Anchor depth

should the new pits be the exact size of the lift columns or larger? Say, 3x3?
They should be large enough so that the nearest an anchor bolt will be to a new edge is at least 4 inches. So you can make it 8 inches wider and longer than the baseplate. I myself like to oversize things, so 4 inches to edge is a minimum. 6 inches would be better. If you go that route, make it 12 inches wider and longer than the baseplate.