Sides square off in Lowe’s debate
A major project, including Lowe’s, upscale restaurants
and more is proposed for Lindero Canyon Road near Costco in the
city of
Westlake Village
By Daniel Wolowicz
danielw@theacorn.com

In the city of Westlake Village another major retailer––Lowe’s, a home improvement store–wants to open. As expected, opponents are waging war.

With stakes high, activists both for and against the home improvement chain are targeting

homeowner associations, neighborhood organizations and private citizens.

Lowe’s filed an application with the city last November to build a 168,000-square-foot store, which includes a 31,000-square-foot garden center on Russell Ranch Road near Costco.

Included in the application is a proposal by Rotkin Real Estate Group to develop an additional 62,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. The proposal totals about 230,000 square feet.

The site is zoned for 376,000 square feet of office space. To move the project forward, the city must change the zoning.

Representatives from Lowe’s and Rotkin recently presented plans to the Westlake Joint Board of Homeowner Associations at the North Ranch Community Centre.

The joint board represents about 40 HOAs in Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks.

"The reason we are doing these informational meetings is we want to encourage as many people as possible to attend the concept hearing in early May," said Al Abrams, Lowe’s public relations consultant. "We believe it’s extremely important that the citizens themselves view the pros and cons, and make up their own minds whether or not this is going to be a big plus . . . to the city of Westlake Village."

City Councilmember Philippa Klessig asked the city’s HOA leaders to educate themselves on the proposal and to fully understand all sides. She encourages citizens to attend the city council’s meeting on the proposal later this month or early in May. A draft of the project’s environmental impact report will be available in early June, Klessig said, and the final report is due in September.

Klessig voiced frustration over the content of an anti-Lowe’s mailer recently sent to voters in Westlake Village. The mailer, she said, talks about increased traffic, more demands on police and fire protection and potential lower property values in nearby neighborhoods.

The mailer was paid for by

Do-it Center owner Jes Ruff, said Kelly Hayes-Raitt, a public relations consultant hired by Ruff. Hayes-Raitt said the content of the mailer was based in part on research of similar projects.

Ruff said he’s against the development not only because Lowe’s would hurt sales at his Thousand Oaks and Agoura Hills stores, but because he feels it strays too far from the city’s general plan. He also said the development would add excessive traffic on Lindero Canyon and Russell Ranch roads.

But Lowe’s representatives pointed out that if office buildings were built instead, the traffic during peak hours could be worse.

Opponents have also said that office buildings don’t require frequent truck deliveries of new merchandise.

Lowe’s representatives said roadways would be altered to funnel traffic from the freeway to avoid residential areas. A signal light to manage traffic in and out of the complex would also mitigate the traffic, according to proponents. In addition, plans to widen Lindero Canyon Road to accommodate the area’s three major construction projects are under consideration by the city.

The mailer also upset Klessig because she said the return address on one of the detachable postcards made it appear as if the Renaissance Homeowners Association supported the mailer. Renaissance is the neighborhood that would be most affected by the project.

Cheryl Tabbi is listed as the contact person in the return address. Although Tabbi is the Renaissance treasurer and a Lowe’s opponent, the association had not approved the mailer, said Curt Knabe, the association’s president.

Hayes-Raitt said 161 of the 180 homeowners in the association signed a petition against the project.

At the closest point, the new complex would be about 670 feet from the Renaissance homes, said Robert Theobald, planning director for Westlake Village.

Lowe’s sent a mailer to nearby homeowners offering a zero percent credit line for up to $4,000, which was described by one critic as a "bribe," but according to a Lowe’s spokesperson, "The mailing that was sent out to those in the Renaissance Homeowners Association went to thousands of residents in the entire Conejo Valley as a standard offer made by Lowe’s. It had nothing whatsoever to do with this project."

Abrams said the mailer was generated from the Lowe’s store in West Hills.

Charles Rotkin, president of Rotkin Real Estate, focused on the proposed 62,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. He said the developers intend the eateries to be fine dining establishments with national prominence. The surrounding stores, Rotkin said, will be high-end and cater to Westlake Village residents. The focal point of the retail complex will be a large oak tree surrounded by patio dining, a fountain and benches, he said.

Jack Mandel, a site development manager with Lowe’s, said the store wouldn’t be visible from the 101 Freeway.

"Obviously we are a big building," Mandel said. "And our challenge is not to make it look like a big box. The city has been very explicit that they will not allow anything at all that even looks close to a great big box."

Mandel said the architecture of the Lowe’s store would be compatible with surrounding buildings.