Voters nail Lowe's at the ballot box

There will be no Lowe's home improvement store in Westlake Village after residents rejected Measure Z in the Nov. 7 election.

According to county election figures Wednesday morning, there were 1,907 votes against the big box store compared to 1,539 votes in favor.

Councilmember Philippa Klessig, who supported the Lowe's zoning amendment, expressed surprise at the wide margin of loss.

"In some ways I'm kind of glad because if it was a small margin I would think what more could we have done?" Klessig said.

The 168,000-square-foot retailer and town center would have been built on a 22-acre parcel along Russell Ranch Road near Costco. The hope was to surround the giant retailer with upscale restaurants and shops that would have served as a gathering spot for the community.

"In the end I think people did the right thing and really exercised their right of self-determination in defeating this," said Councilmember Jim Bruno, who opposed the project. "Lowe's is an excellent company, but they were at the wrong location."

Opponents argued that the project would bring overwhelming traffic to Lindero Canyon Road and would not attract high-end businesses.

Instead, an office complex may be built on the property.

"I'm very disappointed," said Kris Carraway-Bowman, a former Westlake mayor who supported the project. "It's human nature that if you're not sure what a development is all about you're going to vote no. The message wasn't clear about the benefits."

Lowe's is expected to sell the site, Klessig said, and may already have as many as three interested parties.

"We are evaluating a number of offers and our intention is to sell the property," said Chris Ahearn, a spokesperson for Lowe's in Mooresville, N.C.

Once the land is sold, Klessig wants the city to hold a study session to see what can be done to mitigate the potential traffic from whatever is built on the property.

Any project will have to go through the city's planning and approval process.

"It's not definite that an office complex will be built there," Bruno said. "I can guarantee that the council will work to keep the applicant's feet to the fire to bring the right project."

But other officials seemed adamant that plans for the offices would move forward if Lowe's were defeated.

Some residents had spoken about creating a park or recreational facility on the parcel, such as a bowling alley or skating rink. That's unlikely to happen, according to Carraway-Bowman, since the property is worth about $1.5 million per acre.

"No owner is going to turn it into a bowling alley or skating rink," Carraway-Bowman said. "They want a return on their investment. It's a shame more people in the decision-making process didn't realize the fiscal benefits of this and how the city earns money to support itself."

Bruno and Mayor Sue McSweeney believe council members will overcome their differences on the issue and work together in the future.

"We're all friends. We all respect each other," McSweeney said. "We are a very cohesive community. This was maybe a little blip for a few months."

Bruno credited residents with running a grassroots campaign against the project, and he later extended an olive branch.

"I'm anxious to work with my colleagues on the council and put this thing behind us," Bruno said.