The City Council last week supported an appeal that shot down a second Home Depot for Conejo Valley. The new store would have gone into the old Kmart site on Hampshire Road, just south of the 101 Freeway.

Some people were happily surprised with the council's decision. Others weren't.

In retrospect, the council listened closely and decided that Hampshire Road isn't a good place for a big-box home improvement store.

It's not far from the city's day laborer site, just on the other side of the freeway. A new store would have caused a large migration of workers because the laborers will go where the jobs are, and a big home improvement store would have been a logical destination.

It's better from the city's standpoint that the day laborers stay where they are. Without a new Home Depot nearby, they probably will.

Other factors were also working against Home Depot, including noise, traffic, a negative impact on other businesses, and a nearby child care center and senior living facility.

The zoning, too, wasn't exactly consistent with a major big-box outlet.

It may take 10 years to know whether the council's decision was wise or not. If a huge vacant building is still standing on Hampshire Road a decade from now, last week's decision will have been a mistake.

The ball is in the court of the landowner. He has a valuable piece of property, and he has the right to develop it.

Some residents will call for the city to buy the property and build a park. Others want a bowling alley or roller/ice skating facility. In a perfect "make believe" world, these are wonderful ideas. But dreams aren't reality.

Someday, something will be built there. Let's hope that it's no worse than a Home Depot.