Local Blogger Forces LA Councilmember Zine To End Week Backpedaling
From the Valley Vantage:
The Valley Vantage - July 29, 2010
It seems that many people’s mastery of the English language has been called into question by Zine. Apparently, “it’s a done deal,” actually means “don’t worry, it hasn’t been fully decided yet and there will be plenty of time for public comment.” I am quite pleased that I called out Mr. Zine publicly on his comments to Karen Koe, and he has been forced to engage his constituency.
I find it interesting that in the article Zine remarks that the Costco may not even end up at the The Village site at Owensmouth & Victory. (As a side note, I wonder if Zine picked up a backwards pedaling bicycle at the new Performance Bicycles store?) However, since that is the only proposal anyone is putting forward, you can pretty much be assured that’s where it will be going. Zine is clearly working closely with Costco, as he has said repeatedly, and obviously also Westfield, since they have put forth a proposal for it.
So, Mr. Zine, where is the alternate proposal that doesn’t involve The Village? Unfortunately, for everyone, this proposal is going to be put forward as, “If you want a Costco, if you want these jobs and development in Woodland Hills, it has to be at this site.” You can already tell where that’s going. Unless alternatives, and “plan Bs” are developed, this will come to a simple “yes” and “no” decision, which as Zine decrees, “the decision comes out of my office.” We already know what that decision will be if it comes down to Costco at The Village or no Costco at all.
This article is also quite interesting that it reveals that Costco plans to abandon it’s Canoga Park Costco location that has been a cancer on that community for a number of years. No matter how much you love Costco, you must admit that is true. They are not a very good corporate neigbhor for that community. I don’t personally think that would be the case for a higher end store in Woodland Hills, but no one should ignore the obvious fact that even the parking lot at the Canoga Park location is a sewer, last I looked.
Thanks to Tanya Peel for the heads up on the Valley Vantage article.
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6 Responses to “Local Blogger Forces LA Councilmember Zine To End Week Backpedaling”
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The Canago Park Costco may be a sewer, but it seems to me the reasoning is the spill over of day workers from next door Home Depot, the questionable apartments across the street, and it’s proximity to the empty lots in that area. I’m not sure how those factors are Costco’s fault per se. Please enlighten me if I’m wrong.
Either way, I’d rather go to something practical like a Costco then yet another collection of high end designer label stores that looks nice, but I’d never shop in. LA have plenty of those as it is.
It is a shame that a Woodland Hills Costo would be instead of the Canago Park location. I was hoping it would be “in addition to” and thus reduce the over crowding over there. Although this explains why Zine seemed intent on the WH location, given the CP location is in his district as well.
Either way, Zine has a point, if Costo leaves, other people will complain he didn’t do enough to keep business in LA, as many of those shoppers would drive up to the Westlake Village location. But then again, the city of LA in general seems intent on driving business out of LA proper, and then wondering where all the tax money went.
Why not put a Bloomingdale’s or another department store. Or maybe create that space into a open lake?
A costco’s would be ok, but if the one in canoga closes, then we would have even more crime and robbery.
What? Shut us off from available jobs in our neighborhood? The area where the COSTCO should go has been left vacant for over 20 years and results in very low taxes recovered from the land. We need a COSTCO with a gas station. I’m tired of getting ripped off by gasoline companies not having enough competition! Driving to Northridge for inexpensive gasoline is getting to be a bore. Build the place, but do a good job so people will want to spend money in our community.
I’m not supporting Zine anymore, not because of COSTCO, but his staff ignores our requests to fix our streets and fix the Dirty Water People running our LADWP. Better yet, let’s remove ourselves from Los Angeles City altogether. We pay way too much in taxes compared to what we receive from downtown.
Way to go Anthony! I have it, on good authority, that he (zine0 added to Ms. Koe that if the Neighborhood Council didn’t approve the COSTCO he would ignore them, to paraphrase.
Well now Councilor there is some simple political math her. If you want to run for Controller ala the pact you have with Greuel, then you have to carry the Valley. If you need to carry the Valley you have to carry the West Valley. If you need to carry the West Valley you have to carry Woodland Hills. You will not carry Woodland Hills if you insist on ignoring the people’s voice raised against COSTCO.
Why didn’t you listen to Cliff? There are two basic laws of politics; All politics is local is still number 1. You need to go back to POL school to remember that!
I would rather not see a Costco at this location. I agree that Mr. Zine should see to it that the West Valley does not loose businesses. But Costco is not the only game in town. In fact, big Box Stores are not the only game in town. The Commons in Calabasas is successful without a box store. So is The Grove, etc…. It does not necessarily need to be “high-end” but let’s face it, Costco will hardly improve our area’s image.
Woodland Hills cannot support any more boutique-type shops, a la the Commons, which serves a smaller community, not the largest regional center in the entire SF Valley.
This is a perfect place for Costco, as it gets the company closer to the mid-higher incomed residents of the west valley, yet will not alienate the populace in Canoga Park and Chatsworth. They will travel south or east to the northridge unit, yet the higher incomed folks will go to the Westlake or Van Nuys stores. The Warner Center area also has the street infrastructure to make this site work for Costco.
ps – Bloomingdale’s will probably never come to Woodland Hills as it has a Sherman Oaks store that does not do that well.