Gazette Article Brings Clarity to Costco Issue

The Gazette posted an article on its website this morning that I think brings some clarity to the issue of the $4 million subsidy to Costco.  It explains the county fund that this money would be coming from and also points out the amount of county funds that Westfield has received over the past few years for projects on their property.

The only item that I find surprising/confusing is that Ike Leggett was able to sign an agreement between the county and Westfield agreeing to give them $4 million prior to the county council approving any such funding.  I readily admit that I'm not an expert on how these things work in the county, so maybe this isn't so unusual.  Was there a disclaimer in the agreement saying that it was contigent on the council approving the funds?

I certainly don't have a problem with Wheaton receiving alot of the money from the county's Economic Development Fund, but I would prefer that this money goes towards projects that encourage use of public transit and create a more walkable downtown.

County Council Attempting to Block Costco Subsidy

Thanks to a reader tip, I came across an Examiner article (also referenced by Patch and TBD) reporting that several members of the county council are attempting to block the $4 million subsidy that Ike Leggett has proposed giving Costco to encourage them to open a store in Wheaton.  All along, this subsidy hasn't sat well with me.  First of all, Costco announced its plan to open a store in Wheaton in a press release that listed a number of other new store locations around the country.  I always wondered if the other communities threw that kind of money at Costco to get them to come or if Costco just decided to go there based purely on the potential money they would be making.

If the county is going to give my money to a company or developer to encourage them to do a project here in Wheaton, I want that money to go to projects that encourage smart growth, the use of public transit, and a better environment for pedestrians.  The Costco project does none of these things.  I understand that Costco will bring in more retail job positions to Wheaton and will certainly help spur more business at the mall, but I don't think it's the kind of project that warrants getting taxpayer money to make it happen.  As Marc Elrich was quoted as saying in the article, "Westfield Mall has gazillions of dollars...They're going to make a freaking fortune on Costco".  Well said.  This project is going to make plenty of money on its own merits.  It doesn't need a handout from taxpayers to 'balance the numbers' and make it happen.

Other postings I've done on Costco can be found here.

Planning Board Update - Costco

Last week, the planning board unanimously disapproved the proposed ZTA 10-04, which would have allowed Costco to bypass the standard county process for installing a 16-pump gas station.  The Gazette has an article discussing the latest planning board decision.  The county council has the ultimate say in whether or not this goes through, and as I've mentioned before, the hearing for this decision is on May 20th.

In addition to giving me a bad opinion of Westfield management, this whole ZTA issue has also given me a fairly bad opinion of Ike Leggett.  The ZTA was originally proposed by him, in addition to the $4 million that he wants to give Costco to further sweeten the deal.

Costco Updates

The Gazette posted an article on their website yesterday quoting Westfield Wheaton management saying that the Costco project will probably not move forward unless the county council waives the environmental study requirements currently in place for new gas stations at shopping centers.  I was totally scooped on this by Good Eatin in Wheaton and What's Up Wheaton, so check them out for some great coverage.

I have a big deadline at work this week, so I'm going to keep this short.  These demands by Westfield and Costco are complete crap, and I'm going to be really pissed if the county council actually passes the ZTA (zoning text amendment) that would allow the environmental study to be bypassed.  The Gazette article states that right now, a majority of council members say they will vote against the ZTA and I just hope they stand their ground as Westfield attempts to add pressure to their decision.  I also think this says alot about how Westfield views its 'neighbors' in Wheaton if its strategy for bringing in a new tenant is to try to bulldoze over any concerns that the community has.

I know the county would love to get the added tax revenue and jobs that Costco will apparently bring in, and that's why I'm still a little nervous that the council members won't hold their ground about denying the ZTA.  If something like this was going down in Bethesda, I think the council would have a much stronger reaction to it, but unfortunately, I'm just not sure if the council will stand up as strongly to defend Wheaton.

I'm posting the relevant meetings noted in the Gazette article if anyone wants to attend and have their voice heard:
1.  The Planning Board will discuss the ZTA at their meeting on May 13, 8787 Georgia Ave, Time TBD.  Right now, it's the last item listed on the board's agenda for a session that starts at 1:30pm.  Also, you can send an email to the board, and if you reference the issue you're emailing about (ZTA 10-04) and they receive it at least 24 hours before their meeting, your email message will be provided 'for the consideration of the board'.  Send your emails to MCP-Chair at mncppc-mc.org. My understanding is that after this meeting, the planning board will their recommendation to the county council, which will make the ultimate decision in whether to pass the ZTA.

2.  The County Council will have a public meeting at 7:30pm on May 20, 100 Maryland Ave, 7th Floor (Stella B. Warner Council Building).  I checked the county council website, and they don't post meeting agendas as far in advance as the planning board does, so right now, you can't view an agenda for the meeting on the 20th.  Their website does note that as an alternative to participating in a council meeting in person, they will accept written material either in person before the meeting starts or by mail.  It sounds like you may want to include 15 copies so that each council member can have a copy.  I would keep letters short, since in-person testimony is limited to 3 mintues, and reference ZTA 10-04 and the May 20th meeting in the letter.  The address is:
Council's Office of Legislative Information Services
5th Floor
Council Office Building
100 Maryland Ave.
Rockville, MD 20850

Between these two meetings and the Wheaton Sector Plan meeting on the 19th, there are lots of opportunities to have a say in what direction Wheaton's development heads in.  Even if you don't have time to attend one of the meetings, at least send an email to the planning board or a letter to the council.

My 2 cents on the Costco issue

Well, I'm going to come right out and say it.  I'm not a fan of the Costco plans for the vacant Hecht's space at the Westfield Mall.  When I initially heard about the possible Costco, my first reaction was indifference.  I don't have a Costco membership and I don't feel a need to store a year's supply of toilet paper at my house (nor do I have the space!).

The more I thought about it, though, the more strongly I started to feel that this is a bad move for Wheaton.  To frame my argument against Costco, I'm going to paste in the goals announced late last year for the updated Wheaton CBD Sector Plan (more info at www.montgomeryplanning.org/community/wheaton/index.shtm). 

Here is the list of goals from the planning board's website:

-Focus new development and revitalization efforts near the Metro's Red Line

-Reinvigorate Wheaton's downtown by creating a walkable community with a distinct identity

-Create a vibrant mix of jobs and housing
-Preserve Wheaton's ethnic diversity
-Design quality public spaces inviting to pedestrians
-Foster an environmentally sustatinable community

First of all, I want to say that I whole-heartedly support these goals.  Wheaton is already well on its way to many of them, and the neighborhood's unique vibe combined with all the great potential that exists is one of the main reasons I moved here.  If you take these goals and think about whether Costco will really help Wheaton to acheive any of them, you'll start to see why I have a problem with this.

As I started to collect my thoughts on all of this, I realized that I was going to create the mother of all posts if I talked about all the different issues that I see with bringing Costco in.  So, I'm going to let this post stand as-is, and I'll organize future posts about Costco around each of the goals listed above.

Until then, I'll leave you with two images.  The first image is the google street view of the Costco in Beltsville (only a 17 minute drive from Wheaton!).  The second image is from the planning board's presentation about the updated sector plan for the Wheaton CBD.  Which one do you think we should be aiming for?