No on Measure Z

Measure Z has put a land use decision in the hands of the voters of Westlake Village. This same decision was made by our City Council in early 2006 and the answer was no. That wasn't good enough for Lowe's, and now they think our city is for sale. They have contributed $500,000 to fund the Yes on Z campaign. Their money has gone to tell us about a nonexistent town center instead of a very real Lowe's megastore. This money was also used to pay a former mayor to represent their store to the public.

Should a Lowe's be built in Westlake Village? I say absolutely not. A Lowe's does not fit with the current surrounding land uses and quite simply does not fit with what Westlake Village is all about. I moved my family here because our village is better than that.

Don't be fooled by the $500,000 they are spending to buy your vote. Join me in maintaining the quality and integrity in our city by voting no on Measure Z. Curt Knabe President, Renaissance at Westlake HOA

Why are some Westlake Village residents apparently so anxious to contribute to the further homogenization of our city? That will be the effect if Proposition Z passes and Lowe's builds its mega-chain store here.

We already have the ability to shop at two Do-It Center chain stores, both just minutes away from Westlake Village. And when we need even more variety we can go to another chain store-Home Depot-which is about 10 minutes away.

Proposition Z proponents argue that the Lowe's project will bring in upscale restaurants, citing The Daily Grill. When it comes to restaurants, we suffer from a dearth of individuallyowned establishments. We're already inundated with chains, from McDonald's on one end of the scale, to P.F. Chang's on the other. Why do we need even more of the same?

Drive south to San Diego or north to Lancaster, go in one shopping mall or another, and you're struck by one thing: everything looks and is exactly alike. I have no desire to help turn Westlake Village into just one more example of monotonous urban sprawl.

Which is why I'm voting no on Proposition Z. Eric Taub Westlake Village

Since when is a hardware/lumber store or the term "home improvement" store considered a "town center"? Could you imagine the Promenade or The Lakes with a Lowe's as their anchor? I can't, and the city of Thousand Oaks obviously could not, either.

We can do better and the threat of an office building is just that. In City Council testimony, Lowe's lead developer threatened that if the City Council did not approve the Lowe's project, the owner of the land was definitely going forward with an office building. Oh, really? What we got instead was this costly referendum.

Westlake Village can develop better communitycentered options for this important land. Every vote counts, especially in a small village like ours, so vote no on Measure Z. Terry Ajir Westlake Village

What I've not heard anyone on either side of the Lowe's issue point out is that we have an abandoned big box store already built and conveniently located on Hampshire Road in Thousand Oaks.

If Measure Z is approved by the voters, we'll still have an eyesore on Hampshire Road and one less potential candidate for that space. Bob Jacobs Westlake Village

Editor's note: Lowe's does not own the property referred to in Thousand Oaks. It owns the Westlake site only.