Costco Proposal Would Make Bad Traffic Worse
Traffic for the proposed Costco could be expected to come from Prince William, Fauquier, Loudoun, Rappahannock, and Culpeper. Click to see the map.
Traffic for a by-right grocery store on the site would come largely from Fauquier and create less of a burden on Fauquier's road network. Click to see the map.
The Project will make Already Unacceptable Traffic Worse
The project will worsen already unacceptable traffic conditions in New Baltimore. The proposed development is projected to generate approximately 23,000 vehicle trips on Saturday and approximately 19,000 vehicle trips on a weekday.During peak hours, the level of service on Route 29 at Broad Run Church Road is already D or worse. But why would the Board allow the applicant to make them go from bad to worse?
Costco Traffic Would be Worse than By-Right
The applicant now argues that the project with a Costco would be better than a by-right development. According to a document submitted by the applicant in June 2007, this is not true. With the limited ability to build on that site due to wetlands, the county has the ability to keep the traffic impacts down while bringing tax generating employers into the county.
This Location Would Be Buried in Traffic from Four Counties
More importantly, this Costco traffic will be new traffic coming in from Prince William and other counties. See inset maps below to compare service areas for a Costco based development and a supermarket based development.
Simply put, Cross Creek has not met the burden of proving that a Costco will create less traffic than regular commercial uses allowed at that site.
Anchor Stores that draw No Traffic?
On September 16, 2007, the Washington Post quoted Cross Creek's attorney as saying
Costco is not a traffic generator
- an incredible statement, indeed. For months, Cross Creek has been touting Costco as an important anchor store. The common understanding of an anchor store is a large store, such as a department store or supermarket, that is prominently located in a shopping mall to attract customers who are then expected to patronize the other shops in the mall. If Costco does not generate traffic, it cannot be an anchor store. According to Costco Taking Anchor Spots by Debra Hazel, customers come from 70 miles away to the Costco in Fredericksburg. Within 70 miles of New Baltimore is Charlottesville and Harrisonburg. Not only does Costco attract customers, it attracts new traffic. In Costco's Growth Strategies by Stan Luxenberg, Costco chairman Jeffrey Brotman is reported as saying,
We attract people who never came to the mall before...
