one large Home Depot community meeting and have supported other community efforts with letters and such against the teardown of the Castle, against the Whitebird Development (and before that the golf course in the wash). I'm not against development, but feel that citizens in a community should have a large say on what is allowed in their neighborhood. I would like to be added to the mailing list as I do periodically check out your site for updates to the situation. I currently am going to grad school at night in addition to work during the day(at UCLA you can tell), so it's tough for me to make a lot of meetings and committees, but still would like to show my support in other ways as I can. Sincerely, Jim McGlynn _______________________________________ A letter that resident Joseph Ruggieri recently sent to developers J.H. Snyder and Company: I feel the following opportunity is a no-lose situation for everyone involved. For the past 3 years, I lived in Hollywood, California. It was a great day for many people when the West Hollywood Gateway was built. Step into Target or Best Buy any day, and it is apparent the choices behind the building and the tenants that filled the spaces were the right ones. There is a opportunity to recreate this, which is the point of this letter. I have recently moved to Tujunga, a small section Los Angeles in northeast San Fernanado Valley. When I first arrived, the first thing that stuck out (other than the fact that this part of LA was a polar opposite to the rest of the metropolis) was all the "No Home Depot in Tujunga Bumperstickers." Apparently year ago, K-Mart left the town. The lot is still empty and the the current owner is working with Home Depot to build a new store there. But the residents are up in arms. What they desperately want is a Target or Wal Mart where they can acquire the goods that they need in their daily lives without having to drive out of town. This is exactly why I thought of J.H. Snyder, who has a pre-existing relationship with Target and Best Buy and a track record for bringing valuable companies to communities. If you could build a similar building to the West Hollywood Gateway in Tujunga, and work with your pre-existing partners, a "Tujunga Gateway" would be a huge success. The town wants exactly what it has to offer, the site is on a major road, the only one in and out of town, and is in a beautiful part of LA. It's obvious this town needs and wants this kind of retail outlet with restaurants, and possibly even a movie theater. A brief glance at www.no2homedepot.com will show you an open opportunity for success. I am going to post this idea on the site, I am sure you will start to hear from more people. I may be new to Tujunga, but I am not new to real estate development I know an excellent opportunity when I see it, and this is it. I can be reached at this email anytime or by phone at 310-365-1344. Sincerely, Joseph Ruggieri Their email is mail@jhsnyder.net. Their website is http://www.jhsnyder.net/dev/home.cfm or you can check out the Target/Best Buy based West Hollywood Gateway at http://www.weho.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=nav&navid=263 _________________________________________________ My friend lives in Tujunga and we were discussing your communities issues with a new Home Depot. I live in Thousand Oaks. A number of years ago, Home Depot built a store in nearby Newbury Park. Within several months all of the small, local hardware stores went out of business. These small stores were so handy. Not only were they closer, but the level of service was superb. I missed that immediately. While there is a need for Home Depot, especially when it comes to lumber and some large supply orders, the fact that there is one within 7 miles should serve the residents of Sunland/Tujunga well without sacrificing the local mom and pop stores. Out here, Home Depot took over the ice skating rink (try and find one of those nowadays) and within a few years they decided they needed a bigger store. They moved a few miles further away, built a bigger store and the old ice rink/home depot stands empty. What a waste. Now a trip to the hardware store is an hour, instead of a quick 15 min trip to the local guy. Don't give up your fight! gary Sherman Thousand Oaks __________________________________________ Your link to Consensus Planning was very informative. I will never shop in a Home Depot again! These guys could care less about the Foothills! Thanks for all your work! No Home Depot! Tim A. Tujunga _____________________________________________ We bought a house here in this community 8 years ago. The main reason being because we liked the small town feel. Now Home Depot threatens that feel. Look at any area where there is one. Traffic is staggering, Mom+Pop businesses fall by the wayside, and the day laborer problem. I've heard people complain about beer and pot with these guys, and that doesn't even bother me that much. But when I drive by and see these people urinating on the street, while kids are walking past on their way to school, yes, that bothers me. And it happens every day. A Home Depot in this city will make this problem worse. Wake up folks, this is a fight we must win! Get involved, let H.D. know they are not welcome, or kiss your property value goodbye! John Ciasulli Tujunga |