By submitting three separate applications as layers of site plan renderings and pages of reports, Costco created a paper storm of information for Branford's Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) to wade into last week.

But before the regulatory group puts a toe toward deciding whether the scientific and engineering aspects of Costco Wholesale Corp.'s 44-acre development site plan holds water, a refresher site walk and application overview from Costco is needed, said IWC Chairman Daniel Shapiro. Shapiro said the first public hearing on the plan will likely take place in November.

Costco came in under the wire in delivering the site plan documents last week, handing in the paperwork just ahead of the close of Inlands Wetlands office hours on Sept. 9 and just in time to have the item added to the IWC's regularly scheduled Sept. 10 meeting.

At the Sept. 10 meeting, Costco Wholesale Co. Attorney Thomas P. Cody noted Costco wants to keep the process "moving forward." Cody explained that three applications, rather than one, were submitted because a full overview of all phases of development was requested as part of the Planning & Zoning Commission's acceptance of the master plan in July. Each application addresses one of three undeveloped parcels on the 44 acres, located off East Industrial Road at the I-95 Exit 56 south entrance/exit.

"We have looked at these 44 acres as a whole and also with respect to each of the three pieces so that they can stand on their own as individual phases of development, but also can be looked at cumulatively," Cody said. "They're engineered to stand as individual phases, but we believe the science is there on the wetlands side, too. "

While Cody gave a brief description of what Costco had turned over to the town on Sept. 9, some commissioners seemed to be expecting a bit more, in the form of an overview presentation given by the site's developer or engineer.

"If it hasn't come to your attention, it's atypical for us to get an application like this without some initial presentation," Branford's Inlands Wetlands Director Dianna Ross said to Cody.

"I just don't want to fall into making the presentation before the hearing opens," Cody told the IWC. "We're just trying to keep that balance of not getting into too much."

"I don't want a circus there, either," Shapiro replied.

Shapiro also said that, while he can review the application on his own, "I need to walk the site again to refresh my memory what the resources were, then I need to have some sort of presentation."

The IWC determined it would gather on Saturday, Oct. 3 for a public site walk with Costco site plan principals, followed by a Thursday, Oct. 8 overview presentation given by the developer and/or engineer at the regular IWC meeting. Following the Oct. 8, the IWC will likely order peer reviews of storm water analysis, wetland analysis, and mitigation reports submitted by Costco.

Once the IWC begins its review, it generally has 65 days in which to hold public hearings and otherwise gather input before making a defensible decision to accept or reject the plan.

PDF files and renderings from Costco's Inlands Wetlands site plan are online with related stories at www.zip06.com/branford.