No Home Depot In Sunland-Tujunga "BITCH SLAPS" Home Depot (Shady) Dispute Resolution Out Of North Valley City Hall (LOL!)

Breaking News! HUGE VICTORY FOR "NO HOME DEPOT" (Aka: Residents of S-T)

The Dispute Resolution Program Kicked Out of North Valley City Hall!

[Aka: Bitch-slapped the hell out of town...LOL!]

No Further Closed Door Meetings will be allowed in this Public Facility!

DRP told to "Find another room" [HELLZ to the YEAH...BOY-EEE!]

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

We are a united community and when we work together,

all things are possible! - No Home Depot In Sunland-Tujunga

There are a lot of great community activist groups that make an impact

on their issue. ZD feels the "NO Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga" folks

are doing an actual GREAT job at keeping the heat on in a way that is

actually rocking Home Depot's world. And someone from the streets told

ZD that Home Creepos are thinking of taking the ball and getting the hell out

of town cause it's just not worth it, cause there is so much bad press on the

store, they don't think it will be sucessful. And at a million or so a month to

keep the project alive, shareholders are going to start/have stated asking

questions.

LAUSD/Home Depot Problems Reported by Sunland-Tujunga/No Home Depot Community

Thanks to Joe B and the "No 2 Home Depot" (Sunland-Tujunga) community for this CITIZEN'S ALERT!!!

Hey Zuma,

We have a situation here that we feel needs to be looked into. The LAUSD has issued permits to Home Depot allowing them to use Mt. Gleason Middle School for an Open House, for the purpose of promoting their store to Sunland-Tujunga. This Open House is not sanctioned by the City, not being facilitated by the City, and the brochure does not indicate that City Staff will be present. LAUSD rules, up until today, stated school facilities are only available for "community groups and non-profits".

When the community rec'd the mailer, last week, inviting everyone to an Open House by Home Depot at Mt. Gleason, our ears perked up. There are LAUSD guidelines for usage of school facilities. We looked at the Permit and Procedures and found that HD was in violation.
Here are 2 links: LAUSD site and application on line. (you see the strike thru text, I've explained below).

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/btb/civic.html
http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/offices/btb/Civic%20Center%20Permit%20Application_3.08.pd f

The STA felt it was important to take action on this, and started a letter writing campaign. It took a day or two until we made phone contact. We finally spoke to officials at LAUSD.

Joe spoke with Ms. Friedman, Supervisor, of LAUSD Civic Center Permit Office. on the phone and sent email correspondence to her. She never wrote him back, only telephone calls. She told Joe that it is mandated that HD has to have public meetings. Joe was not able to establish her source, or if this was part of the stipulation between Home Depot and the LA City Attorney's office.

In several phone conversations, Ms. Friedman told Joe that LAUSD has decided to keep the permit active and believes they are on solid legal ground. The only thing being required of HD is that they re-send their Open House Brouchure Invitation with the required disclaimer, which was missing on the first mailing. The disclaimer should have read, "this event is in no way associated with the LAUSD".

Joe did send a formal request to get a copy of their Permit Application for the use of the school. She told him it is out of her hands and it has been turned over to the LAUSD legal dept. and an LAUSD atty would be contacting him.

The two reasons HD shouldn't be allowed to use the school facility are:

1. LAUSD rules state that school facilities are for non-profit or community groups only. Home Depot is a for-profit corporation and this event is to promote their store, and nothing else.

2. LAUSD rules state that the disclaimer must be written on any notice of said event.

Actually, those were the rules on June 11. After the phone calls from Joe and hundreds of emails and phone calls from residents, they changed the rules! You can see the crossed out wording on the website as of June 12, today. So basically, they changed the rules after the fact, to accommodate HD!

Thank you!
###

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http://www.no2homedepot.com

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http://www.no2homedepot.com

VIDEO: (NO) Home Depot City Attorney Facilitation Session In Sunland-Tujunga

You've heard all about it...here is an embedded YouTube player of the ZumaCam. Click play, and the all videos automatically play through, in order. By the way, it was a "facilitation", not a "mediation". There's a difference. The word "facilitate" sound more like trying to move something. Like an opinion in a certain direction. Mediation is neutral. But we know that's not a term in the City Attorney's book.



