Costco Musters Consultants Once More for Gas Station Open House

Environmental and site design experts answered questions about plans and studies that the Montgomery County Planning Department found fault with earlier this month.

Costco's open house Wednesday night in Kensington was a familiar set-up. Just as it did last April, Costco brought in consultants to stand behind tables and answer community members' questions about the gas station the major retailer wants to build in Wheaton. Whether Costco will be able to apply for a building permit is a question ultimately for the Montgomery County Board of Appeals. But first the county's Planning Board will weigh Costco's special exception application on Feb. 28, taking into consideration a negative review by the Planning Department. The Costco store in Wheaton is set to open April 10--after the special exception hearings in March. Not much seems to have changed since the previous open house, except that Costco has …

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Jim Core

9:42 pm on Sunday, February 24, 2013

Taxes are not a County issue. The taxes are State taxes. There are no local sales taxes in the State of Maryland. The real problem is that this station is a monstrosity which is going to pump 10 to 12 times that of a normal station. The regulations on the books were designed for much smaller stations. The regs have not caught up with the science. These mega stations are a game changer that …   more ›

Local Voices: How to Inform Yourself about the Costco Gas Station Special Exception

You can get on the county's mailing list to receive updates on Costco’s application, such as hearing date changes, by becoming a "Party of Record."

Wheaton Costco Gas Station Hearing Scheduled for March

The Stop Costco Gas Coalition is concerned that the special exception hearing will be too soon for the group to present a strong response to Costco's application.

Opponents of the proposed Costco gas station at Westfield Wheaton have written two letters to the Board of Appeals for Montgomery County, requesting a delay of the hearing for Costco's new special exception application. The Board of Appeals has issued a notice that the hearing is scheduled for March 11, 15, 18, and 22 at 9:30 a.m. in the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, Second Floor Davidson Memorial Hearing Room, at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. (See PDF attached to this article.) The Stop Costco Gas Coalition is worried that there will not be enough time to review Costco's special exception materials and express concerns to the Planning Department (which will review the special exception and give a report to the Board of …

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Gas Station Opponents Find Scientific Flaws

Montgomery County councilmembers join Kensington Heights representatives to denounce the proposed siting of the Costco gas station in Wheaton as a public health hazard.

This article was corrected on May 11. Please see the end of the article for more details. Opponents of the proposed Costco gas station at Westfield Wheaton say the environmental studies commissioned by Costco are flawed. Three Montgomery County councilmembers joined representatives from the Kensington Heights Civic Association outside the council building in Rockville Thursday morning to speak about the impact of mega gas stations and the reasons why the Costco gas station should not be sited next to the Kensington Heights neighborhood. Montgomery County Councilmembers Marc Elrich (At-large), Valerie Ervin (District 5) and Nancy Navarro (District 4) are all sponsors of a zoning text amendment introduced in April that would prohibit large …

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Community Members Voice Concerns With Wheaton Westfield Costco Plan

Traffic, noise and pollution among major concerns.

Approximately 75 people attended a Wednesday evening meeting at the Stephen Knolls School where Montgomery County, Westfield and Costco officials provided an update on the development of the Costco project at Westfield mall. The meeting was required of Westfield in order to receive $4 million in economic development funding from Montgomery County slated for the Costco project. Representatives of every part of the development process gave presentations aimed at alleviating the community’s concerns over a variety of issues, including traffic, noise, pollution, aesthetics, pedestrian walkways and the possibility of a diminished quality of life. Clive Mackenzie, Westfield’s regional vice president, gave an overview of the $60 million …

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Costco and Westfield Meet with Neighbors Tonight

The project's county funding hinges on hearing the community's concerns.

Representatives from Westfield and Costco will meet with residents tonight to discuss the community's concerns with the incoming big-box store at the Wheaton mall. The public meeting, featuring members of the Kensington Heights and Kensington View civic associations, starts at 7:30 p.m. at Stephen Knolls School in Wheaton. The county has committed a total of $4 million to the Costco project, but that funding is contingent upon the company hosting this meeting. The Council's resolution mandates that the meeting address the store's loading dock, delivery truck issues, traffic flow, pedestrian access, building elevations, storm-water management and the now-postponed gas station. Adam Rosenbaum, vice president of KHCA, said in an e-mail to …

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David Chism

6:22 pm on Monday, October 10, 2011

Any more word on this? I clicked on the Business section of Patch...and this was one of the featured stores, which is now almost a month old. Where is the outcome of this?   more ›