COSTCO Saga Ends — We Won!

It’s Over! (We think)

[Click here for the full history]

Costco has been trying for 8 1/2 years to to jam one of its mammoth gas stations into the Westfield Wheaton shopping mall. We describe the saga in detail at the link above, including the record 37-day hearing before the County Hearing Examiner on Costco's application.

To make a (very) long story short, Costco witnesses made numerous unforced errors and lost credibility before the Hearing Examiner compared to the compelling testimony presented by the Opposition (headed by KHCA and the Stop Costco Gas Coalition, but joined by many other individuals and groups). Montgomery County denied their request, so Costco appealed to the Maryland Circuit Court — and lost. It appealed again to the Maryland Court of Special Appeals and lost in April 2018. It still had one more option — to ask the Maryland Court to grant a discretionary review of the case.

Finally, though, after only 8 1/2 years, Costco saw the light and chose not to file that final appeal request. That means the case is over — and because the County passed a Zoning Code amendment during this case to require any new applications for large gas stations to be located at least 500 feet from homes, there is no chance that Costco can ever come back and try to build in the mall again. So, it's really done! And we won! Good things come to those who wait!

 
CostcoKaren CordryComment