After the San Jose Metropolis Council on Oct. 22 gave the inexperienced mild for a brand new Costco location to be constructed within the Westgate West procuring middle, residents are break up over whether or not the shop might be a constructive addition to the encircling space.
The shop might be situated at 5287 Prospect Street in San Jose, proper off of the busy Lawrence Expressway that connects components of Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Santa Clara and West San Jose. The challenge has acquired widespread pushback from neighborhood members who apprehensive {that a} new Costco would carry extra vehicles to an already closely trafficked space, which can be near residential areas and faculties, together with Prospect Excessive College in Saratoga. However others are wanting to have a brand new procuring area, and look favorably on the challenge due to the $2 million in gross sales tax revenues it’s forecast to usher in yearly to San Jose.
The roughly 165,000-square-foot warehouse retailer will relaxation on the positioning of a number of vacant Westgate shops, together with the previous Orchard Provide {Hardware}. The area will embrace 687 new parking areas and have tire gross sales and set up, a normal grocery part, a retail retailer, pharmacy and bakery, amongst different companies.
Although approving the event was as much as San Jose officers, the Saratoga Metropolis Council voted in February to submit feedback on the challenge’s draft environmental impression report, saying it didn’t adequately consider the challenge’s environmental, noise, land use and transportation impacts.
Some concerned with Save West Valley, a gaggle of residents and companies which have advocated towards the challenge, have been relieved that Costco representatives agreed to up their contribution to enhance bike and pedestrian security to $2.5 million from the unique $1 million it promised. However Saratoga Vice Mayor Belal Aftab stated the adjustments that Costco made to the proposal don’t go far sufficient to deal with the impression that the challenge can have within the metropolis of Saratoga.
“I sincerely hope that I’m incorrect and that you’re proper, and that Costco has correctly mitigated all the security impacts that can come from this location,” Aftab stated in an e-mail to representatives from Costco. “But when anybody is harm or injured in an accident, whether or not or not it’s strolling, biking or driving-related from elevated site visitors, I’ll maintain you and Costco answerable for that. I won’t have a lot authorized recourse for it, however I would like you to recollect.”
Aftab stated that whereas San Jose will obtain each the gross sales tax income from the brand new retailer and funds for site visitors security measures, Saratoga received’t obtain both however will nonetheless be closely impacted by the challenge.
“We right here in Saratoga are seeing none of the advantages, however all the prices,” he added.
However others within the space are wanting ahead to the brand new San Jose Costco, and say the shop’s arrival will lower site visitors and congestion at different places. There are a number of South Bay Costcos, together with in Sunnyvale, Santa Clara and Mountain View.
Sunnyvale resident John Gordon and his spouse are regulars on the Sunnyvale Costco, which is near the place they dwell, in addition to the Mountain View retailer. Gordon expects the Westgate retailer to turn into widespread and ultimately divert Costco-related site visitors in his neighborhood. “It positively would lighten the load on the Sunnyvale Costco,” he stated.
Gordon stated he’s additionally glad metropolis leaders determined to interchange Westgate’s vacant areas with a grocery retailer as an alternative of a big housing improvement.
Like Gordon, Santa Clara resident Saira Lari stated she is happy to see one other Costco opening near her dwelling. Lari lives near the Costcos in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara, however will typically decide to buy on the Mountain View location as a result of the shop is much less crowded and the parking tons are larger.
Lari stated she intends to go to the Westgate retailer when it opens, and possibly make it her new go-to procuring spot.
“I like Costco,” she stated. “Having extra will assist lower congestion and site visitors on the different Costco places.”
