In a heated neighborhood meeting on Tuesday afternoon, 225 Naples residents voiced their concerns regarding the proposed construction of a Costco at the intersection of Collier Boulevard and Rattlesnake Hammock Road.
For an hour, a representative from Costco fielded questions from the crowd, who made it clear that the local community does not want a Costco built near their neighborhood.
Many residents are worried about the potential consequences of the proposed development.
Frank Cipolla, community opposition leader, said, "This is a traffic and safety hazard. Plain and simple. This is already busy corner. We've had accidents. We've had two pedestrians get killed. They are building 2700 new apartments and condos in addition to two new communities just north of this intersection. This is the main artery to Marco Island. So you could imagine if the traffic is bad now, it's going to get worse."
The new Costco would be built right next to Physicians Regional Hospital.
Tom Arango, Esplanade HOA President, said, "We'll also have an issue with traffic and that will end up slowing ambulances down to respond to emergencies."
Chris Dunn, local resident, said, " Most of us don't have a problem with Costco, but we have a problem with where it's going."
Sharon Pescheret, local resident, said, "We need to keep in mind is the only exits and entrances are going to be off a rattlesnake hammock, which is the residential community, and there's an elementary school that's being planned for that street. So while it's not there right now, the future ramifications could be very serious."
NBC2 asked a Costco representative for an interview. They declined.