Costco looking to add gas station to Richmond Highway location

Costco has applied for permission to build a new 18-pump gas station at its Hybla Valley location.

The station would go in the back corner of the store’s parking lot next to Ladson Lane, according to an application submitted to Fairfax County. No new pedestrian or vehicular entrances would need to be constructed in order to accommodate the station.

Costco says that since the store opened in 2013, it’s noticed that the parking area around the store is bigger than it needs to be, and that it believes a gas station can thrive there like at its West Ox Road, Sterling, Chantilly and Manassas stores.

“Since opening, Costco has found that the rear portion of its parking lot is underutilized, and, as an additional service for its members, Costco is proposing to add fuel pumps in this area of the [p]roperty,” the application says.

The new pumps would be under a canopy and would feature a control booth manned by one employee. No repairs would be done at the station nor would there be a market of any kind, according to the application. The station’s hours would be from 5:30 a.m. until one hour after Costco’s closing, seven days a week.

A drawing of the facility from Costco’s application. Click to enlarge.

Based on its Chantilly store’s gas station, Costco estimates that a new station at the Hybla Valley store would attract about 2,000 patrons per day. The impact on traffic would be minimal, however, because most of the customers would be people already visiting Costco for regular shopping, according to the application.

The request for the gas station at the Route 1 store is considered a special exception application because the location falls in a county-designated highway commercial district. That means it will need to go through a public hearing before the planning commission and receive final approval from the Board of Supervisors before any work can begin. The Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation will also likely review the plan.

Lee District Supervisor Jeff McKay said he supports the proposal, but that traffic concerns need to be examined closer.

“It’s a big win for area commuters, but it’s also something we’re going to have to watch closely to ensure potential traffic implications are mitigated,” said McKay

Costco’s application was first reported Friday by the Washington Business Journal.