Plus, you can see the videos individually at www.YouTube.com/NoHomeDepot.

Zuma Dogg Public Comment on (NO) Home Depot at City Council meeting 4/29/08.

And remember, the City Council meeting is at Van Nuys City Hall this Friday (instead of Downtown) for the first time in three months. (But Garcetti won't be there, sorry ladies...but I'll be there sitting in as eye candy!)

ZD's paypal

PUBLIC NOTICE: Your Attendance Required at Sunland-Tujunga Home Depot Mediation This Saturday

SUNLAND-TUJUNGA COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND HOME DEPOT TO PARTICIPATE IN MEDIATION FACILITATED BY L.A. CITY ATTORNEY

Where: Mount Gleason Middle School, 10965 Mt. Gleason Ave, Sunland, CA

When: Sat., April 26, 2008, l-4 p.m.

Up to 100 Mediators Expected at Highly Anticipated Session; Sunland-Tujunga Residents, No Home Depot Campaign Carry on Struggle Against Invasive Retail on Foothill Blvd.

SUNLAND, Calif. — The No Home Depot Campaign wishes to notify all concerned parties that a mediation dialogue between stakeholders of Sunland-Tujunga and Home Depot, facilitated by the Los Angeles City's Attorney's Office, will take place Sat., April 26, from 1-4pm at Mount Gleason Middle School in Sunland.

This dispute resolution session is the latest chapter in the ongoing conflict between the retailer and members of the foothill community. More than 1,000 residents and stakeholders of Sunland-Tujunga and environs are expected to attend this latest round in their fight to keep Home Depot from their community.

This issue has been in dispute for four years. It began when Home Depot took over the lease of a closed K Mart store on Foothill Blvd., Sunland's only commercial thoroughfare – in a residential area, near a school – and obtained permits to open a giant new store. Sunland-Tujunga residents objected, arguing that they were adequately served by other businesses and that there were already several Home Depot stores a short distance away. The No Home Depot Campaign (NHDC) began dedicating its resources to preventing the store's installation, using all available channels.

The location in question was intended to be a pedestrian-friendly community center that would replace the lost general merchandiser, as was a matter of record in the Community Plan endorsed by the City. Disregarding this Plan, the City issued a permit for cosmetic changes to the property.

It became evident to residents that more than cosmetic work was being done; the NHDC appealed the case all the way to the City Council, causing the permits to be revoked. Home Depot then filed a retaliatory lawsuit against the city for $10 million.

Home Depot subsequently made a deal with the City Attorney's office to put the lawsuit on hold, promising to submit a new building permit. Saturday's dialogue is a part of the stipulation. Avis Ridley-Thomas, Director of the City Dispute Resolution Program, has confirmed there will be close to 100 trained mediators to facilitate the discussion.

NHDC has in the past reproached the retail giant has for bringing in paid flacks and poorly informed "volunteers" (clad in orange) who've been promised work in future Home Depot stores; these "Astroturf" crowds, local activists argue, are a poor attempt to offset the genuine grassroots opposition to Home Depot's agenda. It remains to be seen whether this dispute-resolution session will offer a similar spectacle.

At issue is the environmental impact of a warehouse operation on a small residential neighborhood. But equally at stake is the City's willingness to uphold its own rules rather than bow to pressure from a corporate giant. Can a community actually have a say in its own future? The NHDC hopes Saturday's meeting will help answer this question in the affirmative.

LAUSD To Investigate Home Depot Shady Cover-up In Sunland-Tujunga

LAUSD boardmember Juile Korenstein said she was shocked to read that the Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga was moving forward, less than 500 feet from an LAUSD school, since the school board was never notified.

LAUSD was never notified because Home Depot is being shady in their permit practices. Even though two-thirds of the building sits on 10355 Woodward (and is the two-thirds closest to the school), Home Depot filed permits using the back lot 8040 Foothill address, instead.

When previous owners (K-mart) applied for permits, they ALWAYS used BOTH ADDRESSES on EVERY PERMIT they applied for.

Now, Home Depot only uses the shady Foothill address -- because it doesn't trigger LAUSD alert, which would trigger EIRs.

