Agoura Hills City Council candidates face off
in their first forum
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Agoura Hills City Council candidates squared off Tuesday in an election forum that touched on a wide range of issues, not the least of which was Home Depot and whether or not the large retailer should be allowed to build here.

Audience members posed most of the questions, including one about the impact of Home Depot on the already crowded city streets.

"Excessive traffic, putting existing stores out of business and pre-existing Home Depot stores are the primary reasons why we are focused to say no on Home Depot," said candidate Ken Horton. "A sizeable tax base is a primary reason to support it. I strongly oppose Home Depot."

Dan Crisafulli and Mel H. Adams, members of Citizens for Responsible Growth, opposed the project as well.

"Development and traffic are in the normal course of progress, but we need to keep a better control on the density of development or we’ll be sacrificing the very reason why we all chose to live and work here," said Adams, whose equipment rental business on Agoura Road may be threatened by Home Depot.

"Home Depot is not for Agoura Hills," Crisafulli said. "We should do our best to preserve this city and only bring businesses in here that give us services we don’t already have."

The three incumbents, Ed Corridori, Jeff Reinhardt and Denis Weber, spoke neither for nor against the proposed 140,000 square-foot store, but they defended the city’s right to give it a fair trial.

"(Home Depot) should not be denied without a hearing," Corridori said. "It should not be denied solely to protect other businesses. That’s protectionism, it’s illegal … I won’t personally take part in a kangaroo court that makes up its mind before hearing the evidence presented."

Reinhardt agreed.

"What they’re saying is tantamount to going to a judge before the trial and saying he’s guilty. You can’t do this, this is America."

"It’s competition and it’s free enterprise," said Weber.

George Thomas, a former assistant to U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman, said Home Depot has far reaching implications.

"It’s not just about the Home Depot or the Kanan/101 interchange, it’s about the retail sales tax base," Thomas said. "Costco doubled the city of Westlake budget with the revenue."

Several candidates said the proposed $22 million interchange wouldn’t rely on fees and revenue generated from Home Depot.

"It is just a source of sales tax revenue like any other business in the city and it has to be treated in exactly the same way as other businesses," said challenger Bob Wachs. "Will it stand on its own merit or not? Will it fit in or not?"

The forum, sponsored by The Acorn and the Agoura/Oak Park/Las Virgenes Chamber of Commerce, was held at the Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center. A second forum is scheduled for next Thurs., Oct. 11 at Sumac Elementary School in Agoura Hills.

The candidates talked not only about the freeway interchange, but other traffic needs. Wachs suggested the possibility of turning Agoura Road and Roadside Drive into one way streets. Improving the interchange, however, remained the top priority for Thomas.

"We should come up with the best gameplan and not take no for an answer," Thomas said.

The candidates also want to protect the city’s open space and rural character. They’d like to begin by enhancing the Liberty Canyon wildlife corridor.

"We have a problem. We have encroached on all these animals and we’re not giving anything back to them," Horton said.

Despite the animosity over Home Depot, the gloomy economy and growing traffic problems, Wachs said Agoura Hills remains the "best little city in Southern California."

The forum will be telecast on Adelphia Cable Channel 63 at 5 p.m. on Oct. 9 and noon on Oct. 11. The forum will be on Channel 8 at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 and at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14.