Costco’s intention to move to a larger location in central Okanagan has long been speculated, but became official on Monday when a relocation proposal came before the city council.
“The request that was made before the city council concerned a rededication request to accommodate Costco’s desire to move to the city,” said councilor Mohini Singh.
The Kelowna Costco has been a staple on the corner of Highways 97 and 33 in Kelowna for many years, but the retail giant is hoping to move to six acres on Baron Road behind the Real Canadian Superstore, about a mile from away from its current location.
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However, the proposal is controversial as many local residents have concerns about the traffic impact on an area that is already quite congested.
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“The traffic is going to be terrible,” said Maria Teixeira, a local resident. “It already is.”
“We are so busy here all day that a lot of people go to work and come back,” said another resident, Nola Welliber. “I just think it’s a big mistake.”
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Singh said she looks forward to hearing from both citizens and their concerns and Costco at an upcoming public hearing.
“We need to hear from the applicant what the traffic plans are, what they envision, how to move traffic, and the public needs to know this too,” Singh told Global News.
Global News contacted Costco, but our inquiries were not answered.
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According to the city, the retail giant has pledged to spend more than $ 2 million on intersection improvements in the area to address traffic flow issues.
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The site that Costco plans to build on is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) as some have speculated, but would have to be converted from A1 Agriculture to C-4, an industrial zone in the city center, to allow for the construction of the large retail store .
“We have to be open about it,” said Singh.
“It is certainly a very large project and we not only want to hear from the staff but also from the applicants and members of our community what they would like to see. This is very important. “
The public hearing is scheduled for December 8th.
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