City gives take on Lowe's

The Town Center at Westlake Village, which includes a Lowe's home improvement store, is an excellent opportunity to enhance the city of Westlake Village and its general plan. That's right, to enhance. And I don't want the chance to be lost because of misconceptions and distortions being disseminated by the opposition.

Let's first look at the opponents' "loss of design control" distortion. Contrary to what is being said, the city council is actually keeping control for 108 reasons. They are the l08 conditions put forth in the development agreement that was before the City Council last January and now spelled out in Measure Z. Hardly sounds like Lowe's or the co-developer Charles Rotkin are shirking their responsibilities. They have incorporated the very regulations negotiated and discussed with the city as part of the measure. The conditions are in place specifically to make sure the Town Center lives up to our design criteria. To call these conditions "exemptions" or imply that anything is arbitrary is a blatant attempt to mislead voters. Just as in a development agreement, the city and staff will hold the developers to these conditions.

Are there any changes to the conditions? Yes, Lowe's operating hours were extended and are now 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Instituting extra hours is a way of spreading out commerce throughout the day and helping the city avoid rush hour traffic impacts.

Measure Z also reduces the number of parking spaces (still more than adequate) and changes the shopping carts from the requested beige to Lowe's standard orange color. Other than that, there are some minor rewrites but nothing substantive enough to warrant opposing the project in favor of an office complex.

Design control misconception No. 2: Opponents claim that the developers could make changes to the plan and the council could be on the hook to accept them and that we have lost design review. The initiative states that the Town Center is a preliminary site plan and that subsequent permits, plans and submittals would have to be approved by the City Council if they substantially conform to the initiative.

The word "substantially" seems to be what makes a few people think that control has been lost. We could argue forever on what a substantial change is, but keep in mind that the city retains the final say. If you want a planned development permit, then you will comply. If not, you risk the possibility of opening up environmental studies and protracted hearings. Sounds to me like the hammer is still there.

I expect and encourage factual and logical debate. If you don't like the project and you would prefer an office building, then that is your right to vote and say so. Just do not lie about the initiative or its consequences.

The Town Center with Lowe's remains my choice between the two realities of office or commercial. It gives the community more diversity in shopping and restaurants. It lessens peak hour traffic that is already beginning to choke the 101 Freeway and our surface streets. It enables us to enhance our general plan and reflect changes in demographics that we did not envision 25 years ago. It gives us a well designed place to gather. And it will help increase our revenue stream that not only helps fight the escalating costs of running a city but someday will enable a community center for residents to enjoy.

Please join me and the majority of your elected City Council, former council members and city leaders in supporting and voting for Measure Z.