Citizens for an Informed Yorktown

Planning Board

September 3, 2015

Attending: John Kincart, John Savoca, John Flynn, Richard Fon, Darlene Rivera

The sole item on the agenda was a public hearing for the Costco site plan. 

The hearing was opened, closed and an 11 day written comment period left open through September 14^th.

In a review of the applications’ timeline, Chairman Fon noted that  there was a hearing on the DEIS in the fall of 2012, the FEIS was submitted in October, 2014, the Planning board adopted its SEQRA Findings Statement in December, 2014, and in May, 2015, Costco returned with a revised site plan that incorporated elements from the Findingis Statement..

The board will review all comments and continue to deliberate on the site plan at its September 21^st meeting. The board has 62 days from the close of the hearing to act.

At the start of the hearing, Chairman Fon advised those present that because a public hearing had already been held on the environmental aspects of the application, including traffic, the Comprehensive Plan, stormwater, blight, etc.,  the board would only entertain comments about the site plan.

The applicant reviewed changes to the site plan that have been made since the FEIS (discussed below), including landscaping, additional stormwater retention areas and the internal traffic circulation plan. The applicant is now proposing a mix of both 16’ lights along the site perimeter and the main entrance and 25’ lights in the parking lot. (Note: the Town Board will be holding a public hearing on September 15^th to modify the Lighting Code to allow for lights taller than 16’.)

In response to Patty Peckham’s comments that the pump configuration was inefficient and outdated and presented a safety problem to the building, the engineer stated that similar layouts are being used, and work, at other Costco locations.  He added that all required safety measures have been taken to deal with potential spills and that the plan meets all building codes.

In response to questions from Babette Ballinger about the number and size of proposed parking spaces, the engineer explained that there are a total of 610 spaces (the  number has not changed since the original plan) and consist of two sizes, with the larger widths being closest to the building.

In response to comments from the Conservation Board that it would have liked to have seen more green technology in the building, the engineer stated that Costco is opposed to green roofs and that the plan includes other features he considered to be green, including additional landscaping and stormwater retention.