The former Kmart store, adjacent retail stores and parking lot will be demolished and replaced with a brand new Home Depot store, garden center, parking lot and landscaping.

The new store will incorporate exterior finish materials complementary to the City’s theme and earth tone colors to harmonize with the surrounding area. Lush and mature landscaping will be integrated throughout the store grounds.The site will also be lowered to make parking and walking safer. The City’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) concluded that the proposed new store “will not have a demonstrably negative impact to the visual character of the site” and “does not directly affect any scenic resources, block views of any identified scenic resources or substantially alter views from a scenic highway.” The adjacent fast-food restaurant and gas stations are not part of this project.

No. The proposed store is approximately 11,000 square feet smaller than the former Kmart and attached retail and approximately 30,000 square feet smaller than our typical store size.

The City’s Draft EIR traffic study found that The Home Depot project will not negatively impact the surrounding street system including the 101 freeway. The City’s Draft EIR traffic study also confirms that all intersections studied will operate in accordance with the City’s standards. Only one intersection is affected when our project is combined with cumulative impacts resulting from other projects in the area. This intersection at Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Hampshire Road, will require only minor restriping to meet City standards.

According to the Institute of Traffic Engineers, The Home Depot and other home improvement type stores typically generate less traffic than a retail shopping center with a grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants, beauty salons and the like.

No. Lighting fixtures on the property will be screened or shielded at property lines so that light will not spill over the property line. According to the City’s Draft EIR, our proposed new store will not produce significant additional sources of light and glare. In fact, by carefully mapping and selecting site lighting fixtures, the project will significantly reduce excess light at night. The fixtures themselves ensure light is only directed onto the parking lot, reducing the amount of light pollution across property lines and reducing overall energy use.

The City of Thousand Oaks independently studied all adjacent intersections. The study found that the intersection at Hampshire Road and the 101 freeway will operate at an acceptable level in accordance with City standards. In addition, the proposed plan for the new store will include ample two-lane driveways to avoid queuing and potential blockages on Hampshire Road into the project site.

Like many businesses in the community, The Home Depot maintains a policy of non-solicitation at its stores by individuals and organizations not affiliated with our company. In the interest of safety and convenience, we maintain a non-solicitation policy to keep people from loitering or otherwise creating or causing safety risks to our associates or customers.

The Home Depot will appoint an on-site security liaison to coordinate with the City’s police department on security issues and to discourage loitering on-site. In addition, the City has established a ‘no-stopping zone' along Hampshire Road, adjacent to the property that will be enforced by the Thousand Oaks Police Department.

Two environmental studies of the project’s impact on the environment (called a Mitigated Negative Declaration) were prepared and released for public review in 2006 and 2007. Comments were received from the public for both studies. Based on the comments received, the City of Thousand Oaks concluded that more environmental study was necessary and as a result issued a notice of preparation in the fall of 2007 to notify the public that a Draft Environmental Impact Report (Draft EIR) was being prepared.

The City of Thousand Oaks released the Draft EIR in January 2008 and public input was gathered over a 75- day period. The California Environmental Quality Act requires a 45-day public review period, but the City extended the review period an additional 30 days at the request of a commenter. The City reviews public comments it receives, provides written responses to the comments and then sets a date for review by the Thousand Oaks Planning Commission. There will be an open public hearing for the community to provide additional input and take part in the planning process.

Volunteerism and philanthropy are fundamental values of the Home Depot and a passion for its associates. In addition to our track record in building 1,000 playgrounds with KaBoom!, a national nonprofit dedicated to building a playground within walking distance of every child in America, and contributing more than $300,000 to disaster relief during the recent Southern California fire season, we have opened our doors to support a number of grassroots organizations and charitable events in Thousand Oaks.

These local organizations include Rebuilding Together Ventura County, Conejo Valley Days, the Westlake High School Baseball Team and the Eagle Scouts. We are committed to this legacy in the communities where we operate stores nationwide.

We value your feedback. Help us keep the lines of communication open by continuing to ask questions and provide input. You may call our information line at (805) 856-9137.

Since December 2006, The Home Depot has reached out to neighbors through mailings, community meetings, conversations in door-to-door meetings, an informational hotline and website, presentations to the Thousand Oaks-Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce and local homeowners associations. We are committed to this dialogue and believe it is important to understand what we can do to address concerns. Through this process, we have also learned that many of you support opening this new store. Thank you for your support!