4,828 / 35.3% Yes votes ...... 8,847 / 64.7% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

In January, 2000, the Mountain View City Council adopted amendments to the Americana Precise Plan which prohibited warehouse or big box retail uses on the Gateway Site. That same amendment expressly authorized a hotel, restaurants, cafes and office complexes as permitted uses.

Measure N would reverse the Mountain View City Council's decision to impose a maximum floor area limit of 50,000 square feet on large retail space. It would make the home products retail use with a minimum size of 90,000 square feet the only principally permitted use within the Precise Plan for the Gateway Site.

All other uses currently allowed by the Precise Plan, including hotels, restaurants, offices and mixed use projects, would be redesignated and only allowed as provisional uses. Measure N increases the amount of the Gateway Site which can be covered by buildings from the allowed thirty five percent (35%) to a maximum forty five percent (45%). It also reduces the building setback from El Camino Real from forty (40) feet to thirty (30) feet for the Gateway Site. Measure N removes or modifies several of the existing design standards including the standard requiring the trash enclosures, storage areas, garden product displays, etc., not be visible from the public streets.

The proposed measure provides that the Precise Plan affecting the Gateway Site, may be amended or repealed only by the voters of the City of Mountain View for fifteen (15) years. The measure does not amend the City's General Plan nor impose any limitation on the City Council or the voters' ability to amend the General Plan in the future. The City Council retains architectural control and the authority to approve, conditionally approve or reject any project submitted to develop the Gateway Site. The Council also retains the obligation to mitigate environmental impacts generated by a proposed project.

Prepared by:

Michael D. Martello, City Attorney

Please note

The material about this Measure has been retyped from Registrar of Voters' material. There could be errors. The official material can be obtained from the Registrar of Voters.

KQED-FM 88.5 Public Radio

• Discussion on Measure N - RealAudio archive of Forum program aired 2/26/02 (30 min) hosted by Michael Krasny. Guests: McGaughey, VallAndigham
  (Opens in new window). Part of KQED.org election coverage

Los Altos Town Crier

• Home Depot controversy before MV voters Tuesday - 2/27/02

• The pros and cons of Measure N - 2/22/02
• Chronology of Home Depot in Mountain View - 2/22/02
• The Heated Debate over Home Dept at the Emporium site - 2/22/02
• Home Depot sparks feud in the Chamber of Commerce - 2/8/02
• As March election draws closer, Home Depot campaign gains speed, money - 1/18/02
• Home Depot Opponents unveil Castro Street home, new name - 1/18/02

Supports

• No known websites

• Citizens Voting NO on N

Home Depot has a 45-year lease on the site, and is committed to building an attractive, high-quality, full-service store, reserving to your City Council the power to approve the store's appearance to ensure that it blends well with the surrounding area and the community as a whole.

Other significant issues have been addressed and will be guaranteed by a YES vote for a new Home Depot which include:

• Creation of 200 new jobs with and full benefits such as health care, paid educational expenses, retirement and stock options.
• A constant infusion of nearly $500,000 per year in new sales tax revenue without tax increases.
• Up to $1 million to be spent by Home Depot to improve traffic flow around the store. These improvements include computer synchronized traffic lighting and new lanes.
• New curbs and landscaping to eliminate cut-through traffic from the store to nearby neighborhoods (i.e. The Americana Apartment Complex).
• A prohibition of outdoor pallets and displays.
• A heavily landscaped buffer along El Camino Real and around the store.
• Limited delivery hours for loading and unloading to minimize any disturbance to neighbors.
• Architecturally attractive screen walls around the loading and refuse area, and
• Covered loading docks.

Vote YES on Home Depot for Mountain View's economic future.

Mountain View Citizens for Home Depot

Douglas Aikins
Mountain View Citizens for Home Depot

Proponents argue this "Gateway" project will be "attractive", "high quality", and "blend in" with the neighborhood. Why then is it necessary to hide this big box behind "a heavily landscaped buffer along El Camino and around the store" and erect "screen walls"?

