July 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

16 (Pages 58 to 61) Page 58 1 correct. 2 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: So that 3 Building D, it looks to me that the bottom of 4 Building D is literally at that line. Am I 5 understanding that correctly? 6 MR. ANDERSON: There is one point 7 where it is very close to that line, that's correct. 8 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: So that can't 9 possibly be 30 feet. 10 MR. ANDERSON: Well, what I'm trying 11 -- what I -- well, first, number one, I said I don't 12 have an exact measurement, but if I was to suggest 13 it's 30 feet, it's because I know at the top of the 14 ridge, there's a flat area at the top of the ridge, 15 and before it starts going downhill again, which is 16 where your steep slopes occurs, I would be just 17 estimating from my experience walking the site. So 18 it -- so, again, you can't hang your hat on the 19 number 30, 30 feet. You can say "I'd go to the top 20 of the center of that ridge or just short of it but 21 before it gets steep." I don't know where that gets 22 steep, so that's why I don't have the answer for 23 you. 24 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: All right, 25 turning to the tie-in to the sewer system that's Page 59 1 located at -- 2 MR. ANDERSON: Bakley Terrace. 3 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: -- Bakley 4 Terrace. So you discussed flow data verbally with 5 our engineer, our township engineer; is that right? 6 MR. ANDERSON: Right. 7 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: But from your 8 testimony, it is -- we're not at the point in the 9 application process where you would discuss that 10 with the Joint Meeting? 11 MR. ANDERSON: That's correct. We 12 can't make an application to the DEP for sewer 13 before we actually have a municipal approval. So 14 once we have a municipal approval for the -- for 15 this thing that -- for this application, then we can 16 start the process of going and getting the 17 concurrence that the collection system -- the 18 conveyance system is appropriate or whatever we're 19 doing to it is appropriate and it can convey the 20 flow and then we'd go, after that, the next step is 21 to go in the Joint Meeting. 22 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: And this 23 verbal discussion, is that where you determined that 24 it was difficult to understand the available 25 capacity at Bakley and the impact on that capacity Page 60 1 or do you understand the impact but don't understand 2 the available capacity? 3 MR. ANDERSON: No, we don't understand 4 -- there's a lack of

pacity at Bakley and the impact on that capacity Page 60 1 or do you understand the impact but don't understand 2 the available capacity? 3 MR. ANDERSON: No, we don't understand 4 -- there's a lack of existing records in the town 5 engineering department. They do not have pipe size, 6 slope location, so those are the items that are 7 necessary to determine capacity. So it will require 8 some engineering discussion with the town engineer 9 to identify a path where they can sign off on the 10 conveyance. 11 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: And by 12 "identify a path," you mean to somehow analyze and 13 understand what the -- 14 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. 15 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: -- available 16 capacity is and then compare that with the 17 anticipated flow. 18 MR. ANDERSON: That's correct. And 19 understand when we could pump, what pumping that 20 amount of effluent would mean to the system and so 21 forth. It's a -- yes, it's a calculation that has 22 to be done in conjunction with the West Orange 23 engineering department. 24 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: All right. I 25 wanted to go back to the wetlands. You talked about Page 61 1 the disturbance relative to the trees. 2 MR. ANDERSON: Um-hum. 3 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: Have you -- 4 well, actually, the entire site. Have we discussed 5 disturbance or displacement relative to the birds or 6 animals, any of the other creatures that call that 7 forest home? 8 MR. ANDERSON: We have not discussed 9 that. 10 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: Are we aware, 11 do we have an understanding of what endangered 12 species may live there or if there are any that live 13 there? 14 MR. ANDERSON: It's not my expertise. 15 It's part of the environmental expertise. 16 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: Is that 17 something the DEP is going to weigh in on? 18 MR. ANDERSON: There's -- yes, they 19 will look and see whether there's threatened and 20 endangered species as part of the application. I 21 don't believe that they've found them previously on 22 this site. The buffers have been 50 feet -- 50-foot 23 buffers. If there was threatening endangered 24 species on site, they typically would require 150- 25 foot buffers and it would change the parameters of