Pro-Business Group Forms in Yorktown
A new group has formed in Yorktown to counter what they see as an anti-development coalition of residents who have opposed the development of a Costco Wholesale Club on Route 202.
Citizens for a Progressive Yorktown, which boasts about a dozen members to date, launched its platform Friday in the offices of the Yorktown Chamber of Commerce, with some local business owners who pledged their support for Costco.
Rich Leahy, 37-year owner of Atlantic Appliances, sold the 18-acre site to Costco after turning down many offers for projects he said weren’t right for Yorktown.
“It was the best use for the property that I could possibly think of,” Leahy said. “Costco is a great company. Some people don’t want any type of development. To block competition that doesn’t make you a better town or a better person.”
Several speakers spoke about the tax benefits Costco would bring, including $5.2 million in state tax, $3.9 million in county sales tax and $613,000 to the Yorktown School District.
“It’s not a done deal, but Costco is a great deal for the Town of Yorktown,” said Bill Primavera, a local real estate agent and hired public relations specialist for the group.
Jim McKean, a member of Concerned Citizens of Yorktown who was barred from attending the press conference, said in the parking lot the proposed 150,000-square-foot Costco was misplaced on a property that would be better suited for a small shopping center, office space or residential use.
“That land could be developed that’s profitable for the town and the developer,” he said. “Why take such a beautiful town and plop this thing down in the middle?”
A public hearing on the Costco project will be held October 15 at 7 p.m. at the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center.
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