East Lyme – A proposal to revamp the 600-square-foot Citgo Quik Mart on Flanders Road into a 4,200-square-foot convenience store is being reviewed by the Inland Wetlands Agency.

The Pattagansett River runs through the back of the combined 2.28-acre site, which sits less than a mile from the Interstate 95 interchange on Route 161. Project engineer John Schmitz of the BL Companies told the Inland Wetlands Agency earlier this month that about a third of the property is considered wetlands.

The wetlands agency heard from the project’s presenters and the public over the past two months. Members are expected to approve the application in December, according to their Nov. 1 deliberations.

The redevelopment project spans three parcels owned by New York-based Atlantis Management Group, including the gas station, a small plaza and an undeveloped parking area in between. Assessor’s records show the company, which specializes in gasoline service station development and motor fuel distribution in the Northeast, bought the gas station in 2017 for $1.9 million and the rest for $950,000 in 2021.

Schmitz said the existing Quik Mart will be demolished to make way for the new convenience store, but the gas pumps and canopy will remain. The 5,520-square-foot building containing several businesses, including Village Cafe, won’t be changed.

The property is subject to additional regulations because of two nearby wells contributing to the public drinking water supply. The proposal will go next to the Zoning Commission to ensure compliance with both zoning and aquifer protection regulations.

The application was made by Jack Belowich, a portfolio manager with Atlantis Management.

Based on input from town engineer Alex Klose and utilities engineer Ben North, Schmitz said the applicants are using surface ponds to collect the “first flush” of a rainstorm – when pollutants are most concentrated – before sending the stormwater runoff through a piping system for treatment. Included in the underground treatment system is a hydrodynamic separator that traps debris, sediment, oil and grease.

He emphasized stormwater runoff currently goes untreated.

“All that water sheet flows down the hill and into the river today,” he said. “So what we propose to do is collect all that water where we can with catch basins, combine them through a piping system, and then handle both water quality and detention prior to discharging in the upland review area above the wetlands.”

A previous iteration of the plan relied on an underground storage system instead of surface ponds, according to planning director Gary Goeschel. He said North, the utilities engineer, favored the surface ponds because the water and sewer department can better monitor and inspect the visible basins to make sure the aquifer is protected.

Several residents of the Clarks Hollow Condominium Association across the street on Clarks Lane spoke at October’s Inland Wetlands Agency meeting with concerns that the work could affect their own stormwater management plan. Currently, the association’s runoff is carried through pipes that run underneath Route 161 and the project site.

At November’s meeting, Schmitz told the commission the state owns and maintains the pipe.

“We are not touching that pipe,” Schmitz said. “We’re not interconnecting with it. We’re going to leave it in its current condition so we won't have any impact on it whatsoever.”

He said stormwater discharge from the gas station and plaza goes to one side of the property and discharge from Clarks Lane goes to the other.

Goeschel said other concerns raised by the public about traffic will be addressed by the Zoning Commission.

“I think the plan is probably as best as we’re going to get in terms of stormwater quality and control,” Goeschel said of the issues within the Inland Wetlands Agency’s purview.

Members referenced a study being carried out in collaboration with the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments to come up with roadway improvements for the stretch of Route 161 from Flanders Four Corners to Route 156 in Niantic.

In addition to alleviating traffic congestion, the study is focused on making the area safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, more favorable to bus routes and better for the environment.

Schmitz said the convenience store project won’t change the three driveways on the site currently: two for the gas station and one for the plaza. There will be 48 parking spaces in total.

A report prepared for the council of governments on current and future conditions on Route 161 found approximately 125 driveways in the 3.7-mile long study area. In the section where the gas station is located, the road narrows to a single lane in each direction with a mixture of residential and commercial interests driving in and out.

The report said deficiencies in that area include closely spaced driveways, redundant driveways at single parcels, and wide curb cuts.

Rob Avena, an attorney with the Suisman and Shapiro law firm representing the applicant, said they are working with the zoning department to see how to “best address the state road and the traffic.”

Comments on the Inland Wetlands Agency application from zoning official Bill Mulholland on Aug. 31 said the application “does not comply with zoning regulations.” It is unclear what the issues were or if they’ve been resolved. Officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

e.regan@theday.com