Bel Air residents raise red flags over proposed Costco location

BALTIMORE -- A couple dozen community members came out to a Harford County Development Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday to voice their concerns about a plan to build a Costco in Bel Air.

"This is a warehouse," a meeting attendee said. "Let's face it. This is a warehouse. Not a regular retail store."

The advisory committee, also known as DAC, evaluates aspects of large project proposals like the Costco before county approval.

Plans for the Costco were first revealed earlier this year.

The proposed store will sit on 22 acres of land off of Veterans Memorial Highway. It is set to be 162,000 square feet and will also have a gas station.

"Should Costco be in Harford County?" a man said during the meeting. "Sure, why not. Here, no."

The main concern people have about the project is the traffic.

Bill Wehland spoke several times at the meeting, he lives about a half mile from the proposed site. He's worried about the initial traffic study prepared for the store.

"It's difficult to think about mitigating 11,000 more cars a day and 17,000 more on a Saturday based on the current traffic patterns we have," Wehland said.

WJZ asked the representatives for the project who were at the meeting if they could speak. They declined.

We also submitted a request for more information on the project on Costco's website, however the website says the company does not speak on new locations unless they're about to open.

Members of the Advisory Committee gave several recommendations to the representatives for the project at the meeting.

The proposal and the traffic study will need to be updated and resubmitted for approval before the project can move forward.

Community members tell WJZ they'll be keeping tabs of the project.

"This isn't the end, but it's the beginning," Wehland said.