UPDATE: West San Jose Costco close to final approval

Plans for a potential West San Jose Costco are up for final approval next month despite dozens of residents speaking against it because of fears the warehouse will negatively impact traffic safety and increase noise pollution.

The San Jose Planning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously, with Commissioners Chuck Cantrell and Michael Young absent, to certify an environmental impact report for a prospective sixth Costco at 5287 Prospect Road. While city employees stressed traffic would only slightly increase, residents said the report doesn’t accurately reflect peak traffic times before and after classes at nearby Prospect High School. The San Jose City Council will consider approving the project on Oct. 22.

Marc Pawliger, co-founder of grassroots group Save West Valley!, described the area as a “multi-jurisdictional puzzle,” saying residents in the surrounding neighborhood have traffic concerns and want to see road improvements. The area isn’t equipped to handle the traffic a Costco would bring , he said.

“We’ve seen Costcos make a lot of improvements to public infrastructure around them because of problems they themselves will cause, and we haven’t seen San Jose talk about doing anything likewise,” Pawliger told San José Spotlight. “There doesn’t seem to be much of an effort between Costco and the city to get any kind of mitigations or improvements.”

Prospect High School students regularly cross the traffic islands that split lanes at some of the busiest intersections near the suggested Costco location, he said.

Julie Reynolds, president of the high school’s Parent Teacher Student Association, said she’s been following the Costco project since plans were announced in 2021 and believes it will create unsafe conditions, especially for nearby students traveling to and from school.

“The location is inappropriate,” she said Wednesday. “It’s less than 50 feet from long-established homes, close to several parks, across from assisted living centers and 1,000 feet from a high school.”

City officials plan to expand the path of travel on the west side of the proposed Costco along Lawrence Expressway from 4 feet to 8 feet and build crossing improvements at crosswalks.

If the 165,000-square-foot Costco is approved by councilmembers, the Goodwill store, Ethan Allen Furniture Company, Bikram Yoga San Jose and the former Smart & Final and Orchard Supply Hardware building will be demolished. The project will be the first U.S. location with rooftop parking, according to Costco, and will include a tire center. Additionally, part of the parking area will be reconfigured to close off a driveway across the street from Graves Avenue residences.

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Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio said he supports the project because of the economic benefits for residents and the city.

“When we have a chance where there is a commercial development that brings revenue to the city, we must approve,” he said. “At the end of the day, there’s a tsunami of general plan and city needs for economic development that this must happen.”

Erik Schoennauer, a land use consultant representing Costco, said the store would bring 250 to 300 jobs to San Jose and generate about $2 million in annual tax revenue — along with accommodations for neighbors. It will cost roughly $60 million to develop the new location.

Resident Roberta Witte said she is concerned about the noise from a potential Costco, though Schoennauer said there will be measures in place to address that.

“The project will install a new 6-foot high wall along most of Graves Avenue to reduce noise and visual impacts in the neighborhood,” Schoennauer said in a letter to commissioners. “The project will also preserve the 55 mature magnolias and olive trees along Graves and will add new landscaping to screen the building and wall.”

Some neighbors, such as 59-year resident Sheafe Smith, said they support the proposed Costco because the warehouse could revitalize the area.

“Westgate West used to be a vibrant shopping center and I want to see it return. The only way this will happen is with a seismic shift like Costco will bring,” he wrote to city officials.

The environmental impact report, published this month, includes letters of concern not just from residents, but government agencies as well. Given its proximity to Saratoga, Community Development Director Bryan Swanson requested San Jose leaders coordinate closely with Saratoga on land use to ensure the project is developed in a responsible manner.

Moreland West Neighborhood Association President Amy Cody said she wants to see not only the city make infrastructure improvements, but for Costco to take a more active role.

“I would like to see Costco, or the owner of the shopping center,  pony up for some of the infrastructure that is needed for these project proposals,” she told San José Spotlight. “It’s just going to have a tremendous, lasting impact on folks who live next to the area, who travel through the area to go to school and definitely those who shop here.”

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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