Synopsis

Just to keep you in the loop, there’s a couple of things that have been announced in the past week or so regarding Home Depot on Hampshire, the Lindero Freeway Overpass Project, and Costco in Newbury Park.

The Final Environmental Impact Report on The Home Depot project on Hampshire Road has been released. There will be a public hearing at the end of the month to approve the demolition of the old K-Mart, and the building of a new Home Depot store slated to open in 2010. See below.

The City of Westlake Village has postponed the vote to award the freeway overpass contract on Lindero Canyon until it can determine if Federal monies may be available. The proposed economic stimulus package being considered by the U.S. Congress may make additional funding available. See (http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jan/16/westlake-delays-contract-for-freeway-project/)

Costco has withdrawn their application to open another store in Newbury Park. Reportedly, Costco was unable to finalize a lease with the property owner. See (http://www.toacorn.com/news/2009/0115/editorials/009.html) for more information.

The Breckenridge Group which owns Applebee’s from Ventura to Santa Clarita, is closing the Applebee’s franchises in the area. Applebee’s is hoping there will be a new franchisee that will come in and re-open them.


Home Depot Details

Earlier this month, the City of Thousand Oaks released the Final Environmental Impact Report for The Home Depot planned for 325 Hamshire Road, on the former K-Mart site.

The Thousand Oaks Planning Commission will have a public hearing, regarding the Home Depot project on Hampshire Road, on Monday, January 26, 2009, 6:30 p.m., in the City of Thousand Oaks Council Chambers at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard, 2nd Floor, at which time any person is privileged to attend and be heard.

Home Depot is requesting that they be allowed to demolish the former K-Mart Store and in-line building, and construct a new Home Depot.

Demolition would remove 121,360 sq ft of building on the property, and replace it with a 96,973 sq ft Home Depot, and an attached 13,669 outdoor Garden center. According to the EIR, “project implementation would result in a net 10,718-square-foot reduction in overall onsite building area.”

The full EIR is available on the City of Thousand Oaks web site at (http://www.ci.thousand-oaks.ca.us/)

Home Depot has put up a web site at (http://homedepot4to.com/) — as part of Home Depot’s open letter to the community, they state “This document confirms that all environmental impacts will not exceed City thresholds and standards or will be mitigated to a level of insignificance in compliance with State law.”