There are a lot of flaws in this analysis. One of the biggest is to assume that every trip to Beltsville Costco is for the sole purpose of buying gas. If a Costco member is going to Costco to shop anyway, the additional "cost" of buying gas while there is practically nothing.

Here's another flaw: if you go to the linked website the author cites for his 18 MPG figure, you'll find that stat is for SUVs, etc. The average for plain old passenger cars is about 23. Check it out for yourself; don't just take somebody's word for the facts.

And here's the third strike: The author's figures are just wrong. If you check www.gasbuddy.com, you'll find that as of this evening the price of gas at the Beltsville Costco is $3.17 per gallon, as compared to $3.39 at the Sunoco at Viers Mill and University. That's a saving of 22 cents per gallon, not the 10 cents cited by the author. And since the average MPG is 23, you can get to Costco and back on less than a gallon; i.e. less than $3.17. And if you were going there anyway....

Timothy,
You must really want Costco gas..

Gas distributers and local taxes play a big part in gas prices in various locations. As far as I know, there is no guarantee that a Wheaton Costco gas station, if allowed, will have the same per gallon price as the Beltsville Costco gas station. On a recent visit to Frederick, the Costco gas station (with the unbearable lines) had prices equal to or only a couple of pennies less than other gas stations in the area. I believe it just isn't worth the aggravation and potential health risks by adding these types of mega-gas stations near schools or recreational facilities in Montgomery County - you're better off shopping at Giant and taking the savings off of your Shell bill.

BTW, gas buddy says the price at Free State is $3.29, still 12 cents higher than at Costco Beltsville. People posting comments here seem to assume I'm some kind of shill supporting Costco's Wheaton station. I'm not; I've never purchased gas at Costco. And I tend to think that the traffic problems that I think are likely to occur at Wheaton Plaza if the station is built outweigh the savings from cheaper gas. And I'm not qualified to judge the health issue. I just like people to be accurate. Thnx.

It's a good point that there is no general wholesale price for gasoline. The price varies by geography so much that it might be 20 cents different for 2 stations less than a half mile away. It is unlikely that they would be able to price much under the nearby Free State (which I think has its own supplies, as prices rarely vary by more than 2 cents among their locations in Wheaton, Glenmont & Burtonsville).
Do Costco gas stations only sell to members? If so, it is totally unjustified to establish a private gas station in the Wheaton location when even a public station is extremely hard to justify. And I still think there ought to be mass civil disobedience if the Costco itself, for which taxpayers were forced to donate $4 million to build by the reverse Robin Hood Ike Leggett, requires Montgomery County taxpayers to pay membership fees to purchase items at a store which they were forced to invest in. There's no way that should be allowed to stand. I have written Leggett and the Council members about this issue about whether we as taxpayers don't thereby get the right to shop without paying a membership fee since we already paid through our taxes. Only one (Leventhal) has responded, and he didn't answer the question and his reply was nasty. OUr County government seems to be contemptuous of ordinary taxpayers.

In today's economy, it is understandable that many people are attracted by a $.10-12 cents savings but I believe that those same people would be willing to forgo a gas station if they understood the very real risks, especially for children, associated with it.
There is no shortage of data about the direct link between air pollution and negative health impacts. This EPA web page provides a very clear description about these health impacts and NIH’s Report on Carcinogens, Twelfth Edition (2011), specifically identifies gasoline filing stations as a source of benzene. Benzene enters the body through inhalation and is directly linked to leukemia, a leading childhood cancer. Please see http://www.epa.gov/apti/course422/ap7a.html and http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=03C9AF75-E1BF-FF40-DBA9EC0928DF8B15 - click Access Report Contents and select Benzene.
The proposed Costco gas station will be the largest in all of Montgomery County and the site sits less than 150 feet (that's only 50 yards) from homes and almost as close to a community pool AND a school for children with special needs (including some who use oxygen). The health of our children and our communities must be at the forefront of any decision and the zoning text amendment is appropriate at this time and must set a precedent that mega-gas stations cannot be located in such close proximity to homes, community centers, schools, etc.

Timothy, traffic and parking concerns have bee a part of the conversation all along. If Costco puts in the gas station they're going to lose a "lot" of parking space; which they don't have a lot of to begin with.

Except that I get 36 mpg not 18. Which cuts your calculation of the cost in half. And the cost is variable. I've seen 40-50 cents per gallon differences. The analysis is statistically bogus.

Also. NIMBY.

Sasha, I'm glad that your car gets such great mileage. Very few automobiles get that, unless they a sub-compact or an hybrid. My calculations were based upon the average consumption of gas, not your automobiles. Also, the analysis is not bogus and was based on data collected on Friday the 20th. So, on that date, my figures were correct. This evening, www.gasbuddy.com shows the competing gas prices as:

Freestate $ 3.29 per gallon
Beltsville Costco $3.17 per gallon

Not much of a difference. Both locations have lowered their prices since last Friday, but the cost difference is still only about $1.44; that's less than a pack of gum.

It's obvious you want the gas station, Sasha. Why not just state why you want it rather than attacking and name calling?

GinWheaton--Not sure where you get your figures from, but it's a narrow slice of the picture. Consider that Costco would have to pay some portion of the credit card transaction fee to the card issuer (~3% would eat up almost $0.10 of the $0.12 savings). In addition, you get the loonies who, as Mr. Becker points out, will probably burn more gas driving long distances to wait in line to buy ostensibly cheap gas.

GinWheaton - Have another beer at Limerick's - there's nothing in this ZTA that bans these mega-gas stations from areas that are not near schools or recreational facilities. Actually, your cost savings right now might not be enough to buy a beer at Limericks and, as I've said before, there's no guarantee Costco members will get the same gas prices in Montgomery County that they currently get in Prince George's County. As far as economic growth in Wheaton, I've never been to a Smartgrowth seminar where the State or County planners advocate putting car magnets in the middle of the Smartgrowth area. The Wheaton Costco gas station is not proposed for my back yard and I still support limiting where these mega-gas stations can be built.

There's a lot of people in this world who are so happy to make other people's lives a misery as long as it's not their own. GinWheaton is probably one of those people who would shout the loudest and cry the most if there was something affecting his house.
I think you'll find hardly anyone is opposing the Costco, a lot are not even opposing the gas station, but those that are oppose WHERE Costco want to place it (opposite houses, the swimming pool and close to a school) because it's convenient. Costco should build this on the main road where all other gas stations are built.
It's common sense and people selfish enough to dismiss people as being NIMBY's should be ashamed of themselves.