Petco Comes To Maple Avenue

The retail pet food and supply store Petco is coming to Vienna, in the empty space next to Walgreens Pharmacy on Maple Avenue.

The Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved a conditional use permit for the store in mid-June, allowing it to sell fish, birds and other small animals and perform pet services like grooming. 

Without the permit, the town's C-2 commercial zone would only allow the store to sell retail pet food on the property, according to a staff report.

Board members decided against another exception that would have allowed Petco to board animals on the property.

The store also received exterior elevation and sign approval by the Board of Architectural Review.

It hopes to open by the end of October, said Director of Planning and Zoning Greg Hembree.

Walgreens bought the property at 225 Maple Avenue East in 2008, after Safeway closed down its 28,500-square-foot store to move to Fairfax's Pan Am Shopping Center.

The pharmacy renovated the old space and opened a 15,081 square foot retail store in spring 2010. It had always planned to rent the remaining 12,319 square feet of space that remained to other tenants, according to staff reports.

The pet store will be across from Pro Feed Pet Supplies, and down the road from Mill Street's Vienna Aquarium & Pets. There is currently another Petco location on 1929 Old Gallows Road in Vienna.