Chalk one up for Plymouth in the competition to land a Costco.
On Monday the Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved T.L. Edwards’s plan to build a gas station and convenience store at the corner of Cherry Street and Commerce Way — the entry point for its gravel yard and rock crushing operation visible from Route 44.
The vote came after months of review by the board, town staff, independent engineers, and public hearings with opponents questioning the project’s impact on the groundwater aquifer – the sole source of drinking water for Plymouth and surrounding towns.
During the process the Plymouth Department of Public Works, Fire Department and consulting engineers proposed several refinements including installing monitoring wells on the site to watch for any impact on the groundwater. Ultimately, town officials found the gas station plan complies with the water protection regulations.
Still, Monday’s approval came with an additional condition, proposed by ZBA member David Peck, that the underground gas storage tank system be of the “highest quality” as specified by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Those specs include using double-walled storage tanks, with leak detection sensors in the space between the walls of the tanks, to catch any fuel leak before it reached the ground.
“I believe the decision was well-reasoned based on the evidence that was presented,” said William Sims, attorney for T.L. Edwards. “We are very happy that the board decided to proceed in favor of our project.”
Getting approval to build a new gas station in that area emerged as a proxy fight between Plymouth and Kingston as they compete to land a Costco in their community. While landowners and town officials refrain from saying “Costco” in public forums, it is well known behind the scenes Costco is the retailer.
Kingston officials hope Costco will build at the shuttered Macy’s at the Kingston Collection Mall. In Plymouth, T.L. Edwards would like to sell its gravel yard to Costco. In recent years, both communities changed the zoning of the proposed sites to accommodate the development. Kingston also lifted a long-standing moratorium on new connections to its water supply and agreed to a land swap with the owner of the mall to create a parcel for a Costco gas station.
The mega-warehouse retailer generally has a gas station at its locations, drawing customers for what are usually the lowest gas prices in the market. So, the ZBA vote now gives T.L. Edwards an advantage when pitching Costco, because the potential Kingston gas station site has not started any permitting processes, and part of that location is in a water protection zone, close to one of Kingston’s drinking water wells.
“Right now, we’re focusing on this particular gas station project, and we will hopefully get that underway and attract the most appropriate and best retail customer for that site,” Sims said.
The ZBA approval can be appealed to state court within 20 days of the decision.
“I think the board committed errors in multiple ways and we are considering an appeal,” said Harley Racer, attorney for the owner of the existing Mobil gas station and convenience store, across the street at the opposite corner of Cherry Street and Commerce Way.
Whether the development ultimately lands in Kingston or Plymouth, not much would change for future customers or employees of a new Costco, since the competing sites are about half a mile apart—just as easy to shop or work at either location. The big difference for the towns is the prospect of about a quarter of a million dollars in property tax revenue each year.
The newest Costco in the region opened last year in Sharon. It’s a wholesale club and gas station assessed at $24,457,000. The Costco in Dedham, which also has a gas station, was built in 1997 and is assessed. at $18,887,600. The Costco in Avon, built in 1991, does not have a gas station and is assessed for $10,423,300. In Plymouth, the BJs club and gas station off Long Pond Road was built in 2004 and is assessed at $17,454,800.
A $20 million assessed value for a new Costco and gas station, would translate to $256,400 in annual real estate taxes for Kingston or $251,000 for Plymouth, at current rates. It could roughly triple the revenue the towns currently reap from those sites.
Michael Cohen can be reached at michael@plymouthindependent.org.