October 4, 2023 Planning Board Regular Meeting Minutes

and currently the slip lane is under-utilized. They also removed it to take traffic away from the buildings. Ms. Rudin asked how runoff would be minimized and Mr. Delaney stated that because they will be re-doing the asphalt and adding drainage. The parking lot will be re-graded to provide positive drainage into drainage flows, the existing channel and to the Peckman River not to a pump station. Rudin also asked why they were putting signs so close to the road and Mr. Delaney stated to help people trying to see what is on the site and because of the trees and the buildings which obscure people from seeing what else is on site. Rudin asked why they were not adding more trees if they weren’t doing cool pavement and Delaney said they are doing a significant reduction of the heat island with the proposed landscaping. Finally, Ms. Rudin inquired as to why Target was not putting solar panels on their roof. Mr. Delaney stated that the panels were a tremendous cost that Target could not commit to at this time. Phil Litwinoff at Linden Avenue asked if the applicant had looked into whether the residents at Paddock Farms would see the tall signs. Sally Malanga at Ridge Road asked about whether drainage into the Peckman River was reviewed by the DEP and Mr. Delaney said there had been a water quality review. Because they were reducing the available motor vehicle surface there was no issue. Traffic Engineer, Doug Polyniak, P.E. was recalled for cross-examination by members of the public. Ms. Rudin asked if there had been any studies of crashes on Prospect Avenue and Eagle Rock Avenue. Mr. Polyniak stated that he did not but that the County would have to review the application because Prospect and Eagle Rock were County roads. Rudin also asked why they couldn’t keep the slip lane and Mr. Polyniak testified that removal of the lane was a benefit because the current lane leads to internal conflict inside the parking lot. He also testified that they counted the vehicles that used the slip lane in their counts. The project was expected to increase traffic by 13%. Kevin Malanga at Ridge Road asked about the reduction of parking spaces to accommodate the parking islands. Mr. Polyniak testified that 950 parking spaces would suffice for this shopping center. Mr. Malanga suggested that the Applicant could then remove 200 parking spaces and add more trees. Mr. Polyniak

s. Mr. Polyniak testified that 950 parking spaces would suffice for this shopping center. Mr. Malanga suggested that the Applicant could then remove 200 parking spaces and add more trees. Mr. Polyniak testified that at this point they have a balance between the required number of parking spaces as per the Ordinance. PUBLIC COMMENT* PRESENTATION The planner John McDonough entered on the record, he was sworn under oath and his credential were accepted by the board. Mr. McDonough issued a report dated May 19, 2023. McDonough showed the board an arial photograph of the site taken on March 20, 2023 that shows all the asphalt in the parking lot. The shopping center is over 60 years old. The plan is to create a destination with high quality buildings that attract high quality patrons. The expert noted that the Master Plan indicates that revitalization is a goal under the plan and they would be taking the older center, revitalizing and modernizing it.