MARLBORO — The Marlboro Planning Board and representatives of the Costco membership club have taken steps to rectify a growing traffic problem at Costco’s location on Route 9 north near Texas Road.
On July 18, board members approved an application to amend the business’s site plan so that four additional fueling stations may be added to the gas station in the Costco parking lot.
Costco’s fuel prices, which are often lower than nearby gas stations, have drawn a large number of patrons to the business. In turn, board members said, traffic has backed up at the entrance to the site, including on the shoulder of Route 9 north.
The current set-up causes some customers who wish to enter the Costco store to mistakenly enter the line of vehicles waiting to buy gas and then get stuck in that line.
Attorney John Marmora, who represents the applicant, said Costco came before the board, although it was not required to do so, in an attempt to improve the situation.
“What this will do is, hopefully, pull a lot more of the traffic in more quickly and move cars through,” Marmora said. “So we hope this serves to alleviate that problem.”
Traffic engineer Nick Federici said the alteration in the site plan is projected to advance cars through the line about 25 percent faster than current conditions allow. There will also be a 45 percent increase in the queuing space available for vehicles.
The new fueling stations will result in the loss of 21 parking stalls, Marmora noted. He said the shopping center will be in compliance with parking and impervious surface coverage requirements.
The expansion of the fueling area did not require a bulk variance or any sort of relief, Marmora said.
While board members were eager to solve the traffic issues associated with the Costco site, some said the new gas pumps could potentially worsen the problem.
“Now you are adding all this new space, there will be more people coming because it will be easier to get in,” board Chairman Larry Josephs said. “What do we do with that now?”
The board recommended a number of steps that could also improve the ingress to the gas station. Included in that list were the widening of a bypass lane, the removal of certain patches of landscaping, the elimination of parking spaces, and more efficiency during the fill-up process.
The board’s planner and engineer, Laura Neumann, said she would work with Costco’s professionals to upgrade the shopping center’s curbing as well.
The business has already implemented strategies to cut down on the chaos of the gas queue, engineer Russell McFall said. The strategies included pavement striping that lines up drivers with the fueling stations.
After a meeting with the Marlboro Police Department, management assigned more gas attendants to the facility to direct traffic to the pumps, Federici added.
“We did that immediately and have seen a quick reduction (in problems),” he said. “…The queues have significantly decreased, at least any time I have been there.”
In an effort to further remedy the condition, Costco has also revamped protocols related to how trucks deliver fuel to the site, Federici said.
“This is a great first attempt. It definitely should alleviate our situation,” Josephs said.
During the public portion of the meeting, resident Paul Schlaflin suggested that the applicant add more gas pumps, but rearrange the devices in what he believed to be a more sensible manner.
From there, Schlaflin said, Costco executives could determine if additional fueling stations would put an end to the dilemma.
Shelly Rogers, who owns a property that borders the Costco lot, said Costco executives could look into funneling traffic for fuel service only through his parking lot. Rogers said congestion on Route 9 that is caused by Costco sometimes makes it difficult for him to leave his property.