Home Depot Plan Gets Council’s OK

While frustrated residents complained that the vote seemed to be a done deal, the City Council this week approved a proposal for construction of a Home Depot on Ocean View High School property.

Council members sympathized with the concerned neighbors but said the city needs the $500,000 in sales taxes that the new store is expected to generate annually.

“‘No one likes to see fields that were open space being used,” Councilwoman Shirley S. Dettloff said. “That’s a very difficult decision. Probably we have no other choice.”

Home Depot officials said the company needs to expand from its current location, 6912 Edinger Ave., and would move out of the city if it could not build on 10 acres of school property at Golden West Street and Warner Avenue.

The land is the site of a closed alternative school and a portion of Ocean View’s athletic fields.

That argument didn’t sit well with some residents, though.

“Our city is ugly, and now we’re going to make it worse,” Jeff Lee said. “You take a nice green field and pour concrete on it so Home Depot can move a whole two blocks?”

Other residents complained about the increased traffic likely, especially next to a high school.

Under the agreement, the store will lease the land from the Huntington Beach Union High School District for 20 years at $480,000 annually. Home Depot also will pay to reconfigure the school’s athletic fields and build tennis courts.

Mayor Ralph H. Bauer said the city has to take advantage of every opportunity for revenue if it wants to keep providing the services that residents expect.

“This is a necessary project--the money is running out for us,” he said.

The council approved the project 7 to 0, prompting one person in the audience to call out, “Gee, what a surprise.”

Construction of the store is scheduled to begin by month’s end.