CARLSBAD — The Costco Wholesale in Carlsbad received approval to expand its gas business by adding four pumps and eight fueling positions.
The membership-based retailer plans to expand its canopy by 3,719 square feet, relocate a retaining wall and add an underground storage tank. The Carlsbad Planning Commission unanimously approved the plans at a meeting on Wednesday.
The business opened as Price Club in October 1992 on the 14.8-acre site before changing its name to Costco Wholesale in 1993, according to city records. The location first received approval for a member fueling station in October 1997, records show.
Those initial plans called for three pump islands and six dispensers near the property’s northeast entrance, off Palomar Airport Road. The gas operation has since expanded, with Costco currently operating 11 pumps and 22 fueling positions under a 5,874-square-foot canopy, according to the records.
Riley Johnson, a project planner at Barghausen Consulting Engineers, which drafted the plans, said Costco expects the project to address a common issue.
“The intent of this project — with these four new dispensers and expanded canopy — is to improve the queuing wait times for fueling vehicles and to provide a more efficient flow of vehicles through the facility for Costco members,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that customers are often discouraged from refueling during peak hours when lines are too long.
Mike Strong, assistant director of community development for the city, said peak hours typically occur during the week before or after the workday and on weekends around midday.
At the 95th-percentile peak, 49 cars can be in the queue, according to city records. Johnson said the new configuration is designed to snake the queue through the property, reducing the likelihood of traffic impacts on Palomar Airport Road.
The city estimates that the new pumps will add 110 daily trips to Palomar Airport Road, including 11 per hour during peak periods.
A Costco in Santee expanded from 16 to 32 fueling positions, while one in Sunnyvale expanded from 20 to 30. An analysis found that those expansions resulted in 103% and 40% increases in weekday daily trips, and 150% and 55% increases on weekends, according to city records.
