Costco construction causes commotion in Collier County community

Costco is eyeing a plot of land in Collier County for a new store, but residents are voicing strong opposition. The potential site is at the intersection of Rattlesnake Hammock Road and Collier Boulevard.

An Esplanade opposition organizer, Frank Cipolla, shared his thoughts on the new store.

“We don’t think they grasp the gravity of putting a monstrosity of a big box store at this corner; there are two neighborhoods back here,” said Cipolla.

Bill Kutner, president of Azure HOA, expressed concerns about local infrastructure.

“We have 2,700 apartment buildings being built, and the Naples Fire Department is straight down this road, which will also cause a delay in services,” said Kutner.

Residents are worried that the proposed Costco, which includes a 158,000-square-foot building with a gas station and 850 parking spots, will create traffic and safety issues.

“I can tell you that my community is vehemently against this Costco being placed here for a myriad of reasons,” said Kutner.

Traffic concerns are a significant issue.

“They’re also planning an elementary school further down this road. So we’re going to have morning traffic. We’re going to have evening traffic. It’s going to be a traffic mess,” Kutner said.

Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro responded to the situation.

“It’s too soon to tell anything about Costco,” said LoCastro. “They haven’t even bought the land or given the county a site development plan. They are still in the early ‘exploratory’ process of the possibility. We’ve approved nothing.”

Cipolla appreciates the commissioner’s response but remains skeptical.

“I don’t think he knows where this is going, and, more importantly, he won’t be living next to it. We are not anti-growth,” Cipolla said. “We understand that Naples is growing. This is just not a good idea, and it’s not a good location for Costco.”

Additionally, residents argue that the new store would violate local codes since a 7-Eleven gas station is already closer than 500 feet from the proposed site. Costco reportedly seeks a waiver from the county before proceeding with the project.

The proposed site, located near the busy intersection of Rattlesnake Hammock Road and Collier Boulevard, was the focus of a packed meeting on Tuesday night at the Florida Sports Park reception hall.

“Why don’t you have an actual other entrance anywhere located? By the hospital, on Collier?” asked one attendee during the meeting.

The meeting was filled with questions, answers, and an intense apprehension about the project’s potential impact on the community.

One Naples resident who attended the meeting expressed concern about the traffic the new Costco could bring, saying, “When you have 4,500 cars going in and out just the gas station, imagine all the people that live in the neighborhood all about, what? About 3,000 condominiums that alone would create a nightmare.”

Barry Denkensohn, who lives in Verona Walk, opposed the project.

“You can repeat that it’s a commercial zone over and over, but that doesn’t make it right,” said Denkensohn.

Despite the strong opposition, some attendees welcomed the idea of a Costco in their neighborhood.

“I am one of the odd people here and welcome Costco,” said another meeting participant.

Bradley Wester, representing McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow, PLLC, stated that while there was no comment during the meeting, they plan to continue discussions with the county.

“No, unfortunately, no, we let the public meeting play out the way it did tonight, and then we’re going to go through our continued request and comment responses with the county and then set the public hearings so we’ll have more comment at that time,” said Wester.

It’s important to note that the project is still in its early stages. No land has been purchased, and no site development plans have been submitted.