Let Reason Not Irrationality Prevail When Reviewing Costco Gas Station Application

The recent actions by a small group of local homeowners in Kensington Heights have given me pause and prompted me to reflect upon the famous words of noted anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

If Ms. Mead were alive today, she would likely be appalled at the actions of this bunch who have been fighting tooth and nail to keep Costco from opening a gas station at its new Wheaton warehouse.  They argue that this station will have a harmful effect on our neighborhood air quality and on the children attending Stephen Knolls School.  But when questioned at the Planning Board hearing if they thought the school should relocate to avoid the environmental and safety hazards from being close to the highly trafficked Georgia Avenue, they had no response.

Let’s face it.  Wheaton Mall, while accessible by metro, mostly attracts shoppers who drive their vehicles to buy new sporting equipment at Dick’s, home goods at Target, or groceries at Safeway and the soon-to-open Costco.  Yet the Planning Board in their decision to deny Costco’s request said it was because a gas station was not in keeping with the goal of making Wheaton more transit-oriented.

As this case moves to the Board of Appeals, I hope reason will prevail.  The Planning Board agreed that Costco met all the existing environmental standards, and that health and environmental concerns were not factors in their decision.   Denying permission for this one gas station will not change whether we drive or take public transit. In fact, it'll cause others like me to drive more, to the Costco in Prince George's County, to fill our tanks.