Costco, which plans to build a 151,000 square-foot wholesale club with a gas station, is currently answering planning board questions as part of its State Environmental Quality Review Assessment (SEQRA) process.
Costco is expected to have it 1200-question response back no later than Jan. 14. After it accepts the response, the planning board will then review Costco's site plan along with a special use permit for it to have a gas station.
"This is a high priority and continues to move forward," Councilman Terrence Murphy said.
Murphy said he hopes Costco breaks ground this fall.
"Costco is really doing their due diligence," Murphy said. "From environmental studies to traffic studies, they are crossing their T's and dotting their I's on every aspect of the project."
Murphy said Costco is also more than halfway done with its Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). He said projects like this show the town is open for business.
"The previous town board was not," Murphy said. "We have close to $200 to $300 million of projects in the town. You couldn't get anything done here previously. The doors are open to business in Yorktown."
About 10 percent of Yorktown's tax base is from commercial businesses and Murphy said he would like that number to be around 27-28 percent.
"This way we don't have to take as much from our residents," Murphy said. "That's where Costco comes in."
Councilman Nick Bianco said while Costco is a planning board issue he thinks it is an appropriate thing in the appropriate place.
Opponents of Costco claim the wholesale club would increase traffic, hurt local businesses and cause a number of other environmental concerns. Costco, which plans to make infrastructure improvements to curb flooding on Route 202, said it will produce more than $900,000 a year in tax revenue for the school and the town.
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