Planned Camarillo Costco withstands appeal

Costco Wholesale will move forward with their planned Camarillo location after the City Council struck down an appeal Wednesday evening.

The five-person council voted unanimously to deny the request brought by Ventura County Citizens Against Mega Gas.

The grassroots group, made up of Camarillo and county residents, submitted the appeal after the Planning Commission approved the project on Dec. 5. Commissioners OK'd development of the 169,397-square-foot facility on about 20 acres on West Ventura Boulevard, next to Home Deport. The site is across from the Camarillo Airport.

The membership-only warehouse store will contain a food court, vision and hearing center, pharmacy, bakery, tire center, photo area and more then 4,000 products, including alcohol, city staff has said.

The retailer will also add 901 parking spaces and 16 double-sided gas pumps, allowing 32 vehicles to fuel up at once.

The big-box store is expected to open later this year.

Camarillo resident Richard Lucas III spoke in favor of the project at Wednesday’s meeting, noting he and his family regularly shop at Costco.

“As a lifelong community member, I feel very confident in the Planning Commission’s decision to approve it,” Lucas said.

Another group, Supporters Alliance For Environmental Responsibility, also submitted an appeal but later withdrew the request. In a letter to the city, group representative Brian Flynn said the the alliance had resolved its concerns through “negotiations and an environmental agreement” with the developer.

It costs $3,957 to appeal a Planning Commission decision, city spokesperson Michelle Glueckert D’Anna said in an email.

On behalf of the Citizens Against Mega Gas group, attorney Darshann Wienick noted the need for an environmental impact report in the appeal request.

A shopping center was originally planned for the property in 2007. At the time, a document analyzing environmental conditions and project impacts, called a final mitigated negative declaration, was drawn up. A second declaration was put together in 2016.

The studies were used by planning commissioners to reach their decision.

Wienick argued the documents are outdated and inadequate. The California Environmental Quality Act ― commonly known as CEQA — requires an environmental impact report be done, she said.

“The citizens deserve to have every opportunity to know what this is going to mean for the community and for their livelihoods and for their children,” Wienick said at the meeting.

Dale Goldsmith, an attorney representing Costco, said an impact report wouldn’t provide a different environmental analysis of the site.

Wienick listed specific items her client believed could benefit from a new environmental study.

One concern was dust that would be stirred up while excavating the property to build large underground fuel storage tanks. The original analysis didn’t anticipate a 32-pump gas station, she said.

Resident Joan Handzel said Wednesday the public needs to know how an increase in traffic and vehicle emissions in the area will affect emergency response times, pollution and public safety.

“The city can fulfill its duty to protect the inhabitants by requiring an independent environmental impact report,” Handzel said.

Throughout the meeting, council members called on consultant Michael Brown, president of Cadence Environmental Consultants. They regularly questioned him ― at times in a rapid-fire manner — to determine the validity of claims and concerns brought forth by the grassroots group and the public.

Brown maintained that an environmental impact report was not needed and no new relevant information would be found by such a study.

Wednesday's meeting was held at the Camarillo Public Library. All City Council and Planning Commission meetings will be hosted in the library's community room through the end of the year while the City Hall Council Chambers are renovated.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or at 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Planned Camarillo Costco withstands appeal