Monroe Planning Board Approves Costco’s Expansion Plan Amid Parking and Environmental Discussions

The Monroe Planning Board unanimously approved a substantial addition to the existing Costco Wholesale Corporation cold storage building during its January 25, 2024, meeting. The application for a preliminary and final site plan included environmental upgrades with the construction of a 2,240 square foot expansion to house new chillers as part of Costco’s sustainability initiative.

Costco’s application was represented by Jennifer Maway from the law firm K&L Gates, who outlined the proposed project’s details. Eric Bran, Costco’s director of real estate development, emphasized that the addition would not increase employee numbers or alter operations, but would replace the outdated refrigerant system with an environmentally friendly glycol system. Despite the green initiative, the application requested a parking variance due to the existing site only providing 859 parking spaces, a significant shortfall from the 1,618 required by the ordinance.

The board’s discussion on the application was multifaceted, with concerns about the parking discrepancy highlighted in the engineer’s report. Ed Wils, Costco’s licensed professional engineer, clarified the exact number of parking spaces, confirming the number to be 859. The board also reviewed testimony from architect Claudio Breo, who provided architectural details of the proposed addition.

Further examination of the site’s existing conditions was provided by a board member, Nathan, who discussed the location, surrounding areas, and structural details. He presented a colored rendering of the proposed site plan, highlighting the expansion’s size and the introduction of maintenance stairs and dark sky compliant LED lighting. Despite existing non-conformances regarding landscape buffer and impervious coverage, the board was reassured that there would be no increase in impervious coverage and no additional traffic from the proposed addition.

Public input was a notable feature of the meeting, with resident Adam Bushman voicing concerns about ongoing flooding issues in the area since the construction of the Costco warehouse in 2000. Bushman urged the board to compel Costco’s engineers to address the stormwater management problem. In response, board member Weinberg recognized the validity of the concerns and committed to facilitating communication between Bushman and Costco to explore possible solutions.

The board’s approval of the application was not without conditions, stipulating that approvals from outside agencies were necessary. Additionally, two memorializations for previous applications were also approved during the meeting. These actions showed the board’s diligence in ensuring compliance with regulations while also considering the environmental impact and community concerns associated with the development.

The meeting began with the board members paying respects to the recently deceased father of Mayor Stephen Dalina. Following this, the board elected new officers, with Mark Gaffrey appointed as chairman, David Rothman as vice chairman, and Laura Zalewski as planning board secretary. Jerome Convery, Mark Rasimowicz, and Robert Russo were nominated and approved as planning board attorney, board engineer, and board planner, respectively. The board also formalized the adoption of the Monroe Township Planning Board rules and regulations and approved the meeting dates.

Note: This meeting summary was generated by AI, which can occasionally misspell names, misattribute actions, and state inaccuracies. This summary is intended to be a starting point and you should review the meeting record linked above before acting on anything you read. If we got something wrong, let us know. We’re working every day to improve our process in pursuit of universal local government transparency.
Mayor:
Stephen Dalina
Planning Board Officials:
Terence Van Dzura, Marc Gaffrey, Hemant Patel, Alan Weinberg, David Rothman, John Riggs, Roslyn Brodsky, Manish Patel, Carol Damiani, Jay Weiner, Alton Kinsey, Jerome Convery (Board Attorney), Mark J. Rasimowicz (Board Engineer), Robert J. Russo (Board Planner), Laura Zalewski (Board Secretary), Kevin McGowan (Director)

Receive debriefs about local meetings in your inbox weekly:

Trending meetings
across the country:

Meeting Date
Filter by bodytypes
Agricultural Advisory Committee
Airport Advisory Board
Art and Culture Board
Beach Committee
Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Board of Elections
Board of Health
Borough Council
Building Committee
Cannabis Control Board
Cemetery Commission
Charter Revision Commission
Child and Family Services Board
City Council
City Identity Committee
Code Enforcement Board
College Board of Trustees
Community Appearance Board
Community Preservation Committee
Community Redevelopment Agency
County Council
Disability Advisory Committee
Economic Development Board
Elderly Affairs Board
Electric Advisory Board
Environmental Commission
Financial Oversight Board
Historic Preservation Commission
Housing Authority
Human Relations Committee
Human Resources Committee
Insurance Fund
Land Use Board
Library Board
Licensing Board
Mental Health Commission
Municipal Alliance
Open Space Commission
Oversight and Review Committee
Parent Advisory Board
Parking Authority
Parks and Gardens Commission
Parks Commission
Pension Board
Planning Board
Police Review Board
Port Authority
Property Assessment Board
Public Safety Committee
Recreation Commission
Redevelopment Agency
Rent Control Board
Rent Leveling Board
School Board
Sewerage Authority
Shade Tree Commission
Special Magistrate
Taxation & Revenue Advisory Committee
Tourism Board
Trails Committee
Transportation Board
Utility Board
Value Adjustment Board
Veterans Committee
Water Control Board
Women's Advisory Committee
Youth Advisory Committee
Zoning Board
Filter by County
FL
Bay County
Bradford County
Brevard County
Broward County
Clay County
Duval County
Escambia County
Gulf County
Hendry County
Highlands County
Hillsborough County
Indian River County
Lake County
Lee County
Leon County
Levy County
Liberty County
Manatee County
Marion County
Martin County
Miami-Dade County
Monroe County
Okaloosa County
Orange County
Osceola County
Palm Beach County
Pasco County
Pinellas County
Polk County
Putnam County
Santa Rosa County
Sarasota County
Seminole County
St. Johns County
Taylor County
Volusia County
Walton County
MA
Barnstable County
Berkshire County
Bristol County
Essex County
Franklin County
Hampden County
Hampshire County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Plymouth County
Suffolk County
Worcester County
MN
Anoka County
Becker County
Beltrami County
Benton County
Blue Earth County
Brown County
Carver County
Cass County
Chippewa County
Chisago County
Clay County
Cook County
Crow Wing County
Dakota County
Freeborn County
Goodhue County
Grant County
Hennepin County
Isanti County
Itasca County
Kanabec County
Kandiyohi County
Koochiching County
Lac Qui Parle County
Lyon County
Mcleod County
Morrison County
Mower County
Nicollet County
Olmsted County
Pipestone County
Polk County
Ramsey County
Rice County
Scott County
Sherburne County
Sibley County
St Louis County
Stearns County
Steele County
Waseca County
Washington County
Wright County
NJ
Atlantic County
Bergen County
Burlington County
Camden County
Cape May County
Cumberland County
Essex County
Gloucester County
Hudson County
Hunterdon County
Mercer County
Middlesex County
Monmouth County
Morris County
Ocean County
Passaic County
Somerset County
Sussex County
Union County
Warren County
NY
Bronx County
Kings County
New York County
Queens County
Richmond County
TN
Shelby County
Filter by sourcetypes
Minutes
Recording