Planning commission backs revised land plan for proposed Costco warehouse and 16‑pump fuel facility

The South Strabane Township Planning Commission on Monday recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve revised land-development plans for a proposed warehouse club and fuel facility at 301 Oak Springs Road.

Commissioners heard from John Wright of LSC and representatives from Costco, who said the project team revised the building footprint and rotated the fuel canopy to improve circulation but did not change the previously approved pump count. “We have to use the same nomenclature which was the warehouse club,” John Wright said, explaining why the packet uses a generic project name. Costco’s real-estate representative said the fuel facility would be a “4x4” configuration — 16 pumps providing 32 fueling positions — and described typical operational features and underground tanking.

Township engineering staff reviewed technical comments in a June 3 letter and said most items have been addressed; the remaining concerns include final survey sealing, documentation of county filing, and a requested emergency spillway or rain‑garden contingency. “We would prefer to see a true emergency spillway in the event there’s a problem,” said TJ, the township reviewer, summarizing the outstanding stormwater item. Staff also reported that PennDOT’s response on traffic was procedural and that the submitted traffic study was adequate for the current proposal.

The developers described demolition and phased construction work already underway and said utilities for the store and fuel facility will be private and covered by developer agreements. A resident who spoke during public comment asked why the plan packet uses the label “warehouse club” instead of naming Costco; the developer said project packets use generic nomenclature until final tenants are confirmed. Nearby residents asked about fuel‑tank capacity and safety; developer staff replied that the typical on‑site installation includes three 40,000‑gallon tanks and a 15,000‑gallon additive tank, stored underground, and that monitoring and delivery protocols are in place.

After discussion the commission moved, seconded and voted to forward a favorable recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, conditioned on resolution of the engineering comments noted by staff.

Next steps: the Board of Supervisors will consider the planning commission’s recommendation at its upcoming meeting, where final approval and any additional conditions would be decided.