Across the 2025 and 2026 field seasons, Costich Engineering’s Environmental Services team, led by a Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS), completed 28 wetland delineations throughout the region. These projects have ranged in size and complexity, but they share an important lesson: identifying wetlands early in the planning process gives project teams more options and can help prevent costly surprises later in design.
With recent changes to New York State freshwater wetland jurisdiction and continued developments in the federal definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS), understanding potential wetland constraints at the beginning of a project has become increasingly important.
Wetland delineations are sometimes viewed as something that can wait until permitting begins. In practice, waiting that long can create unnecessary complications.
A wetland delineation provides the project team with field-verified information about the location and extent of wetlands within a project area. When this information is available early, engineers, landscape architects, developers, and municipalities can incorporate wetland boundaries into the initial design rather than trying to redesign a project around them later.
There is also a practical reason to plan ahead. Wetland delineations are best completed when field conditions allow vegetation, soils, and hydrology to be properly evaluated. Waiting until late fall or winter to identify wetlands can complicate field investigations and potentially affect project schedules.
For projects expected to enter design or permitting in the coming year, completing field investigations during the growing season helps identify potential constraints early.
Timing also matters when requesting agency confirmation of a delineated boundary. Submittals made in late summer or early fall may not be field verified until the following spring, which can push project timelines out further.
Early wetland evaluation has become particularly important following significant changes to New York’s Freshwater Wetlands Act.
Beginning January 1, 2025, when the 2022 amendments to the Act took effect, the regulatory jurisdiction of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) was no longer limited to wetlands appearing on the historic NYS Freshwater Wetlands Maps. This represented a major change for project planning because the absence of a mapped NYSDEC wetland could no longer be used as an indication that state wetland jurisdiction was unlikely.
The regulatory landscape changed again in April 2026, when an Albany County Supreme Court decision annulled the regulations NYSDEC adopted to implement the 2022 amendments. The amendments themselves remain in place, and under NYSDEC’s current implementation of the Freshwater Wetlands Act, the Department continues to exercise jurisdiction over Previously Mapped Freshwater Wetlands and wetlands that are 12.4 acres or greater in size.
NYSDEC’s informational wetland mapping remains a useful screening tool, but the Department specifically cautions that these maps cannot be relied upon to determine the presence or absence of regulated freshwater wetlands.
NYSDEC: Freshwater Wetlands Program
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have continued to refine how the definition of Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, is implemented under the Clean Water Act.
In November 2025, EPA and the Department of the Army proposed revisions to the WOTUS definition. In September 2026, the agencies issued a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public input on additional regulatory alternatives as they work toward a final rule.
These proposals are not yet a final rule, but they demonstrate that federal wetland jurisdiction remains an evolving area of environmental regulation.
An important distinction for project planning is that wetland delineation and wetland jurisdiction are not the same thing. A delineation identifies the presence and physical boundaries of wetlands using established field methodology. A separate jurisdictional analysis determines whether those wetlands are subject to federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction.
As federal jurisdiction continues to evolve, having a well-documented wetland delineation provides the baseline information needed to evaluate jurisdiction and determine whether coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may be appropriate.
Because Costich provides environmental services alongside land surveying, civil engineering, and landscape architecture, wetland findings move directly into design. Our biologists flag boundaries in the field, our surveyors locate and map them, and our engineers and landscape architects plan the site around them, all within the same team. That continuity means constraints are accounted for from the first concept rather than discovered during permitting.
With state and federal jurisdiction both still shifting, a well-documented delineation gives project teams a reliable starting point regardless of how the rules settle.
Planning a project for the coming year? Completing field investigations before the end of the growing season, or scheduling them for early spring, keeps wetland constraints from driving the schedule.
351 North St, Canandaigua, NY 14424
Client: YMCA of Greater Rochester, CJS Architects
Construction Completion: Fall 2023
Project Services: Land Survey, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation & Construction Observation
Costich has worked on this site since 2021, carrying the original 13-acre facility from concept through construction closeout and returning in 2026 to help design its next chapter. The same integrated team of land surveyors, civil engineers, and landscape architects has seen the project through from raw land to a growing community asset.
