GHGWBA PRESIDENT SEEKS ANSWERS REGARDING PLANS FOR COSTCO ON SEA CLIFF AVENUE
 Deborah Gordon speaks at the 2.14 City Council Meeting
February 21, 2017 -- Deborah Orgel Gordon, the President of the Glen Head Glenwood Business Association and administrator of the Glen Cove Neighbors Facebook page questioned Glen Cove Mayor Regninald Spinello at the February 14 City Council egarding the possibility of a Costco being built on Sea Cliff Avenue close to where it intersects with Cedar Swamp Road.
Ms. Gordon said that there rumors going around based on information posted on the third party website "Addicted to Costco" that stated that the big box store would be opening at that location in November 2017. Mayor Spinello responded that he didn't know how the author of the post came up with that date, but that a "venture firm" has an option to buy the property and that its first choice would be to put a Costco there. The old industrial property, he said, is a superfund site and that the clean-up there still "has a way to go." The Mayor explained the firm was considering other businesses for the site as well, but that Costco was the first choice. "They would like to put a Costco there, but it doesn't mean that a Costco is going to go there," he said. Ms. Gordon asked the Mayor if he thought Sea Cliff Aveue would be able to handle traffic going in and out of a Costco, especially with large trucks having to enter and exit the property. Mayor Spinello responded that the state is "currently being petitioned" to make an exit from the traffic light by the entrance of Glen Head Country Club to the property. He said that was a matter for the New York State Department of Transportation to consider - not the City of Glen Cove or the Town of Oyster Bay, in which 15% of the property lies. Ms. Gordon expressed concerns about the impact that a Costco would have on local businesses. "If a Costco comes to this town, we're going to hurt our bakeries; we're going to hurt our pharmacies; we're going to hurt a place like Justin's Toys; we're going to hurt our hardware stores; we're going to hurt our eyeglass stores," she said. "I'm concerned about our small local businesses. I'm concerned about the traffic." She asked if the City could push for other types of businesses such as those that provide entertainment and recreation like bowling, skating, and performing arts and music venues. "As the demographics improve," replied the Mayor, he said he believed more "known names" would come into the community and cited AMC movie theaters, Panera, and Massage Envy as examples. "As far as Costco is concerned," he continued, "there will be a lot of public hearings and a lot of public outreach." However, he added, "it's in such an infant stage, it's not even worth talking about at this time." BACK TO WEEKLY |
