Down with Home Depot, up with Adams

Down with Home Depot, up with Adams

What’s best for Agoura Hills? Do you know? Maybe none of us know for sure, but we are faced with an important decision.

Yes, I’m talking about "big box stores."

Hopefully, the citizens will make the final decision, but failing that, the city council has the duty.

If you stop and consider the number of small businesses Home Depot will displace (put out of business), what will be gained? Certainly not "tax base"—many small businesses would be lost which would offset any proposed gains.

Public street improvements? According to a recent newspaper article, most of the already needed improvements aren’t scheduled to begin until 2005. When you add all the anticipated additional "car trips" created by a Home Depot, we’re looking at a three-to-five-year traffic nightmare.

Part of the solution has to be an informed city council and an informed electorate.

Which brings me to the main point of this letter: Mel H. Adams, city council candidate, 2001.

Mel H. Adams has been a contributing member of this community for 16 years. Mel Adams, Sr., and subsequently Mel Adams, Jr., have been a major force in building this community from the ground up . . . literally.

If a service-based group or a local small-business owner needed equipment, they could count on Agoura Equipment Rentals and at least one Adams to help. After 35 years’ involvement, you tend to learn a lot about what makes a strong community.

Adams doesn’t serve any special interest groups, but he does have the greater good of the community as his goal. Yes, he is anti-"big-box store" for many of the same reasons concerned citizens have been expressing to neighbors and publicly in print.

I freely endorse Mel H. Adams for Agoura Hills City Council, as I hope you will. We need clear-minded businessmen running our local government.

Kay Trietsch

Agoura Hills