Proposed Costco On Richmond Highway Draws Criticism From Local Residents

Residents expressed concerns that the proposed Costco on Richmond Highway could increase traffic in the area at last night's Mt. Vernon Council of Citizen's Associations (MVCCA) Planning and Zoning Committee meeting.

The retail chain is proposing to build a Costco on the site of the former multiplex on Route 1. According to David Gill, the attorney for Costco, the proposed store would take up 143,000 square feet with 590 parking spaces.

Residents said that the proposed Costco could bring more As one attendee put it, the early morning traffic could be "sheer hell" with the addition of Costco trucks making deliveries to the store.

Costco representatives say the proposed store could have a positive impact on the .  According to Gill, Costco would bring 250 new jobs to the Route 1 corridor, with a $25 million investment in the community.  He added that Costco has some of the highest wages in the retail industry, with the average wage close to $20 per hour. Ninety percent of  its employees are eligible for benefits.

The Mount Vernon area was selected because it has a high percentage of college graduates, with disposable incomes, said Gill. Over 20,000 Costco members live within a five-mile radius of the proposed location.

Mount Vernon was also an ideal location because it has a strong "small business community", with over 70 percent of local businesses having a Costco membership.

The Costco would be built using sustainable materials to save money on energy costs. Gill added that the building would be constructed utilizing local and regional labor and recycled material.

One local resident hoped that the retail chain would build its store in a manner that fits in with the architectural style of the Mount Vernon area. 

"Route 1 as it's been developed hasn't always met the character of Mt. Vernon well. You could go even further and make [the building] look more like colonial Virginia."

The proposal is expected to go through the public hearing process at the March 2011 Fairfax County Board of Supervisors meeting. If all goes according to plan, Costco could open as early as June 2012