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Costco Submits Site Plan

Costco Wholesale Corp. came in just under the wire yesterday afternoon, arriving at Town Hall in time to submit plans to begin the review process with Branford's Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) as early as tonight, during a regularly scheduled IWC meeting at 7:30 p.m.

The corporation delivered the site plans multiple documents and booklets, including a 66-page Wetlands Report regarding the two-phase development and its impact on wetlands and watercourses at the 44- acre site off Exit 56.

The report, compiled for Costco by Environmental Planning Service LLC (West Hartford) includes "plans for mitigation of unavoidable impacts to wetland resources at the site" that the company says meets Branford Inland Wetlands Commission's requirements for the two development sites.

The site plan renderings show Costco's phase one development on the property including a 158,000 square-foot discount club building and gas station, requiring a combined 637 parking spaces. East Main Street is shown as the building's closest street boundary.

The IWC is scheduled to meet at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 at Canoe Brook Senior Center. A preliminary overview of the Costco site plan will likely be discussed briefly at the Sept. 10 IWC meeting. The IWC is expected to set an October date for a public hearing on the site plan.

In July, following a four-part public hearing process, Branford Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) approved Costco's Planned Development District for the site, with PZC stipulations (see the story http://bit.ly/1hUhTgB ). Last month, First Selectman James B. Cosgrove led a 2-1 vote by the Board of Selectmen to replace three IWC members with expired terms with three new members; two as voting members and one as an alternate (see the story  http://bit.ly/1VLJRdk ).