In a unanimous ruling, justices upheld a 2015 Environmental Court decision that concluded the Costco expansion was permissible under Vermont’s Act 250 land-use laws.
The feud has pitted Vallee, owner of R.L. Vallee, Inc., which owns dozens of gas stations across Vermont under the Maplefields name, against the national corporation.
Costco secured several permits to add gas pumps and reconfigure its parking lot in Colchester, but Vallee, who owns a gas station close to the Colchester Costco, appealed to the Environmental Court and eventually the state’s highest court.
Vallee argued that the gas pumps would worsen traffic at the busy intersection off Interstate 89 in Colchester and endanger local wetlands.
Costco accused Vallee of using the land-use process to stifle competition.
R.L. Vallee, Inc. is one of four companies that have been targeted with a class action lawsuit alleging that they have been fixing gas prices in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties for years.
The 2015 lawsuit also mentions Vallee’s efforts to quash new gas stations at the Costco in Colchester and a Walmart in St. Albans.
“The defendants have cynically misused, sometimes in concert, Vermont environmental laws to obstruct the entry of low-cost gasoline providers and to extract unreasonable covenants that prevent or limit competition,” says the complaint, filed by the law firms Bailey & Glasser and the Burlington Law Practice.
Vallee has denied the accusations. Vallee’s attorney, Jon Anderson of Burlington, did not immediately respond to a message.
Vallee is an influential player in Vermont Republican politics. He served as Vermont’s Republican national committeeman between 1999 and 2004, raised money for George W. Bush, and served for two years as Bush’s ambassador to Slovakia.
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It is my opinion that Skip Vallee is not worthy of my respect. I have boycotted and avoided all Maplefields gas stations for years. Maybe the concept will catch on…
Skip Vallee is a pirate, and we are his plunder. I refuse to purchase anything from any of his businesses. He has purposefully tried to corner the market and unfairly stop competition in order to charge higher prices with impunity.
I don’t know how he’s gotten away with this for so long, he doesn’t even bother to hide his efforts. I’m so happy Costco didn’t give up as it will benefit our community and they are to be applauded for using their vast resources to get ahead of Vallee’s own vast resources. But I wish more people would boycott Maplefield’s instead of willingly becoming Vallee’s victims and dumping endless streams of hard-earned money into his overflowing pockets.
Man I bet Skippy is really mad..His gas stations are all over and overpriced, other places are $1.99 – $2.24 where all his places are way higher..Glad Costco got the green light.. Like to see Walmart become a super store with more groceries and gas station..took Walmart over 20 yrs to get into St.Albans…Vallee don’t like competition and thinks he a big shot.. he has been fixing gas prices in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties for years, is a true statement..
Come to Plainfield and see where Skip bought and half demolished the only possible competitor in town. It pains me every time I have to stop at his monopoly.
Skip Vallee is a bad man plain and simple. He rips off the public so he can live on the high hog. I am so glad that Costco will sell gas. They are a company that treats its employees quite well… far better than Vallee has treated us. Maybe now his nasty-spirited, greed-filled monopoly will crumble and he may have to understand what life is like for the rest of us working class folks.
I like Keith Dewey’s comment above.. Let’s just boycott all of Vallee’s Maplefields, and not just ding his wallet, but put him out of business. Anyone who supported George Bush, who is responsible for over 4,000 patriotic American deaths in Iraq, should be ashamed of themselves.
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