A Baltimore County councilman said his battle to block construction of a Costco in the Hillendale area ? and protect other “precious” manufacturing parcels from inappropriate uses ? may be an uphill struggle.
Councilman Vince Gardina, D-District 5, said other council members aren?t supporting his proposal to ban membership warehouse-style retailers from land zoned for light manufacturing. Gardina said he wants to stop Costco from building a store in the 1100 block of Taylor Avenue because of complaints from nearby residents.
But Gardina said he?s also trying to address a broader issue.
“If we continue to allow these retail uses in manufacturing light zones, we won?t have them for a manufacturing base,” Gardina said. “These zones are very limited and very precious, and we depend on them to draw in major corporations.”
Retail experts said membership discount clubs such as Costco, Sam?s Club and BJ?s, which are often twice the size of traditional grocery stores, rely on limited large parcels of land. In mature counties like Baltimore, there aren?t many places a company could put a warehouse store, said Tom Saquella, president of the Maryland Retailers Association.
A Costco officialsaid many zoning ordinances targeting big-box retailers don?t affect construction plans. In its 25-year history, Costco locations have moved from industrial areas to more retail districts, Bob Nelson said. He emphasized he had not seen Gardina?s proposal.
The council is expected to vote Monday.
