Customers know and love Goleta’s Costco in the Camino Real Marketplace for bulk items, $1.50 hot dogs, and free samples. But one thing the Goleta location is lacking is a Costco gas station. 

Well, that might be changing. 

Just 2.5 miles down the road, the Costco Wholesale Corp. is considering developing a gas station at 6050 Hollister Ave. and 140 Frederick Lopez Road. The property is next to a Santa Barbara Airport parking lot and across the street from Dean Coffee Shop.

In March, the Santa Barbara Airport Commission approved an exclusive negotiation agreement with Costco Wholesale Corp. that gives the company 12 months to evaluate the site without another company swooping in with its own development plan. 

“Wherever they go, it’ll be a sizable revenue opportunity for whatever city it’s in,” Commissioner Dennis Houghton said.

Airport Director Christopher Hastert said the city receives a lot of inquiries for various uses at the site, but there are a lot of challenges with developing it because of cultural resources and the terrain. 

“That company is looking all around the city,” Hastert said. “They would much prefer to have it collocated with the warehouse, but they’re looking at all options.”

Hastert said it doesn’t mean that the site will be developed as a gas station, but it allows Costco to explore the site and negotiate with the city if the site is viable.

“There’s a lot of public opinion, good and bad, related to gas stations, Costco, no matter what you bring up,” Hastert said. “This is just to allow us to talk to them, try to work something out.”

Commissioner Paul Bowen said he liked the idea but had concerns about traffic impacts.

“I hope it happens. It’d be good to get a lease out of that land,” Bowen said. “My concerns are the traffic issues with an impacted Fairview, Hollister Avenue intersection and whether that’s an issue.”

Hastert said all those issues would be looked at during the 12-month negotiation period.