Yay! The long-awaited business-Costco is on the verge of opening! It is good to have a new business at Country Club Center. And Costco Business is likely to be a solid tenant for years to come. But, wait, has the County monkey-wrenched it again? Well, yes. For the last 5-6 months the pedestrian and bicycle through-the-wall access sites at Merrywood Drive and Drayton Drive have been shut for the convenience of the new-tenant-construction contractor and to the detriment of any pedestrians and cyclists who have used those access sites for E-W through traffic. For years, any pedestrian (including wheelchair-using, baby-stroller-pushing and personal-shopping-cart-pulling ones) and any cyclist have been able to pass through the concrete wall that separates the shopping center from the adjacent residential neighborhood to the center’s west. The Drayton access site has steps. The Merrywood access site has a ramp. The two through-access sites were put there as conditions imposed by Sacramento County when the center asked for permission to expand its building footprint years ago. Finally, after all this time, the contractor’s temporary barriers have been removed and pedestrians and cyclists can once again use the openings in wall. Except they can’t, at least not at the Merrywood opening. You see, the County, without ever asking any of the pedestrians, cyclists or neighborhood residents, made Costco install steel pipes at both openings such that bicycles, wheelchairs, strollers and personal shopping carts cannot pass through. Oops, they did it again! They screwed up things for pedestrians and cyclists. Thanks but no thanks, County!