Wheaton Costco Gas Station Hearings Begin Friday

The first of eight hearings for Costco's special exception application for a 16-pump gas station in Wheaton takes place April 26.

The Wheaton Costco store opened April 10, but without a gas station. Hearings for Costco's special exception application for a 16-pump gas station on the Westfield Wheaton property begin Friday. The case will come before Martin Grossman, director of the Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings; the final determination will be made by the Board of Appeals. The April 26 hearing is the first of eight. Subsequent dates are May 1, May 6, May 14, May 17, May 20, May 23 and June 4.  Each hearing will begin 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. The Montgomery County Planning Board has already weighed in, voting in opposition to Costco's gas …

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Esther French

10:41 am on Monday, April 29, 2013

To clarify: We generally allow users to directly upload videos and photos to articles as long as they do not violate our Terms of Use. http://wheaton-md.patch.com/terms   more ›

Wheaton Costco Gas Station Hearings Postponed

The hearings will take place after the Costco store opens on April 10.

The hearings for Costco's special exception application for a 16-pump gas station in Wheaton have been postponed. The new schedule calls for eight hearings, beginning on April 26, with subsequent hearings on May 1, May 6, May 14, May 17, May 20, May 23 and June 4.  Each hearing will begin 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. The Costco store is scheduled to open April 10 at Westfield Wheaton. For more background on the Costco gas station, read the topics page on Wheaton Patch. On Feb. 28, the Montgomery County Planning Board voted in opposition to Costco's gas station proposal. In the next stage of the special exception process, the …

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Planning Board: Costco Gas Station Does Not Fit with Wheaton Master Plan

A hearing examiner and the Board of Appeals will make the final decision on the proposed gas station's fate.

Costco should not be able to build a gas station at its new Wheaton location, county planners said Thursday night. In a 3-2 vote, after nearly six hours of reviewing a planning staff report and hearing testimony that at times became emotional, the Montgomery County Planning Board recommended denial of Costco's special exception application for the 16-pump gas station. The case next goes to a hearing examiner, who will take up Costco's application at 9:30 a.m. on March 11, 15, 18, and 22 in the Stella B. Werner Council Office Building, Second Floor Davidson Memorial Hearing Room, at 100 Maryland Ave. in Rockville. The Costco store is scheduled to open April 10 at Westfield Wheaton. Why the Planning Board Voted 'No' The Planning Board came …

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The Big Egg

8:39 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Commentous--that makes sense to me. It reminds me of how Congress used to pass laws from which it exempted itself. Classic do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do. I may be proven wrong, but I have a hard time believing that there will be a solely-office building here. Of course, adding a tiny snack store in the corner of the building that is geared at the office occupants will not be in the spirit of mixed-use …   more ›

Planning Board Votes Against Wheaton Costco Gas Station

The board rejected Costco's application in a close vote Thursday night.

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 …

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EB3

1:29 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013

I appreciate your comments David, but your argument is weak. The $.21 difference is not appropriate to use, because I saw an average of $3.90 in Kensington and paid $3.69 in Columbia, 25 miles away. If you look at the GasBuddy.com app for iPhone, there are currently 14 gas stations in Columbia with their prices listed and the average is $3.88. Meanwhile, Costco gas is listed as $3.50. I won’t …   more ›

Planning Board to Review Wheaton Costco Gas Station Thursday

Costco responds to negative report from the Montgomery County Planning Department.

The Montgomery County Planning Board is set to consider Costco's special exception case for a 16-pump gas station in Wheaton on Thursday. The proposed gas station would be located at Westfield Wheaton, where the Costco store is scheduled to open April 10. The board will discuss the special exception case during its afternoon session at 8787 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring on Feb. 28. For more background on the Costco gas station, read the topics page on Wheaton Patch. Costco faces an unfavorable review from the Montgomery County Planning Department staff. The report, released earlier this month, states that Costco's "analyses and assertion of no adverse health impacts is based on insufficient information, and may have understated the …

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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 ›

Planning Department Staff Recommends Against Wheaton Costco Gas Station

Costco to hold a open house on Wednesday in Kensington. The Montgomery County Planning Board will review the case Feb. 28.

Days before Costco's scheduled community open house, where the major retailer hopes to convince local residents to support its plans for a 16-pump gas station in Wheaton, Montgomery County Planning Department staff issued a recommendation against the gas station. The proposed gas station would be located at Westfield Wheaton, where the Costco store is scheduled to open April 10. In its report, planning department staff conclude that Costco's "analyses and assertion of no adverse health impacts is based on insufficient information, and may have understated the exposure of the adjacent population to some of the toxics." For the full report, see the Planning Department website or the PDF attached to this article. Costco "has failed to meet …

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Costco Presses Its Case for Gas Station at New Wheaton Store

The Montgomery County Planning Board is scheduled to review Costco's special exception application for the controversial gas station on Feb. 28.

Costco sent out fliers this week inviting community members to attend an open house where it will make its case for a controversial 16-pump gas station at its warehouse store that is yet to open in Wheaton.  The open house is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Feb. 20 at Newport Mill Middle School, 11311 Newport Mill Road, Kensington.  Want more news about Costco and the Costco gas station? Sign up for the Wheaton Patch newsletter.  According to the fliers, the open house will address questions about Costco's special exception application to place a gas station at Westfield Wheaton, in the parking lot between the mall and the Kensington Heights neighborhood.  The fliers show what Costco says are extreme measures for protecting the community from car …

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Strauchan

10:36 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013

By all means, let's make sure Costco implements all of the reasonable safety features that need to be implemented to ensure the safety and health of the surrounding community. But when that point is reached, Costco should be allowed to move forward with the station. The "Not In My Backyard" argument is unreasonable, especially when you willingly chose to locate your backyard next to a 50 year old…   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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