News Summary
The Jacksonville City Council has voted 15-3 to deny a rezoning request from Costco for a proposed gas station at the St. Johns Town Center. This decision follows concerns about increased traffic congestion, reduced parking availability at the Costco location, and potential disruption of vehicle flow in the area. Despite initial recommendations for approval from city staff and the Planning Commission, community opposition played a significant role in the council’s final vote.
Jacksonville City Council Rejects Costco Gas Station Proposal
Jacksonville’s City Council voted decisively on May 27, 2025, to deny a rezoning request from Costco for a proposed gas station at the St. Johns Town Center. The vote concluded with members approving the decision by a 15-3 margin, thereby rejecting Ordinance 2025-0249, which sought to change the zoning from Planned Unit Development (PUD) to allow a gas station at the site located at 4901 Gate Parkway.
The planned gas station was intended to occupy 1.29 acres on the northeast corner of Costco’s existing parking lot, featuring 12 fuel pumps and 24 fueling stations, along with a fuel kiosk enclosure, curbing, and landscaped islands. This denial follows a recommendation from the Land Use and Zoning Committee, which voted 5-1 against the rezoning just a week prior to the council’s decision.
City Council President Randy White, Vice President Kevin Carrico, and many other council members opposed the rezoning request. In contrast, support came from members Ken Amaro, Tyrona Clark-Murray, and Jimmy Peluso. Notably, Michael Boylan was absent from the meeting due to a personal commitment.
Concerns raised by the council members and community included anticipated increases in traffic congestion on surrounding streets, a significant 15% reduction in parking spaces at Costco, and the disruption of vehicle flow within the site. The allocation of parking spaces was particularly worrying, as the existing layout was already under scrutiny due to customer traffic patterns.
Council member Lahnen, whose district encompasses the Town Center, voiced strong opposition, specifically highlighting the traffic issues that a gas station could exacerbate. Clark-Murray, one of the few members to support the rezoning, deemed the refusal to approve the request as lacking substantive evidence and cautioned of a potential legal challenge from Costco’s representatives related to the decision.
In addition to the council’s deliberations, the city Planning and Development Department’s staff had initially recommended approval of the proposal, provided that a comprehensive traffic circulation report was produced. Furthermore, the Planning Commission had previously backed the rezoning request, voting 6-0 in favor of it under the same condition of conducting a traffic report.
The existing surrounding infrastructure includes nearby fuel stations operated by Wawa and Daily’s, which contributed to discussions about whether an additional gas station would serve an important community need or simply add to existing traffic challenges. Notably, emergency services voiced concerns regarding how increased vehicle flow could impede their response times in the area, a critical element in council discussions.
Costco has had a significant presence in Jacksonville since 2000, operating a 164,000-square-foot warehouse as the area’s first Costco location, with two additional sites featuring their own gas stations. The proposed gas station, if approved, was intended to operate with varying hours during the week and weekends, typically from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays.
The site has garnered significant neighborhood opposition, predominantly citing traffic and congestion concerns as primary reasons for the overwhelming disapproval from the council. With the vote now concluded, it remains unclear how Costco will respond to this setback, particularly given the potential implications for future development in the St. Johns Town Center area. Further negotiations may be necessary to address the expressed concerns and potentially reshape the proposal in a manner acceptable to both the city council and the local residents.
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Additional Resources
- News 4 JAX: Jacksonville City Council Denies Costco Gas Station Proposal
- Google Search: Costco gas station Jacksonville
- Jax Daily Record: Costco Seeks Rezoning
- Google Scholar: Costco Jacksonville gas station
- Gulfshore Business: Costco Plans with Public Pushback
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Costco
- PNJ: Costco Opening New Stores
- Google News: Costco Florida
