Kensington Heights Meets to Discuss Costco Issues

Kensington Heights Civic Association is preparing in a meeting this week to bring their concerns to Costco and Westfield, as well as the Montgomery County, about the new Costco store on the south side of the mall.

Costco indefinitely postponed the special exception . At the same time the company plans  sometime late this month or in early September. Now that the gas station is currently off the table, the John Jenkins, a member of the Kensington Heights Civic Association said they will be discussing issues related to the project including stormwater, traffic, and the project's impact on walkability in the neighborhood. 

The meeting (or multiple meetings), have not been scheduled yet, although they are a condition of Westfield receiving earlier this year. Steve Silverman, the director of the Department of Economic Development and the County's point person on the process said earlier in July that the meeting would either occur in late July or mid-August. 

"Westfield understands they don’t get any money until they sit down with the community," Silverman said in July. More recently, Silverman added that he still expected the gas station to be a topic of concern. 

KHCA representatives say while they are still concerned with the gas station, they have larger concerns about the project.

"The Costco project will change Wheaton for maybe the next 25 years so we need to get it right," Jenkins said in an email, adding that in comparision to the B.F. Saul project, Costco had been given "free reign" in the planning process until recently.