The site at North Street and North Bloomfield Road began as open land donated to give the YMCA of Greater Rochester a new home within Canandaigua’s city limits. Costich’s survey team completed topographic and boundary surveys across the parcel. As the design evolved, Costich supported it with subdivision mapping, utility location, and instrument surveys through final approvals.
Costich led site design through schematic, design development, and construction documentation, including grading, drainage, and sanitary sewer design. The scope carried well past permit approval: the team managed stormwater pollution prevention design and inspections throughout construction, coordinated backflow prevention submittals, and supported construction administration through final punch list.
Costich’s landscape architecture team shaped the site from early concept sketches through final planting plans, including pedestrian circulation, meadow and stormwater-area plantings, and detailed design supported by renderings and site furnishing selections. The result connects the building to its surrounding fields and gathering spaces.
The completed facility opened October 2, 2023, bringing gymnasiums, indoor pools and splash pad, group exercise studios, a teaching kitchen, an innovation station for S.T.E.A.M. programs, and a licensed childcare center to the Canandaigua community. In 2026, Costich returned to the site to begin design on its next phase of growth.
From the first topographic survey to the latest Planning Commission approval, one integrated team of surveyors, engineers, and landscape architects has helped the Sands Family YMCA grow alongside the community it serves.
Learn more about the ongoing expansion by going to the FingerLakes1 website:
FingerLakes1
Learn more about the Sands Family YMCA by going to the YMCA of Greater Rochester website:
YMCA of Greater Rochester
Learn more about the project’s origin by going to the YMCA of Greater Rochester website:
YMCA of Greater Rochester
Learn more about the original announcement by going to the Rochester Business Journal website:
Rochester Business Journal
Learn more about the grand opening by going to the 13WHAM website:
13WHAM
Client: Verizon Wireless
Project Services: Land Survey, Civil Engineering, Schematic Design, Design Development & Construction Documentation, Utility Coordination, Permitting / Municipal Approvals, Environmental Services.
A venue only works if it can handle its crowd, and today that includes handling what the crowd’s phones are doing. Ticketing, concessions, wayfinding, media, and basic safety communications all run over wireless service now, which means network capacity has become an operational requirement for any venue hosting large numbers of people, not an amenity. What changes from venue to venue is how that demand shows up. A stadium needs it every day it is open. A one-weekend festival needs it for exactly one weekend, on a site that has to return to normal the moment the crowd leaves. Costich works with Verizon Wireless to engineer the infrastructure behind that coverage, and the approach looks different depending on how the venue itself operates.
ESL Ballpark operates on a full season schedule, which means its wireless demand is constant rather than tied to a single date. Costich provided civil engineering and construction drawing support for a new Verizon Wireless facility built into the ballpark’s existing video board structure, an unmanned facility with its own associated utilities designed to improve wireless service throughout the stadium.
The scope covered site construction drawings for the antenna and ground equipment areas, equipment cabinet layout, concrete pad and pier details, grading and erosion control, electric and fiber routing, grounding plans, and equipment mounting coordination, incorporating multiple antenna sectors including 5G, C-Band/CBRS, panel, and Matsing equipment. Because ESL Ballpark is an active public venue owned by Monroe County, the design had to work around existing stadium features, access constraints, utilities, structural conditions, and visual considerations without interrupting how the venue actually operates day to day. Standalone infrastructure was the right fit here, since the venue’s demand for coverage never really turns off. The project was completed in 2026.
The Rochester Airshow turns an airfield into a temporary venue for one of the region’s largest single-weekend events, and its operational needs look nothing like a stadium’s. There is no year-round crowd to plan around, no existing infrastructure built for public gatherings, and no reason to leave anything behind once the event ends. Costich supported Verizon Wireless with a temporary wireless facility engineered specifically for the compressed footprint of the Airshow, coordinating equipment placement, power, and grounding to meet the site’s access and safety requirements for the duration of the show.
That is the core difference from a venue like ESL Ballpark. The airfield is not a venue in the everyday sense, it becomes one for a few days a year, and the infrastructure supporting it has to be deployed, operated, and removed on that same timeline, in coordination with airport operations and everything else happening on the same footprint during the event.
