July 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

22 (Pages 82 to 85) Page 82 1 going to request those at a later time; is that 2 correct? 3 MR. ANDERSON: We are. 4 MS. KAPFERER: Okay. Can you comment 5 on any provisions regarding pedestrian safety, like 6 sidewalks or crosswalks, anything like that, that 7 you have proposed on the site? 8 MR. ANDERSON: So we have crosswalks, 9 there will be signage associated with crosswalks. 10 Your planner's report indicated a desire to have 11 traffic calming measures and we agree with that. We 12 would love to add traffic calming measures to make 13 it safer, to add additional pedestrian sidewalks 14 crossing from one side to the other so that people 15 in the western section of the development could get 16 to the clubhouse with an -- over, you know, an 17 accessible walkway, so those are all things that we 18 are very happy to do. We want this to be a walkable 19 section of the community. We have extensive wooded 20 area, there's existing natural trails that go 21 through there that we assume that people will enjoy 22 walking on in the future, so we do have sidewalks 23 throughout development. 24 MS. KAPFERER: And can you tell us a 25 bit more about the proposed deer fencing and how Page 83 1 that works? Is it something, just a high fence that 2 keeps deer out or it... 3 MR. ANDERSON: Essentially. It's an 4 eight- to ten-foot-high fence that is placed around 5 -- in the vicinity where we're showing on the plan 6 and it keeps deer from coming in and overbrowsing on 7 the vegetation. 8 MS. KAPFERER: And has any thought 9 been given to, like, what happens to the deer that 10 are currently in that area, like where they may go? 11 That might not be in your area. 12 MR. ANDERSON: It's not, I'm just 13 trying to develop a plan that follows the ordinance 14 and these are all provisions that were thought 15 favorably of in the negotiations for the development 16 of this ordinance and the settlement agreement and 17 -- so we have implemented those into our plan. 18 MS. KAPFERER: And I think someone, I 19 think it was you, shared something about that the 20 current -- the forest has been classified as being 21 in poor condition. Is that based on a report that 22 an expert provided or where does that come from? 23 MR. ANDERSON: I believe it's in the 24 settlement agreement, number one, and it was based 25 on an evaluation by an arborist and the town's Page 84 1 environmental

ded or where does that come from? 23 MR. ANDERSON: I believe it's in the 24 settlement agreement, number one, and it was based 25 on an evaluation by an arborist and the town's Page 84 1 environmental professionals who walked the site with 2 us on -- during the negotiation period and looked at 3 the existing conditions, and in their opinion, as 4 forestry people, it was a poor condition. 5 MS. KAPFERER: Okay. I have no 6 further questions at this time. 7 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you, Ms. 8 Kapferer. Mr. Hess, Board engineer. 9 MR. HESS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I 10 have two questions, if I may, Paul. The first is -- 11 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: We can't hear. 12 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: We can't hear. 13 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: We can't hear. 14 MR. HESS: Any better? 15 (Members of the public say "yes.") 16 MR. HESS: Okay. I have two 17 questions, if you will. The first is, you testified 18 that you have a letter of interpretation or an LOI 19 from DEP. Could a copy of that be provided to the 20 Board and that would show the Board what the, um, 21 what the classification is? 22 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. 23 MR. HESS: Okay. So I think that will 24 be helpful for the Board to see that. 25 Second is, we issued a traffic letter Page 85 1 and also an engineering letter on the project and 2 there were a fair number of comments in the letter. 3 I assume you agree that you'll work with our office 4 on resolving all of those issues? 5 MR. ANDERSON: I do. 6 MR. HESS: Okay. That's the biggest 7 concern I have, I want to make sure the comments get 8 addressed. And I think it's important for the Board 9 to see a copy of the LOI. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 10 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you, Mr. Hess. 11 Mr. Haizel, the Board Professional Planner. 12 MR. HAIZEL: Yes. Mr. Anderson, you 13 did discuss the pedestrian circulation throughout 14 the site, which was one of my concerns. Can you 15 address the issue. 16 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Can't hear you. 17 MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC: Can't hear you. 18 MR. HAIZEL: Sorry. Could you address 19 the issue related to the Warner Road where the 20 sidewalk sort of -- 21 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. 22 MR. HAIZEL: -- flips over to the 23 other side? 24 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. There was one 25 comment in your report that questioned why I, just