While many enjoy the benefits of shopping at Costco, some even holding memberships, residents of Hicksville and nearby Westbury are not in favor of there being a store on West John Street. And, at Tuesday night's hearing on Costco's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which took place at Oyster Bay Town Hall, the over one dozen community leaders and residents who spoke, all echoed the same reason for their opposition - traffic.

The issue over whether Costco should be granted a special use permit to construct a 148,663 square foot store on 12.8 acres of vacant Light Industrial "LI" zoned property at the southwest intersection of West John Street and Charlotte Avenue has been present within the community since Virginia-based Costco Wholesale Corporation and 555 West John Street LLC first petitioned the Oyster Bay Town Board in January 2002. In May 2003, after a series of town and community meetings, the board voted 5-1 against granting the necessary special use permit. In its denial of the application, the board said the store would create "hazardous traffic conditions" and that roads, in areas where Costcos already existed, were "affected negatively" by the stores.

As a result, the applicants commenced an Article 78 proceeding to set aside the decision of the town board and, in January 2004, New York State Supreme Court Justice Ute Wolff Lally annulled Oyster Bay Town's decision and directed the board to issue the special use permit. Six months later, however, in June 2004, Judge Lally vacated the previous decision and remitted the matter to the town board for the purposes of complying with New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA). In September 2004, the town board issued a Positive Declaration for the instant application and this DEIS was prepared and submitted by the applicants to address the issues identified within the Positive Declaration in compliance with SEQRA regulations.

Copies of the DEIS, which evaluates the potential adverse impacts associated with the application - including but not limited to land use compatibility, traffic and air and water quality - first became available in November 2006 and on Tuesday, the Town Environmental Quality Review (TEQR) division heard testimonies from Hicksville and Westbury civic leaders and residents as to why they believe a Costco on West John Street and Charlotte Avenue would be detrimental to their quality of life.

"Traffic is our main issue," said Joel Berse, president of Hicksville's NorthWest Civic Association, adding that Costco's DEIS is a "flawed document with both incorrect information and contradictions, depending on where in the document you read. There are vague and incomplete statements. There are some significant omissions." He added, "We absolutely object and oppose a Costco being built on this proposed site. The increased traffic will ruin our quality of life to unacceptable levels."

According to Berse, in the DEIS, Costco has proposed various changes to major intersections, including, but not limited to West John Street, Cantiague Rock Road, Cantiague Lane, Charlotte Avenue, Duffy Avenue, Old Country Road, Broadway, Newbridge Road, Apex Lane and the Wantagh Parkway, both north and southbound exits/entrances.

"They want to make changes such as removing parking spots on Newbridge Road to put in a turning lane onto West John Street, which would take away essential commuter parking; remove parking spots and add a turn lane on southbound Broadway, which would take parking away from storefronts; and make a major change on Old Country Road at the Wantagh Parkway that would add an intersection and make an already hazardous intersection more dangerous than it is now," Berse said, adding that the DEIS travels a considerable distance from the proposed site. "There has to be residual effects caused by these changes in the traffic pattern. How can a single business not be adverse to the community if it affects intersections that are such a considerable distance away?"

Lloyd Campbell, president of the Jericho Gardens Civic Association - which serves some 262 homes between Hunter Lane to the north, Cantiague Rock Road to the east, Cedar Road to the west and Cantiague Lane to the south - believes a Costco at the proposed location will have an adverse effect on traffic through local streets. According to the DEIS, "Costco shoppers who do arrive from the west will not be completely familiar with the existing local street system and will therefore have an extremely difficult time traveling through local residential streets to access the [Hicksville] Costco."

Campbell added that a Google map search for directions from the west to the blood center currently located next to the proposed site determines that the most direct route to the Hicksville Costco would be to take the Northern State Parkway to exit 34. The directions then call for travelers to make their way along Brush Hollow Road to Cedar Road and make a right on Cantiague Lane and a right on Prospect Avenue. "If people do not know where they are going, this is what Google will give them," said Campbell. "That will definitely destroy our quality of life."

Pablo Sinclair, president of the Westbury Hills Civic Association, which includes some 200 households to the northwest of the proposed site, agreed, saying, "Cedar Road is our main road through our community. It's already a dangerous intersection with numerous accidents. If you increase traffic, you can only imagine the negative impact it will have." He added, "We already have BOCES in the vicinity with a school bus issue as it is. I can only imagine what this is going to do to us if it does go through."

Jericho Gardens resident Joan Shands believes traffic studies conducted by Costco need to be redone. "The traffic coming out of the BOCES is really something [and] I can't imagine it getting any better with a Costco here," said Shands, adding, "I don't know what time of day the study visited this location but [they] need to go back and redo [it] at 2:30 p.m. and between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. to see what it is actually like, not something someone presupposes is going to happen. They need to go back and take a more realistic approach to see what kind of impact their facility would have on our community."

Immediately following the meeting, Louis Soloway, an attorney from Certilman Balin representing Costco, told this newspaper that the civics put a lot of time and effort into their presentation and that his client "will respond to all comments in the Final Environmental Impact Statement."

Additionally, while none spoke at Tuesday night's meeting, Costco Wholesale Chairman Jeffrey H. Brotman states that there are residents in favor of the application.

"We appreciate the input and the support we've received. Hundreds of letters have come in from area residents in favor of the project and the significant tax benefits it will bring to Hicksville schools and the community," according to Brotman in an emailed statement.

Copies of the DEIS can be viewed at the Town Clerk's Office, 54 Audrey Avenue, Oyster Bay; the Town Environmental Quality Review Division, 150 Miller Place, Syosset and the Hicksville Public Library, 169 Jerusalem Avenue, Hicksville. Residents can view the DEIS online at www.oysterbaytown.com and clicking the appropriate right hand column box. The record will remain open for public comment on the Costco DEIS until Jan. 31.

As it currently stands, all comments and information presented to the TEQR division at Tuesday night's meeting along with any additional feedback submitted between now and the Jan. 31 deadline, will be forwarded to the town board. According to hearing officer Scott Brody, the TEQR division does not approve or reject any zoning application based on its worthiness but rather reports to the town board whether or not there is sufficient information in the DEIS.

"The division acts only in advisory capacity to the town board in respect to environmental issues," stated Brody. "It has no powers to approve or deny the special use permit. The ultimate decision-making authority lies with the town board and that determination cannot be made until the environmental review process is complete."