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Planning board approves Costco site changes; neighbors press for renewed stormwater inspections
Summary
The Monroe Township Planning Board approved Costco Wholesale Corp.'s site-plan changes—including a 3,739-square-foot cold-storage addition, a new bypass truck lane with two guard houses, a 1,402-square-foot break-room expansion and a 5,400-square-foot mezzanine—subject to conditions including continued stormwater monitoring and cooperation on a
The Monroe Township Planning Board on Feb. 27 approved a multi-part site-plan application from Costco Wholesale Corporation for its 10 Costco Drive property, including a 3,739-square-foot expansion to an existing cold-storage building, a new dedicated bypass lane and two guard houses for Costco fleet trucks, a 1,402-square-foot employee break-room expansion and a 5,400-square-foot interior mezzanine for packaging operations.
John Alvarado, director of real estate development for Costco, told the board the work will not increase employee counts or generate additional truck or auto trips to the site; it is intended to improve on‑site circulation and operations. “No. No. We're gonna keep the same number of employees,” Alvarado said. He said the bypass lane is intended to reduce queuing by allowing Costco-owned trucks to pass through without stopping at the check-in point.
Planner-engineer testimony and exhibits described the three-dimensional scope of the work. Applicant engineer Ed Wilkes testified the cold-storage expansion is larger than the version previously approved because the replacement chillers are bigger than originally anticipated; the expansion adds rooftop access stairs and will keep condenser units in their existing, set‑back location. Architect Claudio Breda described prefab guard booths on raised center islands to simplify exchange of documents between drivers and guards, and detailed new exterior and interior elevations for the break-room and cold-storage additions.
Why it matters: The board acknowledged that Costco’s property contains preexisting nonconforming conditions—including a front-yard landscape buffer and an impervious coverage percentage above that normally permitted—and the application sought recognition of those conditions and limited variances for parking. The board and applicant agreed that prior approval conditions (including monitoring and reporting for a downstream channel) will continue to apply.
Neighbors focused public comment on stormwater and downstream drainage. Adam Bushman and Barbara Bushman, residents of Gatsmere/Gatzmier Avenue, told the board previous floods inundated local streets and basements; they urged the board and Costco to ensure the downstream channel and outfalls are maintained. “I think Costco would be responsible for making sure that spillway is maintained,” a board member noted on the record; the applicant agreed that inspections have been occurring though required reporting to the township may have lapsed, and consented to restore routine reporting. The applicant also stated it has no objection to a joint site inspection with the township engineer to confirm the downstream channel’s condition.
Votes and conditions: The board approved the application, subject to conditions in the board professionals’ review memos and prior resolution compliance. The board also agreed to a condition requiring the applicant to resume and provide inspection reports and to meet with the township engineer to inspect the downstream channel. The applicant acknowledged it remains short by six parking spaces relative to the new code calculation and requested variance relief; the board granted the relief as part of the approval.
Ending: The planning board memorialized its approval on Feb. 27 with conditions to carry forward prior monitoring obligations and to coordinate a site inspection with township engineers; neighbors and board professionals said they will monitor compliance going forward.
