KUNA, Idaho — WinCo Foods expressed its interest in opening a store in Kuna after taking the very first step in the city’s planning and development process to build a new store in town.
City of Kuna Planning and Zoning officials said the discount grocer recently requested a pre-application meeting — where they essentially tell the city what they'd like to do.
WATCH: Hear neighbors' reactions about a WinCo potentially coming to Kuna
Documents submitted to the city show a proposed store at the corner of Meridian Road and Columbia Road.
“Well, I’m glad that it’s not another subdivision and honestly, I think there needs to be more space for commercial buildings in between the subdivisions,” said Tina Carns, who lives off Columbia Road.
Neighbors who live nearby said they are excited about the possibility of having another grocery option closer to home.
“We’ve been looking forward; we heard rumors that WinCo was coming down there,” Carns said.
The proposed store would be just minutes from her home.
“We'll be walking distance to WinCo and Costco,” Carns said. “It’ll be five minutes for us maybe, not even probably three minutes for us to run in and get something we need.”
She said she currently drives across the interstate into Meridian or over to Boise for groceries.
“At least 15 minutes [away],” Carns said.
“You’ve gotta basically drive all the way to Meridian, Overland, to get food from Walmart, WinCo stuff like that,” said Jason Wormington, who lives near Downtown Kuna.
Other neighbors said the addition of WinCo could help support Kuna’s growth, and they're excited to see more affordable grocery options in town.
“Love it, WinCo is cheap and affordable, and I think it’s gonna maybe cause Kuna to explode in growth, which is up-and-coming and kind of a desirable place to live,” Kuna resident Drew Saunders said.
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Still, some residents expressed concerns about increasing traffic along Meridian Road, especially with a new Costco nearing completion nearby.
“Meridian Road is now a main thoroughfare going down to Kuna, and I think we kind of knew that was gonna happen and it’s happening,” Carns added.
WinCo Foods has not yet responded to a request for comment about its plans or a possible timeline for the new location.
The project remains in the very early stages of the planning process.
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