+- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com)
+-- Forum: Waterloo Region Life (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=12)
+--- Forum: Retail (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=23)
+--- Thread: Waterloo Costco (/showthread.php?tid=226)
Waterloo Costco - Drake - 10-25-2014
This topic didn't appear to survive our exile from WW.
I haven't heard any update with respect to this project. A quick search tells me there really hasn't been any news since July. Anyone have any updates to add?
RE: Waterloo Costco - Drake - 10-25-2014
http://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/news/costco-developer-taking-it-to-the-omb/
Wednesday, July, 02, 2014 - 10:10:05 AM
Costco developer taking it to the OMB
James Jackson
Waterloo Chronicle
A developer is taking the city to the Ontario Municipal Board over its decision to delay a proposed Costco warehouse store on the city’s west end.
Rice Commercial Group has appealed the city’s decision to approve the development earlier this year with a holding provision that freezes any construction until a full traffic analysis can be completed.
In an email to the Chronicle, John McGovern, vice president of development with Rice Commercial Group, said he would not comment on the appeal, “out of respect for the delicate nature of the issues involved.”
Leading up to the approval of the Costco site in April, the developer had said it wanted to open by late 2014, but the host of traffic study provisions included in the approval could delay the project for more than a year.
“The (holding provision) was put there to allow time for a good analysis of the traffic impacts on the west side,” said Chief Administrative Officer Tim Anderson.
Coun. Karen Scian said the appeal was expected and work will continue on the traffic analysis while the case is being prepared.
“This does not stop the process, this underlines the urgency we need to operate under,” she said. The study’s terms of reference, the public input component and identifying traffic mitigation elements still must be addressed.
“We will continue to work towards that,” Scian said. Some preliminary work on the terms of reference has already begun and is expected to come to council in the fall.
The Waterloo West Commercial Centre includes a Costco and a four-island gas bar with a combined 160,000 square feet. Another 65,000 square feet of other retail and commercial uses are also proposed for the site across from the regional landfill on Erb Street West.
A transportation impact study for the project identified “significant travel delays” in the area at peak times on opening day. That study only considered a 30 per cent build-out of the nearby employment lands that will begin to be developed once the lease with the Waterloo Golf Academy expires in 2017.
Anderson expects it will take at least 6 months for the hearing to get underway at the OMB and he hopes any progress the city makes in the meantime will help defend council’s decision to conduct a thorough analysis before granting final approval to the developer.
Area resident and local environmentalist Kevin Thomason has been vocal in his opposition to the approved Costco location and is worried the appeal suggests the developer is, “trying to bully and push themselves into Waterloo, regardless of the many concerning consequences to our community.”
Several infrastructure improvements have been proposed to help relieve that congestion, but would not have been in place in time for a 2014 opening. They include roundabouts at Gate 1 and Gate 2 of the landfill, the widening of Erb Street West to four lanes in front of the site, and the construction of a new collector road from Erb Street West north to Columbia Street in the Vista Hills community.
Ira Needles Boulevard will also be widened to four lanes in two phases between now and 2016, according to the region.
RE: Waterloo Costco - curiouschair - 10-26-2014
I don't know if this is news or not, but I have seen that they have been moving a lot of dirt around, preparing the site I guess.
RE: Waterloo Costco - MacBerry - 10-26-2014
(10-26-2014, 12:56 AM)curiouschair Wrote: I don't know if this is news or not, but I have seen that they have been moving a lot of dirt around, preparing the site I guess.
All of the articles appearing in the press and press relaeses including the one above refer to the "approved Costco location".
Why wait for the "Gang That Can't Shoot Straight" (Waterloo City council) to change their minds again and again and again.
P.S. It's an election year and most polits change their positions based on the wind direction to hold onto their power.
RE: Waterloo Costco - The85 - 10-26-2014
Here is the site plan proposed by developer Rice Commercial:
![[Image: QgwbMHie.jpg]](http://i.imgbox.com/QgwbMHie.jpg)
RE: Waterloo Costco - mpd618 - 10-27-2014
You may find this amusing coming from me, but... holy crap, there is no way that's enough parking.
RE: Waterloo Costco - Spokes - 10-27-2014
That's really funny. But you're right.
RE: Waterloo Costco - BuildingScout - 10-27-2014
(10-27-2014, 06:51 AM)Spokes Wrote: That's really funny. But you're right.
Isn't that a problem in the Kitchener Costco location? I seem to recall that on busy days their parking lot is completely full.
RE: Waterloo Costco - Spokes - 10-27-2014
(10-27-2014, 07:26 AM)BuildingScout Wrote:(10-27-2014, 06:51 AM)Spokes Wrote: That's really funny. But you're right.
Isn't that a problem in the Kitchener Costco location? I seem to recall that on busy days their parking lot is completely full.
Ya... That's the point, there's not enough parking. But just funny for someone like mpd618 to say that as he usually pushes for LESS parking.
RE: Waterloo Costco - JoeKW - 10-27-2014
Yeah, that was the same thought I had. Every Costco I've been to has had way more parking than this and could use more. Are there any adjoining lots that they may be able to grab over time?
RE: Waterloo Costco - Osiris - 10-27-2014
Perhaps they expect that between this and Guelph's new Costco they won't need quite as much parking as you split the previous demand across three stores? Even with a small increase in demand with the new stores, it's not an unreasonable expectation, unless this parking lot is half the size of Kitchener's...
RE: Waterloo Costco - Viewfromthe42 - 10-27-2014
What is the timeline for the non-Costco development on site? You could always build the Costco alone, then discover that it needs to gobble up that land for parking, and wind up with a monolith rather than multi-business setup, one which might not have been approved otherwise.
RE: Waterloo Costco - mpd618 - 10-28-2014
(10-27-2014, 07:26 AM)BuildingScout Wrote: Isn't that a problem in the Kitchener Costco location? I seem to recall that on busy days their parking lot is completely full.
It definitely is, and my visual inspection suggests this is a much smaller lot.
RE: Waterloo Costco - Drake - 11-24-2014
I went to the Kitchener Costco today for what I pray is the last time. The mad scramble of rude people in the parking lot and inside the store ... I wonder if I could buy a costco sized therapist for post trip counselling.
RE: Waterloo Costco - MacBerry - 11-24-2014
(11-24-2014, 02:31 AM)Drake Wrote: I went to the Kitchener Costco today for what I pray is the last time. The mad scramble of rude people in the parking lot and inside the store ... I wonder if I could buy a costco sized therapist for post trip counselling.
NEVER go on a weekend day! Unless you want PTSD.