Another Lowe's in Roseville?

Officials from Lowe's hoping to place a second Roseville store at East Roseville Parkway and Secret Ravine Parkway found out it won't be so easy Tuesday night.Many Stoneridge residents are concerned with community impacts and criticized the proposed project. A public forum designed to calm matters was marked by derisive comments, shout-downs and open aminus between residents and representatives from the nation's second-largest home improvement chain.Lowe's Companies, Inc., is requesting permits for a store at the southeast corner of East Roseville Parkway and Secret Ravine Parkway in the Stoneridge area. The 168,000 square foot store would include 31,700 feet for a partially uncovered garden center, a lumberyard, all on a 17-acre site. The store was originally intended to be built at Sunrise Avenue and Eureka Boulevard, but that slot was bumped when a Richland Communities project was revamped to add housing (see related story, A1).Lowe's currently operates a store off Highway 65 on Fairway Drive. With that store and two Home Depots operating in a four-mile area, residents of Stoneridge are upset with what they feel is a deluge of big box stores.Homeowner Lori Chelemedos lives a block from the property line of the project area, and said living next to a Home Depot in San Ramon caused incessant disruptions."We had the lovely forklifts, and moving merchandise between 10 (p.m.) and 6 a.m.," she said. "Truckers would show up and leave their engines running because it was cold at night. When they unlatched their loads, we'd hear chains. They also had their radios on." Chelemedos said she bought her San Ramon condo after the store was built, and doesn't want to repeat the experience again.Jack Mandel, Lowe's senior site development manager, said the proposed store is "quite a departure" from other versions, incorporating a neighborhood-friendly design, with mitigations put in for sound and visual impacts. He says the loading docks will be covered to mitigate noise, something not typically done."Lowe's is committed to being a good neighbor and good corporate citizen," Mandel said. "We're not here to say we're not going to impact the community. Of course we are. (But) this property is zoned commercial."Residents interrupted him at that point when he suggested a grocery store could go there. Mandel added that such a substitute would have "three times as many trucks."The land is owned by developer George Tsakopoulos, and would be leased to Lowe's. Tsakopoulos spoke after the mood at the meeting turned contentious. He says since buying the land four years ago he's had a difficult time finding a tenant.Other residents questioned the company about allegedly omitted contingencies in the project, namely an evacuation plan for the area, which borders Silver Ridge Apartments, a senior citizen complex, a fire station and Sutter Roseville hospital.Resident Deanne Walker asked why the location in a residential neighborhood would make sense for the company. "Why this site?" Walker said, adding the original location on Sunrise Avenue and Eureka Road would be higher-profile. "You have an off-ramp there, and it's in a business portal."Mandel defended the choice of locations."We are looking all over the nation for sites like the Roseville area," Mandel replied. "We're successful here....(and) our market research has determined there's room for a successful store."Roseville senior city planner Chris Robles fielded questions from the public and encouraged residents to submit comments via email."This is your opportunity in the process," he said, adding the city is a neutral party in the approval or denial of the permit. "The market basically drives which properties are sold and which vendors are going to pursue certain project sites."The Roseville planning commission is expected to decide by late April at the earliest on whether it will grant that permit.Jason Probst can be reached at jasonp@goldcountrymedia.com