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Richard Piatt ReportingHome Depot is getting hammered over claims of neglect at its Skyline location, but the home improvement giant is fighting back, since the store could potentially be shut down.
As of today, Home Depot has fixed all the problems: Landscaping, storage, sound and light issues. But a county inspector says for too long, those things made the store a bad neighbor.
Eighteen separate times, over more than a year, a county inspector found pallets and merchandise stacked improperly. Landscaping was inadequate with replacement plants sitting unplanted. Parking lot lights shone in neighbors' yards.
Today, that inspector wondered if the past might forecast the future.
Pepper Mossinger, Zoning Inspector: "Today it's great, but my history with them is tomorrow it won't be great."
The words and the pictures spoke loud and clear to the Millcreek township planning commission. In spite of Home Depot's recent compliance, there was frustration.
Kevin Oakes, Planning Commissioner: "It's just frustrating that you have to get a sledgehammer out and hit you folks on the head to get you to comply and to wake up and do what you promised and are supposed to do."
Bob Polcha, Planning Commissioner: "You need to do something more than just say, 'We're going to do what we promised to do'. That's childlike."
The Home Depot site was contentious from the beginning. Neighbors were skeptical of a big box retailer close by. Some say their worst fears have come true.
Brian Nabors, Lives Near Home Depot: "They have fallen short on a number of different things."
The commission could close the store, citing violations of its conditional use permit. Home Depot officials call that an overkill.
Shawn Ferrin, Home Depot Attorney: "The bar on this store is very high. It's operating this store like none other in the valley. And that has presented some problems for the store, but we're going to fix them."
There are neighbors who like the store, the 170 jobs it provides and the improvements it did make.
Sandra Goldberg, Lives Near Home Depot: "Home Depot has provided many more advantages than disadvantages, being in this area."
Today, the commissioners decided to put off any decision on Home Depot's fate until October 28th, but all indications are they're willing to give the store another chance---but will be watching very closely.
