PERRYSBURG — Mayor Mike
Olmstead cast the tiebreaking vote to defeat a motion to grant
conditional approval to Costco, after which council approved the project
4-2 without any conditions.
The mayor’s deciding vote became necessary after council split 3-3 on a
motion by member TIm McCarthy to reinforce anticipated changes to
Costco’s plan by adding seven conditions to council’s approval of the
project. Council members Tom Mackin and Barry VanHoozen also supported
the conditional approval, but it was defeated by Olmstead’s vote.
The split was made possible after councilor Jim Matuszak recused himself
at the beginning of the meeting due to a conflict of interest. Matuszak
said afterward his accounting firm represents a potential alternate
site for the Costco project.
The special approval use for Costco ultimately passed with no conditions
due to support from VanHoozen, who after first supporting the seven
conditions also voted to approve the project with no strings attached.
The vote on approval without conditions was also affirmed by council
members Todd Grayson, John Kevern and Rick Rettig, with Mackin and
McCarthy voting no.
The project has been mired in complaints and concerns from citizens
worried that $2.2 million in road improvements won’t relieve current
traffic congestion, let alone that which would be brought by Costco customers.
Company representatives maintain that traffic won’t be as much of a
problem as some think, and that forcing a store into an inadequate
location wouldn’t benefit them or their members.
Costco must clear one more hurdle to move forward with a store at Ohio
25 and Eckel Junction Road — a review of the final site plan by the
city’s Planning Commission, scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday.