Wheaton’s future?

Back in January, David argued that Montgomery County could better use the $4 million proposed for subsidizing a Costco at Westfield Wheaton. Costco is still coming to Wheaton. However, the County Executive’s Office is now now proposing circumventing well-established gas station permitting processes through a Zoning Text Amendment.

There are many circumstances where circumventing existing zoning is reasonable. However, the environmental implications of a gas station make sidestepping the process misguided in this case.

Costco wants to open up at the former Hecht’s site in Westfield Wheaton. Westfield wants to make a deal with them. Eastern Montgomery County and northern DC has a strong customer base and Wheaton has a Metro station on the line with the highest ridership in the system. Many people for miles and many Metro stations away would love to shop at another transit-accessible Costco. We don’t need to throw our environmental zoning laws out the window for a very successful national business that already intends to locate in Wheaton.

Location of the proposed Costco gas station. Image from savekh.org.

In the past, I have disagreed with the Kensington Heights Civic Association. In this case, they have very reasonable concerns about having a new large gas station next to their houses because of their poor environmental record. In this case, they aren’t anti-neighbors:

Having a Costco in the mall is seen by many in the community as a potentially positive development. The Kensington Heights Citizens Association (KHCA) position is to support the store.

Of great concern, however, to the citizens of the Kensington Heights community is that the Costco development includes a 16-pump gas station adjacent to our residences and the Kenmont Swim and Tennis Club.

We feel that it will negatively impact the neighborhood where there are 250 Kensington Heights homes within 1,000 feet of the station.

As I mentioned before, I don’t oppose Costco in Wheaton. The store itself will bring foot traffic and more Metro use in addition to many more automobile trips. I don’t think that a Costco store will help or hurt walkability in the short term. (In the long term, there could be disastrous missed redevelopment opportunities.) However, adding a gas station would cross the line into outright harm.

Looking at the above map, the gas station would not be immediately accessible by car from University Boulevard. A motorist wishing to purchase Costco gas would have to travel around Westfield Wheaton’s winding ring road. They would then get in line for one of the 16 proposed gas pumps. The car infrastructure is not there to support the new gas station.

Since we’re talking about a gas station, we’re talking only about moving cars, not people. While that’s a negative enough proposition, the Westfield Wheaton ring road is a private road and is not subject to county traffic feasibility studies. However, University Boulevard (MD 193) would be, as would Viers Mill Road (MD 586).

A Costco gas station is usually located on an ugly, gas-guzzling suburban arterial like U.S. 1 in Beltsville. While a Costco on its own in the mall could potentially have little effect on Wheaton’s walkability in the short term, a gas station certainly would move Wheaton in the wrong direction in the Whirlpool of Induced Demand.

It is puzzling that the same Administration that wants to employ traffic test after traffic test in White Flint, limiting walkable development unless cars could be assured of fast movement, suddenly abandoned its car-centric traffic concerns when Costco came calling.

Please contact the Montgomery County Council in advance of the hearing on Thursday, May 20 and let them you know you don’t agree with Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) #10-04.