Neighbors weigh in on Bel Air Costco project, traffic concerns

A big box store with just about everything, including inflation-proof hot dogs, could be on its way to Harford County.

A public meeting in Abingdon Thursday night gave way for interested neighbors to share their concerns. Some told WMAR they are excited at the prospect of a Costco, but not everyone's ready for a proposed development's impact on traffic.

"I'm for it, because we were Costco members and gave it up," explained Kathy Carter, a Bel Air resident.

The nearest Costco location is about half an hour south of Bel Air in White Marsh.

"I really would like to see Costco here, but I am also empathetic to the needs and the traffic conditions for the local residents," Carter added.

Traffic was a central concern as dozens packed a fire company room in Abingdon Thursday; designs for the 22.5-acre plot were on display as attendees walked in.

The plot is just off Plumtree Rd., sandwiched between Rt. 924, or Emmorton Rd., and Rt. 24, also known as Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway.

"It's a big box store. It's going to draw a lot of traffic. We have a lot of traffic in the area right now, so it's going to impact whatever goes there," said Bill Wehland, a Bel Air resident just over a quarter mile away from the proposed location.

Many neighbors WMAR spoke with were not opposed to Costco in Harford County, but to this development's location.

"We want to hear the concerns—the intersections people are really concerned with—and then we can address those in the traffic report," said Joseph Snee, an attorney representing Costco.

"We're just getting started," Costco added. "I want to emphasize that this process is the first step in a long process. We have a traffic engineer; they are working with [Harford] County. The county picks who the engineer is. We happen to pay for it- but it's all controlled by the county. The county dictates what intersections to study, and then we come back with what that shows, and then we resolve it through mitigation."

Snee estimates the project could come to form in two or three years.