Costco talk continues Tuesday with Lake Stevens City Council
Last time, there was no vote on the proposed wholesale store. Now the council has another chance.
by Stephanie DaveyLAKE STEVENS — Conversations about Costco could continue on Tuesday, after public comment was cut short during a Lake Stevens City Council meeting a couple of weeks ago.
At that meeting the council decided to close the public comment period after almost two hours, around 9:15 p.m. People were still lined up to speak.
The council will likely decide during Tuesday’s meeting whether or not to reopen public comment and if they’re going to vote to move forward with the project, said Russ Wright, the city’s community development director.
Since the last meeting, some minor changes have been made to the proposed development agreement and the council has received more written comment.
“Council will review that, look at the new testimony and decide what they are going to do,” Wright said.
More than half of the feedback submitted in recent weeks has been in favor of the warehouse store, which is similar to what the city had heard before, Wright said.
Costco wants to build a nearly 160,000-square-foot warehouse store at the southwest corner of Highway 9 and 20th Street Southeast, near South Lake Stevens Road. The area has been zoned for commercial development since 2012.
The plans include a 30-pump gas station and more than 800 parking spots. The development would cover more than 37 acres.
Some people have been worried about traffic and the impact construction could have on the environment. Others want the store to create more jobs and to bring in tax revenue for city projects.
If the Costco is built, the company could hire about 300 employees with a minimum wage of $15.50 per hour, Costco representative Brian Whelan said at the last meeting.
The city council meeting starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Lake Stevens School District Educational Service Center, 12309 22nd St. NE. Enter on the side of the building near 22nd Street NE.
An approved development agreement does not mean Costco can begin to build. The Issaquah-based company’s next steps would be to ask for approval of a construction plan and then to apply for building permits.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
Gallery
A portion of the site of the proposed Lake Stevens Costco at the intersection of Highway 9 (right) and South Lake Stevens Road (below, out of view). (Chuck Taylor / The Herald)