Canal Days turns the Village of Fairport into one of the region’s largest festival venues, drawing crowds along the Erie Canal for two full days before the village goes back to being a village. Costich supported Verizon Wireless with a temporary wireless facility sized to that surge in demand, sited, powered, and grounded within the footprint of the event in coordination with the Village of Fairport and the realities of a festival that closes streets and reshapes pedestrian flow for its duration.
It is a good example of how “venue” is not always a fixed piece of infrastructure. Fairport operates as a village the rest of the year and as a regional event venue for one weekend, and the wireless infrastructure supporting Canal Days has to respect both of those identities, showing up when the crowd does and disappearing when it doesn’t.
The same temporary setup also supports Fairport Music Fest, an event held in the same footprint months apart from Canal Days. Rather than engineering a new solution for each event, Costich designed a temporary facility that can be redeployed as is, which keeps costs and turnaround predictable for the client every time the site comes back into use.
ESL Ballpark, the Rochester Airshow, and Canal Days are three very different kinds of venues: a stadium that operates year round, an airfield that becomes a venue for one weekend a year, and a village that becomes one for two days. Costich’s work with Verizon Wireless across all three comes down to the same approach, engineering wireless infrastructure that matches how each venue actually operates rather than applying one standard solution everywhere. That means standalone facilities where the demand is constant, and temporary, fully removable facilities where the demand is not.
For venue owners and operators around Rochester and the greater Western New York market, that is the value Costich brings to telecommunications projects, civil engineering built around how a venue really functions, whether that is 81 games a season or a single weekend on the calendar.
Costich Engineering, Land Surveying and Landscape Architecture, D.P.C. provides Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) services that support project compliance from initial design through construction closeout. Our civil engineering staff assists clients with SWPPP preparation in accordance with the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit documentation, erosion and sediment control planning, construction-phase inspections, reporting, and coordination with contractors, owners, municipalities, and review agencies.
Costich has completed well over 1,000 SWPPP-related inspections, reports, and compliance assignments across New York State. Our experience spans commercial, municipal, recreational, industrial, residential, telecommunications, and public infrastructure projects. As a New York State, City of Rochester, and Monroe County certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE), Costich also helps project teams meet MWBE participation goals on publicly funded work.
SWPPP review and permit documentation. Costich reviews project plans, site disturbance limits, drainage patterns, stormwater management requirements, and applicable NYSDEC SPDES General Permit criteria to prepare or support SWPPP documentation. This work may include preparation of SWPPP reports, SPDES permit materials, erosion and sediment control plans, inspection reports, and stormwater-related plan coordination. Because our staff also performs hydraulic calculations, water quality and quantity design, and site grading design, stormwater compliance is integrated into the project rather than treated as a standalone paperwork exercise.
Construction-Phase SWPPP Inspections. During construction, Costich provides SWPPP inspections to review site conditions, erosion and sediment control measures, construction sequencing, disturbed areas, stabilization practices, and compliance with approved plans and permit requirements. The SPDES General Permit requires qualified inspections at regular intervals while soil disturbance is active, and inspection records must be maintained on site. Our inspection services help owners and contractors keep that documentation current and address field conditions as construction progresses.
Erosion and Sediment Control Monitoring. Costich observes and documents the installation, maintenance, and performance of erosion and sediment control practices identified in the approved SWPPP. These measures commonly include stabilized construction entrances, silt fence, inlet protection, stockpile stabilization, temporary seeding, and permanent stabilization. When deficiencies are identified, our team coordinates with contractors to recommend corrective actions and documents the resolution, keeping the project’s compliance record complete and defensible.
Reporting, Coordination, and Notice of Termination. Costich prepares inspection reports, maintains SWPPP documentation, tracks corrective actions, and coordinates with project teams, contractors, owners, and review agencies throughout construction. At project closeout, we assist with final stabilization review, permit closeout documentation, and the Notice of Termination (NOT) process that formally ends SPDES permit coverage. Closing out a permit correctly protects owners from ongoing liability and lingering compliance obligations after construction is complete.
Why Work with Costich on Stormwater Compliance. Costich does not perform construction. We serve as the designer, oversight provider, and compliance monitor, which means our documentation reflects an independent professional review of site conditions. Our integrated approach, combining design experience with field inspection, helps project teams maintain compliance, document site conditions accurately, and respond efficiently as conditions change during construction. Contact our team to discuss SWPPP support for your next project.
A Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan is a site-specific document that identifies how a construction project will prevent sediment and pollutants from leaving the site and entering nearby waterways. In New York State, most construction activities that disturb one acre or more of land require coverage under the NYSDEC SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activity, and a SWPPP is a core requirement of that coverage. The plan describes erosion and sediment control practices, stormwater management measures, inspection procedures, and the responsibilities of the parties involved.
A SWPPP is generally required for construction activities that disturb one acre or more of soil, which triggers coverage under the NYSDEC SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activity. Smaller sites may also require a SWPPP if they are part of a larger common plan of development or if a local municipality imposes its own stormwater requirements.
Under the current SPDES General Permit, qualified inspections are typically required at least once every seven calendar days while soil disturbance is ongoing. For sites with five or more acres of disturbance, inspections are required twice within each seven-day period, with at least 48 hours between inspections. Twice-weekly inspections may also apply to smaller sites when an impaired waterbody is present, at the discretion of the local municipality. The approved SWPPP for each project defines the specific inspection schedule and documentation requirements.
SWPPP inspections must be performed by a qualified inspector as defined by the NYSDEC SPDES General Permit, which generally means someone trained in erosion and sediment control principles working under the direction of appropriate professional oversight. Costich provides qualified inspection staff supported by licensed professional engineers.
Once final stabilization is achieved, the owner or operator files a Notice of Termination with NYSDEC to end SPDES permit coverage. Costich assists with the final stabilization review and closeout documentation needed to support that filing.
Yes. Costich provides SWPPP design, inspection, and compliance services for projects throughout New York State.
2970 West Henrietta Rd, Rochester, NY 14623
Client: Benderson Development
Construction Completion: Summer 2026
Project Services: Land Survey, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation & Construction Observation
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Benderson Development faced a persistent operational challenge at the Delta Sonic carwash facility at 2970 West Henrietta Road in Rochester, New York. The site suffered from entry conflicts, constrained parking flow, and sight line obstructions that created friction during operations and contributed to congestion at the busy West Henrietta and Mount Hope intersection. The problem wasn’t just about moving cars through the property more efficiently. It was about reducing pressure on a major neighborhood intersection and improving the facility’s ability to serve customers without creating bottlenecks.
Costich’s approach required civil engineering, surveying, and landscape architecture to work as a single team, not separate disciplines. The civil engineers redesigned the site circulation, reconfigured drive lanes, and adjusted grading to eliminate entry conflicts and improve sight lines at critical decision points. The surveyors provided precise stakeouts and as-built documentation throughout construction to ensure the design intent was executed in the field. The landscape team positioned plantings strategically to enhance visibility without sacrificing site character.
Parallel to circulation redesign, Costich integrated stormwater management directly into the site geometry. Rather than adding detention ponds or surface features as afterthoughts, the team designed underground detention systems, rainwater collection infrastructure, and bio-retention areas that worked within the new circulation pattern. This integration meant the site could improve operationally while meeting NYSDEC compliance requirements without requiring additional land or creating visual clutter.
A project of this scope required Costich to navigate submissions and approvals across multiple agencies with overlapping jurisdictions: the Monroe County Water Authority for backflow prevention and water main certification, the Monroe County Department of Health for sanitary and potable water systems, the New York State Department of Transportation for road entrance permits and ongoing inspections, and the Town of Henrietta for site plan modifications under the Mixed-Use Redevelopment Area Overlay District.
Costich maintained continuous SWPPP compliance throughout construction, conducting regular inspections and producing detailed reports to ensure that site work itself did not create environmental risk. Managing these parallel approval processes required coordination, documentation, and the ability to respond quickly to agency comments without derailing the overall timeline.
Site plan approval was granted in October 2024. Construction proceeded through late 2024 and into 2026, with the facility operational as of June 2026. The improvements have proven significant. Traffic flow within the property is measurably better, reducing the time vehicles spend navigating entry, parking, and exit sequences. More importantly, the improved site circulation has reduced congestion at the West Henrietta and Mount Hope intersection itself. The surrounding commercial area benefits from a facility that no longer creates bottlenecks during peak periods.
