July 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

58 (Pages 226 to 229) Page 226 1 MR. SHARENOW: Okay. Have you had any 2 discussion with West Essex office about water 3 problems that we presently have? For example, in 4 the last six years, we have had eight trenches that 5 had to be dug because of water problems coming down. 6 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Sir, stop. Ask a 7 question, please. Ask a question. 8 MR. SHARENOW: Okay. Are you aware of 9 that, have you had a discussion with them on that? 10 MR. ANDERSON: I did not testify to 11 anything regarding your -- your property. 12 MR. SHARENOW: Are you aware that two 13 months ago, the Board allocated $26,000 to hire an 14 engineering firm to study our water problems? 15 That's before you're going to be building this. 16 MR. ANDERSON: I'm unaware of that 17 conversation. 18 MR. SHARENOW: I suggest to the Board, 19 find out -- 20 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Stop, don't suggest 21 to the Board, please. 22 MR. SHARENOW: I can't suggest it? 23 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Don't suggest to the 24 Board. You've already suggested already. Thank 25 you, sir. Page 227 1 MR. SHARENOW: Okay. That's a shame. 2 It's a shame. I hope you look up what took place in 3 2004 and why they were turned down. 4 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. Please 5 -- welcome. State your name and spell your last 6 name, please, for the record. 7 MS. DeCHESER: Beverly DeCheser, 8 D-e-C-H -- 9 MR. SHARENOW: I tried. 10 MS. DeCHESER: Sorry. D-e-C-H-E-S-E-R. 11 My question is: Has there been an environmental 12 impact report? 13 MR. ANDERSON: No. 14 MS. DeCHESER: Do you know what they 15 are? 16 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. 17 MS. DeCHESER: Okay. I find it 18 interesting there's nothing, though. That would 19 help you guys and help us. 20 (Applause by members of the public) 21 MS. DeCHESER: The dog kennel is going 22 to be open to the public? 23 MR. ANDERSON: That's my 24 understanding. 25 MS. DeCHESER: That'll bring more Page 228 1 traffic. More cars, more people. 2 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: More waste. 3 MS. DeCHESER: Oval Road is going to 4 be widened, correctly -- correct? 5 MR. ANDERSON: No. 6 MR. SHARENOW: It's going to remain 7 two lanes. 8 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. There is called 9 for in the settlement agreement repaving of it, 10 which I believe has already been completed. 11 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Can't hear you. 12 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Would you speak 13 up? 14 MR. ANDERSON: There was no change to 15 the geometry of Oval Road. It was going

has already been completed. 11 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Can't hear you. 12 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Would you speak 13 up? 14 MR. ANDERSON: There was no change to 15 the geometry of Oval Road. It was going to maintain 16 its current width and it was going to be repaved. 17 MS. DeCHESER: That's interesting 18 because I just heard from someone -- 19 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Ma'am, ma'am, 20 whatever you heard is good, you heard that. Don't 21 -- don't bring it up here, please. Ask questions. 22 MS. DeCHESER: That there's going to 23 be a four-lane -- 24 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Ma'am, ask a 25 question. Page 229 1 MS. DeCHESER: And you're saying you 2 know nothing about a four-lane on Oval. 3 MR. ANDERSON: There's no four-lane 4 proposed. 5 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Warner. 6 MS. DeCHESER: No, it's not Warner, 7 it's Oval. 8 MR. ANDERSON: There's no four-lane 9 proposed -- 10 MS. DeCHESER: Okay. 11 MR. ANDERSON: -- on Oval. 12 MS. DeCHESER: Okay, that's it. 13 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. 14 MS. BENYO: Hi, everyone, good 15 evening. My name is Claire Benyo, B-E-N-Y-O. I'm a 16 resident of West Orange on Mayfair Drive. So we've 17 talked at length about the wildlife and the fence 18 and the deer fence so I'm going to expand on that a 19 little bit specifically. My property goes right 20 behind up on the edge, so the woods have a very 21 special place in my heart, the animals in those 22 woods have a special place in my heart. So the deer 23 fence is being constructed to keep the deer out, so 24 my first question is: What are the efforts going to 25 be to ensure that there's no deer inside the fenced

