A new Costco will be built in West San Jose, but residents living under the approved project believe the positives of the store will be similar to the business model and only benefit members.
The San Jose City Council has unanimously approved a conditional use permit for Costco to build its newest store in the Westgate West shopping center.
The project calls for the demolition of three one-story commercial buildings totaling 188,265 square feet. Instead, 165,148 square feet of Costco would be built.
Currently there are no plans to build a gas station.
Costco declined to answer questions from CBS News Bay Area, but the company has held meetings with local residents and sent representatives to city council meetings.
The Westgate West Costco would create 250 to 300 new jobs, the retailer said. It would also generate $2 million in annual sales tax revenue, according to the city.
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During Tuesday’s meeting, 46 members of the public shared their thoughts.
While some approved of the project, most did not. Many of the latter group were part of “Save West Valley,” a group of West San Jose neighbors who have rallied against the project.
“A square foot of Costco is not a square foot of an Orchard Supply Hardware or furniture store. It brings in a lot more people and a lot more traffic,” said Marc Pawliger, co-founder of Save West Valley. “My biggest concern is that it will become an unlivable area and unsafe for the students in the area.”
The Westgate West Shopping Center is located on the corner of Lawrence Expressway and Prospect Road.
Pawliger and others are concerned that the area is not prepared for the influx of cars and pedestrians, while also concerned about the hundreds of students from nearby Prospect High School who use these sidewalks during the school year.
“If you go to a Costco … the most valuable thing you can get there is a parking spot. Angry drivers looking for a parking spot are not safe drivers. And our concern is really for our students,” Pawliger said.
Dongling Ding, who lives across the street from where the new Costco will be built, worries about the hundreds of nearby students walking through his neighborhood. He also worries about the traffic congestion the Costco will bring.
“Kids are walking, riding bikes, going to school and coming home after school. This is very dangerous. This is not the right place for Costco,” Ding said. “It just doesn’t fit in this location, period. They can spend some money to fix some things, but it won’t solve the problem.”
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, a Costco representative said the company will make changes, including closing one of its driveways on Graves Avenue, a residential street adjacent to the mall.
Costco also pledged to contribute $2.5 million for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements at the intersection of Lawrence Expressway and Prospect Road.
“We listened and made changes to improve the project,” Michael Okuma, director of real estate development at Costco, said at the time.
Residents who live near the newly approved Costco are still considering their options.
“Is it really over or what else can we do? There are options, but it remains to be seen how this plays out,” Pawliger said.
Costco expects construction to take 21 months before the new store opens.