This project demonstrates Costich’s ongoing partnership with Benderson Development and Delta Sonic. It also illustrates how coordinated site engineering solves multiple problems simultaneously: operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and neighborhood impact.
Learn more about this project by going to the Town of Henrietta website:Â
Delta Sonic Carwash Modification | Henrietta NY
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Learn more about this project by going to Delta Sonic’s website:Â
Car Wash, Oil Change & Auto Detailing in Henrietta, NY | Delta Sonic
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40 Jetview Drive, Chili, NY 14624
New 100,000 Square Foot Manufacturing Facility
Site is Approximately 27.066 +/- Acres of Which 20+/- Acres Will Be Disturbed By Construction
Client: Sydor Optics
Project Investment: $32 Million
Construction Completion: ongoing
Project Services: Land Survey, Landscape Architecture, Civil Engineering, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documentation & Construction Observation
Sydor Optics is one of Rochester’s most recognized precision manufacturers, supplying flat optical components to aerospace, defense, semiconductor, and medical industries worldwide. When the company announced a $32 million investment to expand its manufacturing operations in Monroe County, anchored by a new 100,000-square-foot production facility in Chili, New York, they needed a civil engineering partner who could manage the full scope of design, environmental review, and municipal approvals.
Costich Engineering delivered that scope from the ground up.
The new facility at 40 Jetview Drive sits across the street from Sydor’s existing campus at 31 Jetview Drive and will double the company’s current manufacturing footprint. The project is currently under construction, with earthwork underway and completion targeted for 2027.
Site work for a project of this scale requires coordination across multiple agencies, tight sequencing of approvals, and design that accounts for real site constraints. The Costich team handled all of it.
On the civil side, the work included full site development plans covering grading and erosion control, utility layout, stormwater management, pavement design, and site profiles. A new dedicated access road, Sydor Way, was established off Jetview Drive as part of a subdivision of the remaining parcel into three lots. Stormwater infrastructure was designed on the east side of the site, consistent with the property’s natural drainage pattern, and supported by a SWPPP and Notice of Intent filed with the NYSDEC.
On the approvals side, Costich prepared and submitted the Full Environmental Assessment Form for SEQRA review, coordinated submissions to the Greater Chili Outside Sewer District, Monroe County Water Authority, and Monroe County Department of Health, and secured Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals approvals through the Town of Chili.
Landscape architecture services included schematic design options with supporting precedent materials, with outdoor gathering space incorporated near the building’s office and conference areas.
Construction administration is ongoing, including NYSDEC-required SWPPP inspections, watermain certification, and letter of credit draw requests.
Learn more about this project by clicking here:Â
Building the Next Chapter of Precision Optics | Sydor Optics
Learn more about this project by clicking here:Â
Sydor Optics announces $32M expansion project at Rochester site
Learn more about this project by clicking here:Â
Sydor Optics to Invest $32 Million to Expand Its Manufacturing Operations in Monroe County
Learn more about this project by clicking here:Â
Sydor Optics acquisition fuels growth before new Rochester facility
Learn more about this project by clicking here:Â
Company | Sydor Optics
715 Ridge Road, Webster, NY 14580
Client: Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union
Construction Completion: Construction underway
Project Services: Land Surveying, Civil Engineering, Site Planning, Accessibility Coordination, Utility Coordination, Landscaping Plan Development, Permitting and Approval Coordination
Costich Engineering is providing surveying and civil engineering services for the new Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union branch development at 715 Ridge Road in Webster.
Our work on the project has included early ALTA/NSPS survey support and ongoing site civil coordination as the project has moved into development. That work has involved site planning, grading, utilities, accessibility, landscaping, and permitting coordination, all of which play a role in moving a commercial site from due diligence into construction.
Finger Lakes Federal Credit Union officially broke ground on the new Webster office in December 2025. Public coverage of the project notes that the new branch is being developed as a permanent location in Webster, with construction projected to be completed in fall 2026.
Projects like this reflect the kind of multidisciplinary support our team provides throughout the site development process. From survey and existing conditions documentation through civil engineering coordination and permitting, our role is to help establish the technical foundation needed to move a project forward.
