Livonia City Council approved a waiver‑use petition to expand the fueling facility and add employee parking at the Costco at 19540 Haggerty Road after hearing a planning presentation and public questions about traffic, shopping‑cart retrieval and stormwater.
Planning staff Mark Tormina presented the proposal, saying Costco purchased additional land to expand the fueling facility, add seven pump islands and a canopy and construct roughly 175 employee parking spaces, yielding a net increase of about 140 spaces after reconfiguration. Tormina said a detention basin on the site will be expanded and not removed.
In response to questions about tight circulation near the pumps, Larry Jurczak, a Costco real estate consultant, said the new pumps will increase spacing in the north–south direction and that lane configurations north of the fuel island will be reconfigured to improve circulation. Jurczak said some parking spaces will be removed along the front of the warehouse but the reconfiguration aims to improve the overall vehicle flow.
Residents raised stormwater and cart‑retrieval concerns. Nicole Hefty asked whether the existing detention pond would be altered; Tormina and staff confirmed the basin is not expected to be reduced and said the project must meet stormwater requirements. Council members asked Costco to address shopping‑cart retrieval practices; Jurczak said Costco trains warehouse staff to collect carts and pledged to speak with the warehouse manager about any operational issues.
The planning commission reviewed the petition and recommended approval. The council moved the item to the regular meeting for a vote and recorded an approval on the regular agenda.
Council and staff said the project must meet Livonia’s codes for stormwater and circulation and that additional administrative details would be handled before final permits were issued.
Approval on the regular agenda means the council advanced the waiver‑use petition; the petitioner will return for the formal July 7 vote to finalize conditions and permits.