So, LAUSD is going to do an investigation and get a legal team involved to find out why this Home Depot is being allowed to move ahead, when the community fears it is in violation of CEQA guidelines and Southern California Air Quality Management laws. (These are where the laws that protect schools relating to distance and safety are found.)

See Rule 1401.1 written by HD's own Latham & Wakins. A rule that they helped write. that their own client is now circumventing. (Shame on you Latham & Watkins!)

ZUMA TIMES has learned that the City Planning Department knows that these rules are being not being followed (violated) and now LAUSD is going to find out why.

More to come at LA Daily Blog.com.

And here's Public Comment from Lydia Grant on the matter. (It's good. The public comment version of this thread. Check it out!)

Also posted today: Home Depot may lay off workers nationwide

ZumaTimes.com
2 year anniversary of ZD at City Hall (4/4/06)

AUDIO: Public Comment Regarding Home Depot in Sunland Tujunga

Lydia Grant from Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council showed up to the Los Angeles City Council meeting for public comment to discuss the Home Depot project. It's a great public comment and congratulations to Lydia for being quoted in both LA Daily News and LA Times today, regarding the DWP rate increase on the agenda for this Tuesday April 2, 2008. (See thread on this blog. Big DWP thread coming.)

Click here for streaming audio

ZumaTimes.com
find everything there

EQUAL TIME: "Yes on Home Depot" Thread (We found someone FOR it!)

Posting "No on Home Depot" comments is like shooting fish in a barrel. But someone is pretty passionate about all the anti-Home Depot stuff out there...so I decided to be compassionate and post their pro-Depot comment as a main thread. (Don't say I never did anything for the opposing view.)

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Zuma Dogg's Master Thread About Home Depot in Sunland":

Zuma Dog put down that doobie and please stop with all the end of the world nonsense about Home Depot. The two hardware stores nearby and the former Kmart all sell/sold the same chemicals (various lawn and garden products, paints, lubricants, and cleaners) without incident. Nobody is bitchin' about those stores.... The Kmart even had a waste oil underground storage tank.

Underground tanks in the area are a much bigger threat to groundwater and they are all over (every gas station, Sunland car wash, Verizon, LADWP pump station, Kamboj Liquor, Drive-in diary, a house on Greenwich St). Many of them have leaked too (ARCO, 7-11, and Chevron). The largest chemical container sold at a Home Depot is 5 gallons. Underground tanks can be 10,000 gallons or more. Do the math.

FYI - the LAUSD school up the street is a small quantity waste generator for pesticides and asbestos. Which site is really a bigger exposure risk for kids?

If you want to be against the Home Depot that's fine, but don't try and trump up all this environmental BS in an effort to make it a legitimate reason to oppose a retail store. It just doesn't fly.......

This sounds like a Not In My BackYard (NIMBY) issue to me. The property is zoned retail and all that Kmart merchandise was delivered by truck for almost 30 years without community uproar.

Sorry I can't sympathize. To me this is like people who buy a house next to an airport and then complain about noise.

Home Depot Puts $10 Million Lawsuit Against LA City on Hold

Home Depot puts suit on hold on permit issue
By Kerry Cavanaugh, Daily News Staff Writer

Home Depot has put its court challenge ($10 million crybaby lawsuit) on hold while it submits a new application to open a branch of the home-improvement chain in Sunland-Tujunga. (Against community wishes and best interest.)

Under the (under-handed) agreement with City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, Home Depot reserves the right to revive the lawsuit if the company doesn't get permission to open or if the community sues over the project. (That means they will be suing again, anyway.)

Last August, the Los Angeles City Council revoked Home Depot's building permit, saying the company's plan to remodel a vacant Kmart required more study of how the new store would affect the surrounding community.

Home Depot responded by suing the city. Company officials said Councilwoman Wendy Greuel interfered with the company's building-permit review and advised opponents - including competitor Do-It Center - on how to fight the project. Greuel said Home Depot is only now doing what it should have done.

As part of the agreement, the city has five months to review Home Depot's application and make a decision whether to renew the building permits. Also, Delgadillo's office will act as mediator between Home Depot and a community stakeholder committee. [Why not just have Latham & Watkins make the decision themselves, and you can save a bunch of phony decision-making time.)

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