. It heartens me to know that so many people care deeply about the future of Yorktown and just hope we can keep the discussion civil, constructive and focused.
It's not about Costco.
They are a fine corporate citizen and certainly have their place. I'm just not convinced it's on the subject parcel. It's a matter of sound planning. The Yorktown Comprehensive Plan (YCP) is a legal document that the town adopted in 2010. It outlines, very comprehensively, how Yorktown plans to ameliorate the vibrant and quaint assembly of five small business hamlets that comprise "Yorktown": Shrub Oak, Jefferson Valley, Mohegan Lake, Crompond and Yorktown Heights.
I encourage you to read the YCP. It's located here. It's a local law that is critically important to this discussion.
For example, in the "Economic Development" section of the YCP, one of the 11 stated goals is to "strive for tax and fiscal stability for Yorktown residents by continuing to seek out stable, low-impact, high-quality ratables." Propose something truly unique and high-quality, like a Fairway, and I'm going to overlook the terrible traffic impact and be it's most vocal supporter. It's not literally my backyard.
The YCP continues, "[a]n attractive commercial area not only contributes to community pride, but also helps attract customers. The hamlet business centers can be improved in terms of their overall attractiveness, the quality and mix of stores, and walkability."
When I read that, it's hard to convince me that adding a Costco across from a BJ's passes the smell test; no matter how hard the development team and certain Patch commenters try, I'm not buying that Costco is so "extraordinary" from BJ's. Really? And don't get me started on the 5-50 cent (depending on who you talk to) savings on gas.
To quote the 35th President of United States – who just so happens to have relatives who live in a town very close to our fine municipality – "a rising tide lifts all boats." We pay the highest property taxes in the nation and are not some podunk, back-water town in middle America on the verge of bankruptcy and somehow Costco is going to ride into town and save the day.
Let's aim for a little decorum and adhere to vision laid out in the YCP.
