Planning Board Votes Against Wheaton Costco Gas Station

In a 3-2 vote Thursday night, the Montgomery County Planning Board recommended denial for Costco's special exception application for a 16-pump gas station in Wheaton.

The board members in the majority--Chair Françoise Carrier, Casey Anderson and Marye Wells-Harley--reasoned that the gas station does not fit with the overall thrust of the Master Plan for Wheaton, which encourages smart growth and transit-oriented development.

For a deeper look into the Planning Board's reasoning: Planning Board: Costco Gas Station Does Not Fit With Wheaton Master Plan 

The final decision is yet to be made. Costco's application is scheduled to come before a hearing examiner on 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.

For more background on the Costco gas station, read the topics page on Wheaton Patch.

The proposed gas station would be located at Westfield Wheaton, where the Costco store is scheduled to open April 10.