59 (Pages 230 to 233) Page 230 1 area when that final corner is sealed? 2 MR. ANDERSON: I assume they would 3 herd them out if they are in there. 4 MR. BENYO: How will they herd them 5 out, who will be responsible for that? 6 MR. ANDERSON: It's not -- it's not 7 really an engineering question. Maybe we can get a 8 deer herder in here to answer your question how they 9 specifically herd deers. 10 MR. BENYO: How about the coyotes? 11 MR. ANDERSON: Well -- 12 MS. BENYO: How will the coyotes get 13 removed? 14 (Multiple speakers at once - court reporter 15 interruption) 16 MS. BENYO: Understood. 17 COURT REPORTER: Thank you. 18 MR. ANDERSON: So these technical 19 things with regard to how animals are dealt with 20 will have to be dealt with by people that are 21 familiar with that type of work. 22 MR. BENYO: And when during this 23 process does that happen where public will be able 24 to question? 25 MR. ANDERSON: I don't believe that -- Page 231 1 I don't know that it is part of this process. 2 MS. BENYO: There's no consideration 3 for the animals in the area that they'll be 4 displaced from? 5 MR. ANDERSON: There's 60 -- 6 MS. BENYO: How about the fox? 7 MR. ANDERSON: The fox would probably 8 -- if the fence is an area that is big enough for a 9 small fox to get through, he could get through. 10 MS. BENYO: The fox will be able to 11 get in through a fence? 12 MR. ANDERSON: It's really -- you 13 know, there's openings in the fence -- 14 MS. BENYO: That will be -- go ahead. 15 MR. ANDERSON: -- that will prevent a 16 deer from going in but not smaller animals. 17 MS. BENYO: How about bear. 18 MR. ANDERSON: Probably would be able 19 to stay out. 20 MS. BENYO: So you also talked about 21 the purpose of the fence was to re-grow the trees 22 and the ground, so is there any purpose for that to 23 prevent erosion on the slope? 24 MR. ANDERSON: It does help prevent 25 erosion with undergrowth, more root zone, protects Page 232 1 the -- it stabilizes the soil on the slope. It also 2 provides some habitat for smaller animals and so 3 forth with more trees, with more birds nesting and 4 more other small animals, so overall, you might stop 5 the larger animals from coming into that specific 6 area. It would be a net ecological advantage to 7 have the deer fencing to improve that forest area. 8 MS. BENYO: Okay. And what 9 assessments have been done on the structural 10

into that specific 6 area. It would be a net ecological advantage to 7 have the deer fencing to improve that forest area. 8 MS. BENYO: Okay. And what 9 assessments have been done on the structural 10 security of the slope and what mitigation efforts 11 are the builders going to do to ensure that there is 12 no further impact to erosion or causing landslides? 13 MR. ANDERSON: Okay, so that is really 14 a question for the architect, who will probably 15 testify at the next hearing. 16 MS. BENYO: And that's tomorrow? 17 MR. ANDERSON: I -- yeah. And -- 18 MS. BENYO: The architect will be here 19 tomorrow? 20 MS. McGOVERN: I think that's who's 21 scheduled next, right, Mr. Plocker? 22 MR. PLOCKER: Yeah, our architect is 23 here tonight but I think, at this point, I think 24 he'll be fine testifying tomorrow. 25 MS. BENYO: And then a question to the Page 233 1 Board. When will we be able to ask questions for 2 specifically environmental-related questions since 3 there has not been any evaluation done by this 4 group? 5 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: The Board has just 6 engaged an environmentalist this evening and we'll 7 wait for their report and they will present to the 8 Planning Board and the public. 9 MS. BENYO: And when approximately 10 might that be? 11 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: We don't know yet, 12 we have to see how the application goes and we will 13 publish it when we see where we're going. 14 MS. BENYO: Excellent. Thank you. 15 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: It's a good 16 question. 17 MR. PLOCKER: Thank you. 18 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. Ladies 19 and gentlemen, it is now 10:54. I would like to 20 thank everybody for being here. Great questions. 21 The application will continue tomorrow evening at 22 6:30 without any additional notice. 23 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: What about 24 comments? 25 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Question?

60 (Pages 234 to 235) Page 234 1 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Comments. 2 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Can you share 3 tomorrow's agenda? 4 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: I'm sorry. 5 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Are you able to 6 share tomorrow's agenda, who will be speaking? 7 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: We are going to have 8 -- 9 MR. PLOCKER: Oh. Yeah, absolutely. 10 We plan -- if everybody is finished with Mr. 11 Anderson for now, our next witness will be our 12 architect. 13 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay, the architect 14 will be the next person to testify tomorrow evening. 15 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Thank you. 16 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay? 17 (Hearing adjourned at 10:54 p.m.) 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Page 235 C E R T I F I C A T E I, MICHELE QUICK, a Certified Court Reporter, Registered Merit Reporter, Certified Realtime Reporter of the State of New Jersey, authorized to administer oaths pursuant to R.S. 41:2-1, do hereby state that the foregoing is a true and accurate verbatim transcript of my stenographic notes of the within proceedings, to the best of my ability. ____ MICHELE QUICK, CCR, RMR, CRR NJ Certified Court Reporter License No. XIO1731

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