Plans for a new Costco in Kelowna have been announced.
Image credit: Costco
January 7, 2021 – 6.30 p.m.
Plans to move Kelowna’s Costco are not without controversy, as dozens of local residents fear the move will negatively impact their quality of life.
The city council will attend a public hearing next Tuesday, January 12th, to decide whether to reallocate vacant property between Springfield Road, Leckie Road and Baron Road to allow Costco to move.
Before this hearing, the city had already received 42 letters of objection and concern, as well as 10 letters of support. There was also a petition in support of 131 signatures.
Amid the concerns expressed by residents are vehicle emissions, additional traffic, increased noise and decreased property values.
“Costco will have over 800 parking spaces, which doesn’t mean 8,000 vehicles a day,” wrote John Ryder, who is based in the area, to the city council. “Conservatively speaking, given the customer turnover, 2,400 cars could drive through our neighborhood every day to get to the megastore. Then there is the gas station. As a rule of thumb, each proposed pump generates around 100 to 300 trips per day on one gas button. ”
Jennifer White noted that gas stations can have a serious impact on the quality of life if they are too close to homes and other inappropriate locations.
“Rather than shutting down how a mega-store will complement the shopping already nearby, realize the detrimental impact on all residents who buy their homes with the knowledge that one day only apartments would occupy this vacant land “, she said. “Ask yourself if you would like to have Costco and their gas station built next to your house.”
While some are concerned about the addition of gas bars, others welcome it.
“Costco is known for lowering the ridiculous gasoline prices we already pay in Okanagan and Kelowna in particular,” Vic Nykiforuk wrote to the council.
Others just look forward to the bigger deal and find that Costco has pledged to contribute more than $ 2 million to improving roads in the area.
“We fully support the reallocation so that Costco can be relocated to this property,” says the petition.
The proposed new Costco site is zoned for agricultural use but is not on the Agricultural Land Reserve, has not been farmed for many decades, and has long been designated for development under the city’s official parish plan.
Documents submitted to the city by WSP Canada Group Limited stated an area of approximately 158,734 square feet, including designated space for a seasonal garden center. The current store is 135,000 square feet.
The proposal provides space for 812 parking spaces for the warehouse and 16 accessible parking spaces.
There are 79 gas bar parking spaces for the gas bar, which is located on Baron Road where it intersects with Durnin Road.
The previous plan is detailed and includes a proposal for landscaping and new lights along Leckie Road that would bring much more traffic.
Kelowna Costco has 90,000 members, employs 200 people and is the only Costco in the Okanagan. It opened in the early 1990s.
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