[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by JRcorvette

Sounds like Costco is going to be giving stuff away… every day will be like a Black Friday event!

Only to members only.

[UpNorth]

Costco and Aldi's in LSL soon to be a short cart drive away for me. A shopping dream come true.

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by Switter

I think people overestimate the volume of people and traffic that will be going to Costco, thinking it will be some kind of Armageddon. I go to the one in Claremont, usually on a Saturday morning, and it's not bad at all. Plenty of parking and although 50 has a lot of traffic, it's not solely because of Costco. That's just a really busy road in general. If people do end up coming down from Gainesville it's only gonna be a hearty few that will drive over an hour and pay tolls to get here, especially with Sam's Club and BJ's around. I am a die hard Costco shopper and I was hesitating whether renewing my membership when I moved here, just because it takes 50 minutes to get down there and I have to pay tolls.

The other thing is people typically don't go to Costco multiple times a week like they might with Publix or Walmart because you're usually buying bulk product. For me, I go about once every two weeks, even when I only lived 20 minutes away from it up in Minnesota. I'm sure they'll be a noticeable increase in traffic but I think it will be fine.

Gainesville to The Villages Costco is by I 75 there aren’t any TP tolls. You would be surprised how many people in the villages drive all the way to Gainesville Orlando to go to Trader Joe’s, so the reverse isn’t a surprise.

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

I’ve been a Sam’s Club member for around thirty years. I don’t see much reason to switch. The sort of things Costco sells that Sam’s Club doesn’t sell are generally things I don’t buy anyway.

Yes, there will be more traffic on 301 and 466, but considering that most of the traffic on 466 keeps going rather than stopping to shop at the many stores, we should not assume that this is going to change. Even if twenty cars per minute on 466 turn to go to Costco, which. Is not likely to happen very often, traffic won’t be affected very much; we can handle it. In general, it will not be “a nightmare.”

What WILL be “a nightmare” is trying to drive there, park there, or shop there in the first week it is open, or perhaps even the first month. Thousands around here will want to come check it out. Why not just wait and let the excitement and the parking and traffic jams die down? Parking close to the building will be the worst, so why not plan to park on the outskirts and just do a little extra walking. (You’ll be walking inside the store anyway, right?) We all know that it will usually be packed on Saturday and Sunday, so why not just stay away on weekends and leave it to the people who work for a living? It will be least crowded Monday through Friday before 11, so why not limit your visits to weekday mornings? I hate crowds, so that’s what I try to do at Sam’s Club.

Out of the 13 Costco‘s I shop have never been able to get close to the building. I don’t even try. I’m usually in the back 40 the farthest away from the building no matter what time a day. Then I find the same amount of shoppers Monday through Friday as Saturday and Sunday. It’s just a different clientele more families on Saturday and Sunday more old people Monday through Friday either way, it’s still busy.

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Failed to mention plenty Walmarts all around villages.

Until the “New Smell” wears off Walmart on 44 will be packed. I am hoping like other states this one will be open 5a-midnight. Wishing for 24 hour open I don’t think is going to to happen ever again.

[2newyorkers]

Originally Posted by UpNorth

Costco and Aldi's in LSL soon to be a short cart drive away for me. A shopping dream come true.

I also live close to the new Costco but I will never take my golf cart that way again. Too many people will be driving cars that are not use to driving with golf carts.

[thelegges]

Originally Posted by JRcorvette

Sounds like Costco is going to be giving stuff away… every day will be like a Black Friday event!

As of this morning the official Costco “New Locations” does list the Villages, yet. Once the location hits their website the opening month will be listed. I am guessing end of August or September

[LonnyP]

Love COSTCO. Cannot wait for it to open.

[Joe C.]

Hey people ...... the area where Costco is located is zoned BUSINESS !!!
That means TRAFFIC. No matter what kind of business would be located in that empty lot, it would draw traffic. That's why there are lots of traffic lights on 466. Besides, we live in a congested area, full of homes, stores and restaurants. It's convenient to shop and eat in one area that gets you most of what you need.
Maybe they should have put a Fun Stop there instead of Costco. That would have been much worse.
Most of you are making a tempest in a teapot.

[CybrSage]

This is why I love the Villages. People with no knowledge or experience in doing something are all better planners than those who do it for a living.

Of course the city and CostCo did traffic studies, etc. This is not the first CostCo ever built, after all.

Cities can, and do, make the company build out road improvements and such if needed.

But please, never stop posting about how much more you know about something than the experts, it is fun to read over morning coffee
.

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by thelegges

Until the “New Smell” wears off Walmart on 44 will be packed. I am hoping like other states this one will be open 5a-midnight. Wishing for 24 hour open I don’t think is going to to happen ever again.

24 hour would start lve a lot of congestion issues.
Villagers would got at 5am when they get up and others will go during the day or in the evening.
Then those wish sleeping problems will go at all hours of the night

[CybrSage]

Originally Posted by bragones

Costco in The Villages will be golf cart accessible, at least it is now as I've driven by in my cart a few times. That will ease the traffic concerns a bit and should be a nice benefit for locals.

I am always surprised when people say they will go to a bulk sales store in a vehicle that is so small it can barely hold products from a standard store.

Do people really buy those huge stacks of toilet paper, etc, with a golf cart?

Sounds self defeating...but if people do t and enjoy it, more power to them.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by CybrSage

This is why I love the Villages. People with no knowledge or experience in doing something are all better planners than those who do it for a living.

Of course the city and CostCo did traffic studies, etc. This is not the first CostCo ever built, after all.

Cities can, and do, make the company build out road improvements and such if needed.

But please, never stop posting about how much more you know about something than the experts, it is fun to read over morning coffee
.

What city? Oxford? I sure they have team of planners working around clock? Funny how southern villagers complain about traffic all time and how it was poorly planned. Obvious when there are 100 cars deep just get through B/V CR44 stop light how well that was planned? and yes had years to plan it. Build first plan later. 466 at 301 don’t have enough and long enough turning lanes why traffic backs up even during none snowbird season.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by CybrSage

This is why I love the Villages. People with no knowledge or experience in doing something are all better planners than those who do it for a living.

Of course the city and CostCo did traffic studies, etc. This is not the first CostCo ever built, after all.

Cities can, and do, make the company build out road improvements and such if needed.

But please, never stop posting about how much more you know about something than the experts, it is fun to read over morning coffee
.

Judging from some other traffic complaints around the area, I think you give the City/County/State too much credit here. The MO seems to be:
- Approve it
- Build it
- Watch congestion build
- Receive complaints
- Insist that the roads are adequate based on a traffic study done ten years ago before the additional homes or businesses were even being considered
- Receive more complaints or cleanup an accident
- Commission a traffic study to determine what can be done about the sudden congestion

(In the city's/county's defense, they may need to wait for a traffic problem to justify a new traffic study and you never know how accurate the previous study was. Anticipating what people will do today based on the habits of people ten years ago has got to be tricky)

[MrFlorida]

I still prefer a Costco than more apartments.