Everyone’s favorite rotisserie chicken may soon come with a full tank of gas.
Costco might open up a gas station in Goleta a few miles down the road from the warehouse at the Camino Real Marketplace.
The Santa Barbara Airport Commission approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Costco in March, allowing the company to evaluate the proposed site at 6050 Hollister Avenue and 140 Frederic Lopez Road for 12 months. The property neighbors the Santa Barbara Airport Economy parking lot.
“There’s a lot of public opinion, good and bad, related to gas stations,” said Airport Director Christopher Hastert at a March 18 commission meeting. “This is just to allow us to talk to them.”
While the property is owned by the city of Santa Barbara, it is surrounded by the city of Goleta.
If the development goes forward, the facility would be Costco’s first gas station on the South Coast—and one of the first few standalone Costco gas stations in the United States. The nearest Costco gas station to the city of Goleta is in Oxnard.
The agreement does not guarantee construction, but it blocks the city of Santa Barbara from leasing the property to other parties throughout the agreement. Either party can cancel the agreement upon 30 days notice, Hastert said.
“If it happens, it’d be good to get a lease out of that land,” Airport Commissioner Paul Bowen said at the meeting.
The push for a Costco gas station in the city of Goleta has been a long time coming.
Around two miles away from the proposed gas station site, Costco has a warehouse location at the Camino Real Marketplace.
The city of Goleta initially proposed a Costco gas station at the Camino Real Marketplace in 2007. However, neighbors of the shopping center opposed the plan, predicting increased fuel truck trips and congestion on Hollister Avenue.
For Goleta City Councilmember James Kyriaco, he said he hopes the city of Santa Barbara remains open to feedback from Goleta residents.
The Airport Commission should fairly evaluate the potentially positive and negative impacts of the gas station, he said, including traffic congestion and additional road maintenance.
“My hope is that the city will use this period of time to really reflect on what is the highest and best use of this property,” Kyriaco said, “with an eye not just towards what would benefit the city of Santa Barbara, but what would also benefit the surrounding neighborhoods and the larger community.”
Down the street, the city of Santa Barbara is also planning a Rivian car dealership at 6210-6290 Hollister Avenue. Kyriaco said the two developments could raise potential concerns about increased traffic near the airport.
Nationwide demand for Costco gas, which is about 30 cents cheaper per gallon than other local stations, has recently peaked amid rising fuel prices. In Santa Barbara County, gas prices average $5.50 a gallon—around $1.70 more expensive than the national estimate.
