Home Depot Plan OKd by Commission

Despite community concerns, Home Depot’s plan to build a store on a portion of Ocean View High School’s property was approved this week by the Planning Commission.

The commissioners, who voted 5 to 1 in favor of the development Tuesday, said that while they supported the project, they were concerned that the staff report did not address the store’s impact on local property values.

Commissioner Philip Inglee asked that the information be presented to City Council members when they review the project. The council is expected to discuss the proposal May 19.

Residents opposed to the planned 105,000-square-foot store at Golden West Street and Warner Avenue, said they fear that increased traffic would mean more accidents and noise. Nearly 70 people applauded and cheered as speakers asked Home Depot to find an alternative site for the store.

“Home Depot is a bad neighbor,” said Linda Hostetter. “They’re messy, they’re noisy, they’re loud.”

Home Depot plans to lease 10 acres of land from the Huntington Beach Union High School District for 20 years at a cost of $480,000 annually. The land, formerly the site of an alternative school, overlaps the high school’s athletic fields. The company would pay to reconfigure the fields and build the school’s first tennis courts.

In addition to the lease payments, the district would receive a portion of the city’s sales tax revenue from the store, Assistant Supt. Patricia Koch said.

Several Ocean View parents wrote letters to the commission in support of the project, saying it would provide money for repairs to facilities throughout the district.

If the project receives final approval from the City Council, construction is expected to begin before the end of May, Koch said.