Residents in Long Beach, California plan to make it a long road for Home Depot’s attempts to move into a 192,000 s.f. retail center. The Long Beach Press Telegram reported that more than 250 neighbors packed a community forum this week to express their displeasure with a Home Depot in east Long Beach. Residents complained of potential traffic, environmental concerns, and loss of property values. “I think we can do a lot better with that land than a Home Depot,” one resident said. “We all know the project is going to be harmful to our homes.” The press account said the developer had a “tough time selling the project idea to skeptical residents at the forum.” The project is located near the Los Cerritos wetlands, and neighbors say a 105,000 s.f. Home Depot with a 54,000 s.f. garden center attached is the last thing the area needs. A sit-down restaurant is also part of the complex, plus other stores. The forum was designed to give the developer a list of issues to address in an environmental impact statement, which is due by July. After the hearing, with most people opposed to the plan, the developer left the meeting with a long list from Long Beach.
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