An artist's rendering of the proposed Costco warehouse at Herndon Avenue and Riverside Drive in Northwest Fresno. Draft EIR image

Madera County Supervisor Jordan Wamhoff put out a statement on social media Friday in response to speculation that a stalled Costco project for Northwest Fresno could relocate to Madera County.

Wamhoff’s message: Madera County is open for business, cutting red tape and investing in infrastructure — “without all the noise.”

“Businesses are leaving cities that make it hard to grow and choosing communities that truly support economic development,” said Wamhoff, who clarified he isn’t speaking on behalf of any one business.

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Karbassi appeared on GVWire’s “Unfiltered” podcast this week, commenting on court ruling that invalidated the environmental approvals for the Costco project near Herndon Avenue and Highway 99. An environmental group had challenged the project in court after it was approved by the Fresno City Council in April.

“I will not stop fighting to ensure we have more jobs that stay in Fresno,” Karbassi said on Unfiltered. “Because the last thing we want is for this Costco to jump the river, go to Madera, or to go to Clovis or anywhere else.