NAPLES, Fla. — Costco is making progress on its plans to break ground on a new warehouse in Collier County, but residents near the proposed site are pushing back, citing concerns over traffic and safety.
The retailer is exploring plans for a 158,000-square-foot warehouse near the intersection of Rattlesnake Hammock Road and Collier Boulevard, between U.S. 41 and I-75. Costco has been working on the project since early 2024 aiming to attract customers from South Naples and Marco Island.
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The site was approved by commissioners for commercial use in 2011 as part of the Hacienda Lakes MPUD, but some residents say the area has changed significantly since then. With a 7-Eleven, a hospital, and a growing residential community just a few hundred feet away, they believe a Costco does not fit the area.
“This is like placing a circus next to a sleepy community and hoping all goes well. It’s not going to happen,” said Frank Cipolla, an organizer opposing the project and a resident of the nearby Esplanade community.
Cipolla believes the development would not only bring more noise but also make the area more dangerous for pedestrians.
“First and foremost, traffic and safety,” Cipolla said. “This is already a busy corner. They are constructing 2,700 apartments and condos. Right across this street, there are two major developments about a mile down. The traffic will increase tenfold."
He added, “We’ve already had reports of accidents, pedestrian deaths. There are bicyclists that come through all the time. It’s just a disaster waiting to happen.”
William Kutner, president of the Azure Homeowners Association, also voiced concerns about the impact on property values. He and Cipolla are urging the county to reject the project, even if it means leaving the door open for other commercial developments in the future.
They presented their case to developers and county commissioners at a town hall meeting Tuesday evening.
“Our ultimate goal is to get them to stop from building here,” Kutner said. “There are many, many locations down towards Marco Island off of [U.S.] 41 that they can certainly investigate, and it would probably serve them better because they’ll have more population down there as opposed to up here.”
The project is not finalized, and opponents hope to convince commissioners to block its approval.
Meanwhile, Costco would not discuss any future site plans with Fox 4 but did say they aim to open a new store in 2026.
