November 2024 update from Rosemary Kamei, our Vice Mayor and Baker West Neighbor!
On October 22, 2024, the City Council unanimously approved a conditional use permit to allow a new Costco store at Westgate West. The City’s Office of Economic Development estimates that this new store will bring approximately $2 million in additional revenues to the City’s General Fund each year.
Aside from annual revenues, the new Costco will pay various taxes and fees and construct a number of improvements associated with its impacts—including an entirely new pedestrian- and bike-friendly frontage along Lawrence Expressway from Graves Avenue to Prospect Road. In addition to numerous standard conditions of approval, years of community consultation and negotiation with Costco and the property owner at Westgate West led to 24 additional voluntary and enforceable conditions of approval to mitigate a wide range of impacts most acutely felt in the Country Lane neighborhood. You can find a list in the Costco Item Memo that passed that evening, with small amendments.
Key among both sets of conditions of approval are:
- $2.5 million in physical improvements at the intersection of Lawrence and Prospect to improve safety for students crossing this intersection.
- Post-construction traffic impact studies and improvements to calm and prevent cut-through traffic in the Country Lane neighborhood, and to resolve impacts to the left-hand turn lane entry to the parking lot at Lawrence Expressway.
- The closure of the Graves Avenue entrance at the Saratoga Creek Dog Park to discourage parking in adjacent neighborhoods, and a gate to close the one remaining Graves Avenue access point to prevent overnight traffic.
- A shopping cart mitigation program to prevent shopping carts from appearing in neighborhoods.
- A requirement to build the new store under rigorous energy and “dark sky” lighting standards to prevent light pollution.
- Additional restrictions to Saturday construction hours to ensure the peace and quiet of neighbors.
- A reduction in signage to discourage access to the store from Graves Avenue and Saratoga Avenue and to prevent light intrusion to neighbors.
I want to thank the many community members who have engaged with my office, various city departments, and Costco for bringing their concerns to us and maintaining a thoughtful and respectful dialogue. As with all development, there are trade-offs, and Council has to weigh which impacts are worth new benefits. With the record number of concessions Costco has provided as community benefits, I’m convinced that the balance tipped in favor of approval. This project is genuinely better because of all the community engagement surrounding it.
My office will continue to provide updates on the progress of this Costco, as well as the public improvements it will build or pay for, as they become available. You may also examine the City’s website for this project proposal at the City Planning Division’s Westgate West Costco Project Page.
