Measure
H passes
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Measure H, the anti-big box referendum aimed at stopping Home Depot, won a narrow victory Tuesday in Agoura Hills.

The ballot measure seeking to limit retail stores to 60,000 square feet passed by 120 votes in one of the largest election day turnouts in city history. Several absentee and provisional ballots remain to be counted, according to election officials.

Of 12,280 registered voters in the city, 4,622, or 37 percent, voiced their opinion on the development issue. Those in favor of the retail store limitation—and against Home Depot—numbered 2,371, or 51.3 percent. Voters who opposed the referendum totaled 2,251, or 48.7 percent.

Developers can still build a shopping center along the Agoura Road redevelopment zone, but a proposed 140,000 square-foot Home Depot store is now prohibited.

"To say I’m disappointed is an understatement," said Denis Weber, Agoura Hills mayor. "We’re just going to have to huddle and say what’s our next step on this."

Citizens for Responsible Growth (CRG) said the outcome represented a victory for the "small town character" of Agoura Hills.

The Measure H backers long complained about traffic and other problems Home Depot might generate. The group said a shopping center would still be welcome, but without a big box store.

CRG Director Al Abrams gave credit for the victory to his group of 500 volunteers.

"People had a long time to think about this," Abrams said. "They had a long time to think about the pros and the cons, but I think really at the end what turned it around was the volunteers on the street, standing on the corners."

According to recent financial reporting statements, CRG spent $173,000 on the Measure H campaign. The ballot measure opponents, including Home Depot and Westlake Village developer Dan Selleck, spent $121,500.

Howard Littman, one of the Measure H authors, said he had doubts the referendum would pass.

"I thought that some of the publicity we were fighting against was overwhelming

and we would not prevail," Littman said. "I think if nothing else there’s been an awakening apparently among the voters to become more involved and express themselves.

"Maybe this has been a little renaissance that’s been overdue."

In other local results, U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) easily outpaced challenger Kevin Feldman in the Democratic primary for the newly formed 30th Congressional District.

Waxman won 89 percent of the vote in the region that includes Calabasas, Agoura Hills and Westlake Village.