Proponents describe Home Depot's promises to control deliveries, loading hours, traffic, and be a good neighbor. Last July the City's staff listed operating violations by Home Depot at six of its Peninsula stores, which indicate Home Depot's promises don't mean much. More recently on November 20th, Campbell's City Council confirmed findings of recurring problems with its Home Depot: forklifts operating at all hours, inside and out; cut through traffic; inadequate sound barriers; parked and idling delivery trucks on residential streets; inadequate landscape maintenance.

Proponents completely ignore that Home Depot refuses to do what the City wants: limit building size to 50,000 square feet and coverage to 35%, standard restrictions for all retailers; incorporate standard design features and windows in otherwise blank walls; eliminate visibility of trash dumpsters, storage areas, garden product displays, etc.

AVOID THESE PROBLEMS IN MOUNTAIN VIEW. VOTE "NO" ON MEASURE N.

Lawrence G. Vallandigham, Chair, Mountain View Citizens Against Home Depot's Big Box Retail at the Old Emporium Site

Rosemary Stasek, Councilmember

Robert H. Weaver, Chair, Environmental Planning Commission

Bruce Karney, Community Leader

Keith Wilson, Member, North Whisman Neighborhood Assoc.

Home Depot proposed these Amendments for one reason. It serves Home Depot's corporate self-interests to do so. Home Depot gave little consideration to community interests in crafting these amendments. They were drafted to achieve specific "Home Depot" objectives: (1) end-run the expertise and judgment of City officials, regarding what development rules should control our Landmark Gateway Site; (2) grease the skids for approval of a mega-Big-Box-Retail Home Depot building supply and trucking operation in the heart of this Gateway Site; and (3) create obstacles for other preferred uses of this Site. Does this indicate corporate greed and callous disregard for our community, or what?

We don't need another Home Depot with three already in Sunnyvale, East Palo Alto and Cupertino. Enough is enough!

Why, just hours before the scheduled vote, did Home Depot abruptly yank its proposed Amendments from the Council Agenda? Why did Home Depot shrug off exhaustive efforts by our City officials and residents, after they had extensively reviewed, commented on and diligently considered each of Home Depot's complex and ever-changing proposals? This process cost our City and its taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why after all this did Home Depot take this complicated decision away from the Council at the last minute and force it upon Mountain View's voters? The answer is obvious. Home Depot realized it could not fool our City officials, and now it wants to fool us.

DON'T BE FOOLED!. VOTE "NO" ON MEASURE N AND GET THIS 800 POUND GORILLA OFF OUR BACKS.

Lawrence G. Vallandigham, Chair, Mountain View Citizens Against Home Depot's Big Box Retail at the Old Emporium Site

Mario Ambra, Mayor (2001)

Matt Allen, Former Mayor and Councilmember

Debra Schulz, President - Minton's Lumber & Supply

T.R. Frankum, Environmental Planning Commission Chair (2001)

FACT: Placing this issue before the voters continues this community discussion and allows for additional community input. Remember, City Council will maintain final approval of the design process. Your YES vote is another part of the democratic process, and you deserve to have a voice in Mountain View's growth.

FACT: A Mountain View Home Depot will mean that people can purchase locally, allowing the Mountain View to benefit, rather than other cities that enjoy the convenience of a Home Depot. Purchasing products in Mountain View will mean sales tax money will stay in Mountain View to benefit Mountain View. A YES vote for Home Depot can help Mountain View maintain city services for its residents including senior citizens and children. These services include public safety, libraries and parks and traffic improvements. What's more, a new Home Depot can mean nearly $500,000 a year in sales tax, and 200 new jobs.

A Yes vote on Measure N means YES to a stronger economic future for Mountain View.

Douglas Aikins
Mountain View Citizens for Home Depot

Naomi Vargas
Mountain View Citizens for Home Depot