July 14, 2008
Dear Sunland-Tujunga Stakeholder:
You are receiving this letter because you contributed in some way to the recent “Sunland-Tujunga
Dialogue.” Parties to this dispute, some of whom attended the Dialogue itself, have expressed an
interest in continuing to engage in processes to resolve this matter. A majority of participants
expressed a preference for the Dispute Resolution Program to continue to convene the dialogues.
Our unit has agreed for the time being to continue to work in this capacity.
We are now exploring the preferences of parties who will attempt to resolve the concerns of all
disputants and bring clarity to this matter. All processes proposed by the Dispute Resolution
Program are voluntary.
At this point, we are interested in determining which groups you believe should be represented for
the next, more limited, discussion. Based on the materials we received, we are aware that the
“Sunland-Tujunga Alliance --No Home Depot Campaign” should be represented. We also note that
Neighborhood Council representatives from the area have a keen interest in this matter and should
be represented. Home Depot should certainly be a party at the table. Small business owners from
the Sunland-Tujunga area should be represented. The City of Los Angeles is a party to this dispute
and should be represented. The Chamber of Commerce for the area should have a representative
in any additional sessions. Residents of Sunland-Tujunga who have expressed support for Home
Depot should also be represented.
Please provide the names of other stakeholder groups which ought to be represented at an initial
meeting to begin the process of achieving an understanding of the issues in this matter. At this
point, we anticipate no more than two persons from each group will participate in ongoing sessions.
These sessions will be scheduled at the convenience of the involved parties.
To provide a reasonable period of time to consider and respond to this request for your input, the
Dispute Resolution Program has established Friday, July 21, 2008 as the cut-off date for responses to
this request.
The Dispute Resolution Program may be contacted by e-mail at mediate@lacity.org, by U. S. Mail at
222 S. Hill Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90012, by telephone at (213) 485-0390, or by fax at (213)
485-8916.
Barbara Goldfarb, a Dispute Resolution Program volunteer, has agreed to serve as the lead mediator
for the period of time that we continue our involvement in this process. She will collect all materials
and follow up as necessary to move this process forward.
Ms. Goldfarb has a limited schedule in this office, but has agreed to follow up at her earliest
opportunity to address any inquiries, concerns or issues that you may have about the involvement of
the Dispute Resolution Program.
Thank you for providing your input for the initial “Sunland-Tujunga Dialogue.” The Dispute
Resolution Program looks forward to learning your recommendations for groups to be included at
your earliest opportunity.
Very truly yours,
Avis Ridley-Thomas
Avis Ridley-Thomas, Director
Dispute Resolution Program
AR-T/ey