After just reading the Jan. 22 article titled "Costco hits a snag with landowner," I'm frustrated that once again Newbury Park might get left in the dust.

As a 37-year resident of Newbury Park who has also taught in this city for 30 years, I, like all N.P. residents, have had to shop at Costco by driving 20 minutes either to Westlake Village or Oxnard.

Finally, it looked like we were going to be spared the long drive and the high gasoline expense when we gleefully heard that Costco was coming to town!

Costco has invested $75,000 already into its plans for building here on leased land, yet it seems that the landowner has failed to give them a suitable lease, even after all their investment.

This is the time that the Thousand Oaks City Council needs to step in and make it happen for its Newbury Park residents. The city needs to make every effort it can to assist Costco in finishing its negotiations with the landowner.

The "big box" dissenters are few in number in comparison to those of us in Newbury Park, Dos Vientos, Lynn Ranch and the west side of Thousand Oaks who were cheering Costco's arrival.

If the city doesn't step in and help, the future tax revenue and jobs we could use here in our city will be gone and all of the shopping advantages we were finally going to see will disappear.

Why should Westlake Village and Oxnard have all the rewards?

Do this for our city and do this for us. Help the western end of the city get the store most of us were so eager to have.

Must we in Newbury Park and the west side of Thousand Oaks remain "shopping commuters" forever? Tricia Bartolomei Newbury Park