Home Depot environmental document says problems can be resolved
By Nancy Needham  nancy@theacorn.com

An Environmental Impact Report draft, required by the state and paid for by the developer on the proposed Home Depot site at 325 Hampshire Road, was released on Jan. 25.

The site was formerly occupied by a Kmart store.

The 45-day public review period began on the day the draft was released and will end on March 10.

"All those interested and concerned may write to us, and all responses will be answered and included in the final report," said Rich Burgess, city senior planner.

The final EIR will be presented to the planning commission upon completion.

"That usually takes a couple of weeks, but we expect a lot of comments and each issue will be addressed--so it could take longer," Burgess said.

In the EIR draft it's noted that the Kmart store was 109,000 square feet while the proposed Home Depot is to be 96,973 square feet. The maximum height of the Kmart building is 35 feet. The single-story Home Depot would be about 42 feet at its highest point. Most of the new structure would be 28 to 34 feet high.

According to the EIR draft, the proposed building would be in the footprint of the existing Kmart building--after that structure and the attached shops are demolished.

Plans include lowering the overall grade of the property four feet to reduce the driveway slopes to Hampshire Road.

The draft doesn't list any unavoidable adverse impacts.

"There are no significant impacts that can't be mitigated," Burgess said.

Among the impacts listed as mitigated are light and glare, construction emissions, site grading, release of asbestos in the environment, erosion, water runoff and traffic.

According to the report, the project won't substantially block views of surrounding ridgelines or scenic vistas. Trees and landscaping are expected to diffuse light and glare from parking lot lights. Asbestos will be removed by a specialist before demolition of old buildings. Any soil found unstable will need to be stabilized to legal standards, the report said. Increased need for fire and police protection is also said to have been mitigated.

Construction would avoid the protected oak tree on the southwest corner of the site. There will be no pruning, and a protective fence will be put around the tree before construction or grading. The fence will have warning signs not to remove the fence.

Soil-boring samples have indicated the long-closed Kmart auto care center didn't leave significant residual contaminants, the draft said.

In compliance with the city's noise ordinance, construction will be permitted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Because impacts are less than significant for off-site traffic noise and cumulative noise of adjacent property, no mitigation measures are required, according to the EIR. One of the site's neighbors is a senior day-care facility.

Construction and operation trucks will adhere to haul routes approved by the public works department, the report said.

The EIR draft is about 500 pages and includes maps, diagrams and charts. Anyone interested in seeing a copy of the draft can contact Burgess at burgess@toaks.org.

Those who'd like to respond to the report should send a letter to Rick Burgess, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362.