Bay Area residents in the town of Windsor are considering backtracking on a recent ban on constructing new gas stations after hopes of enticing a Costco to the area dwindle. The Windsor town council has started to regret its ordinance from four years ago that prohibits the construction of new gas stations or the expansion of any existing ones as the town faces mounting budget pressures.
In March 2023, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance banning the development of new retail gas stations in Sonoma County. 'Preventing new gas stations in the unincorporated county is just one of the tools we need to employ to reach our climate goals,' Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said in a release at the time. 'Gas stations can be toxic sites, with run-off pollution and soil contamination, and we need to shift away from fossil fuels if we're going to make a dent in climate change.'
The ban was intended to support the Regional Climate Protection Agency's Sonoma Climate Mobilization Strategy, the county's Five-Year Strategic Plan, the General Plan, and climate goals from its 2018 Climate Resolution, the release stated. However, town officials did not foresee the 2025-2027 previously approved budget that fell short by $19 million and called for funds to be pulled from reserves, SFGate reported. Future shortcomings in funds and budgeting have also teased the need for a 1 percent sales tax measure to be proposed to voters within the year.
Windsor Town Councilmember Mike Wall suggested entertaining the prospect of allowing stores that reach a certain square footage to build 'for the health of the town,' the Press Democrat reported. The allowance is hopeful of attracting a Costco to the area, as Wall told a meeting last Wednesday: 'We want to signal to the Costcos of the world to say we're open.' While Costco has not commented on the idea, some council members acknowledged that they have left Windsor to shop at Costco stores outside of the town for lower prices.
Councilmember Sam Salmon referred to the phenomenon as a 'retail leakage' in the town, which has become a growing concern for the financial health of the town. 'Can we get a Costco here in Windsor to help low this leakage? Because it is major,' Salmon said. Wall added: 'I don't think we're looking at potential revenue from gas stations. But gas stations would be the unnecessary evil to have Costco in town, which would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.'
While Sonoma County was one of the first to adopt the ordinance banning the creation of new gas stations, it may be one of the earliest to cave. Environmentalists, however, are urging town officials to uphold the ban and champion alternatives. 'Please take no further action,' Woody Hastings, a founder of the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations, told the council on Wednesday. 'We need more bikes on the road and less cars.'
For now, Costco has made no known plans to move to the area and said in a statement to SFGate: 'Unfortunately, it is our company policy to not comment regarding future Costco warehouses until we are ready to share details about the new location (usually 2-3 months in advance).' The Daily Mail reached out to the Sonoma County Council Board of Supervisors and Costco for comment.
