The Campbell Reporter

Letters & Opinions

Home Depot needs to behave like a good neighbor

Home Depot like it's next-door neighbors, Fry's Electronics and Staples, is a revenue generator for the city of Campbell. But unlike those neighboring businesses, Home Depot has developed an image problem in our city. It's regarded as a bad neighbor.

That unfriendly image reached a head this month with Home Depot's continued lack of cooperation in addressing the ongoing day-laborer problem, a situation that has gotten completely out of hand in Campbell.

Female customers are being harassed as they enter the parking lot and surrounding businesses. Police are responding frequently to complaints of illegal drug use and sales and drunkenness. Businesses are calling the city about disgusting situations that include human waste being deposited in landscaping and surrounding areas, along with litter and safety concerns for their female employees.

Home Depot's refusal to properly address these complaints has impacted other businesses, and the owners are fed up, as are the adjacent residents on Harrison and Central avenues, who are also fearful for their safety. The city has had enough and we agree.

The home improvement store was sent a notice of violation in March, and the list was extensive.

It's time for Home Depot to take its head out of the vice and start acting like a responsible member of the Campbell community.

To solve the problem, the city council had a study session on April 3, where council members gladly listened to resident and business input. Home Depot was not there.

Numerous ideas where bandied about, including one that considered the possibility of capping the hours that Rotten Robbie and Shell gas stations sold alcohol. One businessman asked if the stations could be restricted to no alcohol sales before 4 p.m. to prevent the day laborers from buying beer at 7:30 a.m.

The idea has merit, but these businesses should not have their hours of operations modify to clean up Home Depot's problem.

Another suggestion was to strategically place large signs at Home Depot clearly stating that it is illegal to pick up workers for hire who are not legally in this country, and doing so would result in stiff fines. The idea behind the signs is to stop contractors from hiring the day laborers, because the problem cuts both ways. People are looking for cheap labor, and laborers are looking for work.

There was, however, common consensus over greater police presence. That, by far, would be the best deterrent. It would also be the most costly.

This is where Home Depot comes in. Campbell opened its doors to Home Depot; now it's time for this business to respond in kind.

Instead of paying two security guards, partner with the city and apply those dollars toward funding a Campbell police officer, who could be a constant, visible presence.

When San Jose used this strategy at the Home Depot at Hillsdale and Camden avenues and coupled the strategy with signs warning contractors not to pick up individuals soliciting work, the problem eventually dissipated.

Campbell needs to employ the same strategy, but it can't be done without Home Depot's cooperation .To date that has been sorely lacking.

If the store needs some help changing its point of view, than the city needs to get tough. If that means amending Home Depot's conditional-use permit by restricting hours of operation, then that's what Campbell should do. Sometimes the only way to grab the attention of big business is to go for the purse strings.

It time for the Home Depot to live up to its motto, "You Can Do It, We Can Help."