Lowe’s proponents say build it, they will come

As feisty campaign comes to a close, opponents stress the project's shortcomings


SCARE TACTICS--A resident said  Wednesday  she was  upset  that  her  child received  trick-or-treat  stickers  such as this  one  on  Halloween night  labeling  Lowe's  as  a

SCARE TACTICS–A resident said Wednesday she was upset that her child received trick-or-treat stickers such as this one on Halloween night labeling Lowe’s as a “scary” idea. The stickers were distributed by opponents of the Lowe’s big-box store.


Westlake Village residents will come to a parting of the ways Nov. 7. People on both sides of the Lowe’s campaign say they support the creation of a new town center on Russel Ranch Road near the freeway, but Measure Z on the ballot asks voters to decide what form the center should take.

Residents
will be asked if they want to amend the city’s General Plan to allow the construction of a 168,000 square-foot Lowe’s home improvement store. Questions about lifestyle, traffic, and the very future of this quiet lakeside community of 8,300 have dogged the campaign for almost a year.

On one side are those who favor the Lowe’sproject, believing it will provide residents with a gathering place and another opportunity to shop locally rather than having to drive to other communities to spend valuable tax dollars.

On the other side are those who feel the big box store will add significant traffic to local roads and increase air pollution and noise. They prefer a more parklike retail center be built on the 22-acre parcel near Costco.

The land is currently zoned for an office complex of up to 376,000 square feet. Sources say the city has a deal pending to build the offices if Lowe’s fails at the poll.

“Most people say they want to have a town center, but what we all truly want is something like a (Rick) Caruso project, like the Promenade or The Lakes in Thousand Oaks, with a children’s area for kids to play in as well as shops,” said Carol Kirschbaum, an 18-year resident who is against a Lowe’s store.

The City Council is divided on the issue. Mayor Susan McSweeney and Councilmember Jim Bruno oppose the project and Councilmembers Philippa Klessig and Mark Rutherford favor it. Councilmember Bob Slavin recused himself when the council voted on Lowe’s earlier this year, a move that resulted in a 22 deadlock. Slavin owns nearby office property, a conflict of interest. The council’s tie vote led to a petition drive that put Measure Z on the ballot.

Bruno doesn’t believe the Lowe’s project fits the culture or character of the city’s village concept and that changing the municipal code for a development agreement sets a bad precedent.

“We went through hundreds of hours of deliberation and consideration before voting,” Bruno said. “The Lowe’s project is completely incongruent with everything about the city of Westlake Village.”

But Klessig says is the last piece of undeveloped property in Westlake and she believes the city needs to maximize its return. The city would earn about $700,000 a year in tax revenues from the project, according to Klessig, compared to about $100,000 for an office park.

“This property is worth $22 million. We’ve got to get a dollar out of it,” Klessig said. “A park is not a realistic use of it.”

Klessig hopes the additional tax revenues would allow the city to build a true community center with playgrounds and a party/ meeting room for clubs to rent, and would pay for upgrades to Canyon Oaks Park and other facilities.

“I call this project an enabler because it will allow the city to give more services back to the community,” Klessig said. “It gives our residents more options. An office building may be prestigious, but it just sits there.”

Kirschbaum said Westlake is a small community that can’t support an estimated 66,000 extra car trips per week and large delivery trucks coming through daily. Office buildings would bring less noise and pollution and produce minimal traffic on weekends, she said. With a Four Seasons, a Marriott and a new school being built along the Lindero Canyon corridor, traffic will be even more congested.

Traffic impacts come with any project, according to former Mayor Kris Carraway-Bowman, a Lowe’s supporter. The Lowe’s environmental impact report predicts an office park would produce more rush hour vehicles, she said.

“There are ways to mitigate any traffic that comes through there. That’s the job of the city and they will work to do it,” Carraway-Bowman said.

Then there is the quality-of-life benefit. Upscale restaurants and shops would occupy the space around Lowe’s, Carraway-Bowman said, allowing residents to enjoy nearby shopping and entertainment. But Kirschbaum doesn’t believe any fine stores and restaurants would be attracted to a Lowe’s shopping center.

“We’re not going to have any fine restaurants. That doesn’t go with Lowe’s. Look at what’s by the Lowe’s in the Valley,” Kirschbaum said. “The best we could hope for would be something like a coffee shop, or a Coco’s.”

Carraway-Bowman disagreed. She brought up the Costco and Albertsons shopping centers as positive examples for the city. When she joined the council in December 1993, Caraway-Bowman recalled that the city was struggling financially.

At the time, Price Club, now known as Costco, wanted to
build a store on Russell Ranch Road. There was much opposition, Carraway-Bowman said, but the council approved the project without a vote by residents.

“Everybody who was against it shops there now,”
Carraway-Bowman said. “To me this is planning for the future. Look how strong
financially the city is because it was looking ahead.”



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *