Letter to the Editor: The Gas Station Is Still Coming!

by The Kensington Heights Civic Association

The good news is that Costco has asked again to postpone the hearing on its request for a Special Exception (SE) to allow it to build a mega gas station at Westfield Wheaton. This gas station would allow 16 cars to fill up at a time and provide space for dozens more to idle, right in the back yards of our homes, the Kenmont Swim Club, and the Stephen Knolls School. Equally important, this mega-station would be less than a half mile from the Wheaton Metro Station and within a few minutes drive of 30 other gas stations.

Through the efforts of its Costco Working Group (CWG), Kensington Heights Civic Association has opposed the gas station since it was first proposed. In 2010, the CWG’s efforts forced Costco to drop its attempt to bypass the SE process altogether and convinced Costco to divorce its plans for the store from a decision on the gas station. As a result, a Costco store is coming to Wheaton, with or without a gas station (and demolition in preparation for the new store is already underway). Since Costco filed its SE request in 2010, the CWG has held meetings with County Council members and the Planning Board staff to oppose the gas station. Costco has twice asked for more time to make its case, and now wants to wait until May 2012.

This is good news – but the gas station proposal is NOT going away. The delays give the CWG more time to prepare, to inform the public and rally community opposition, and to raise funds to make our case to both the Planning Board and the Zoning Hearing Examiner. We’re doing great work, but we can’t stop until we’re done, which takes time and money! We hope you can help.

For more information or if you would like find out how to donate time or money to the KHCA Legal Defense Fund, contact Dan Sheveiko at dsheveiko@hotmail.com