July 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

33 (Pages 126 to 129) Page 126 1 MR. ANDERSON: Well, we have designed 2 systems that mimic the existing conditions, so 3 instead of having one large detention basin at the 4 base of the hill and draining the wetlands, we have 5 -- 6 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Anderson, speak 7 up. 8 MR. ANDERSON: I'm sorry. 9 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. 10 MR. ANDERSON: We have basins 11 throughout the site, including, say, for example, a 12 porous pavement system that is located up in this 13 area here (indicating) that recharges into the 14 ground and will be, by groundwater flow, this 15 wetland system, so that is similar to what is done 16 in existing conditions. 17 MR. AFRAN: That's at Building D where 18 you were just pointing. 19 MR. ANDERSON: That is the -- yes, 20 that's the example I have for Building D, correct. 21 MR. AFRAN: Well, what about the rest 22 of the structures, what impact are they going to 23 have on the natural movement of water that presently 24 exists in connection with the wetlands? 25 MR. ANDERSON: Well, we tried to Page 127 1 discharge water to -- to the ground and -- all 2 right, so -- so, for example, we have porous 3 pavement in this area here where it's dark, there, 4 there, there (indicating), so in each of these 5 locations where you have the darker color, those are 6 porous pavement systems. They recharge water from, 7 uh, from the pavement through the porous pavement, 8 also water from the roofs, that would typically have 9 flowed naturally down towards the wetlands here or 10 down towards this wetlands here, and it recharges it 11 into the -- into the ground, and therefore, the 12 groundwater flow will go back and feed these natural 13 systems. And this is -- 14 MR. AFRAN: Where is -- sorry. 15 MR. ANDERSON: This is the preferred 16 methodology that the DEP wants with multiple 17 locations of stormwater management throughout the 18 site. 19 MR. AFRAN: Well, that's a groundwater 20 recharge; isn't that correct? 21 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. 22 MR. AFRAN: That's not for the purpose 23 of making certain that the wetlands are not deprived 24 of the normal water flow they receive under existing 25 conditions. Page 128 1 MR. ANDERSON: They receive water from 2 underground, from groundwater flow, as well as 3 surface flow. 4 MR. AFRAN: Have you made a study of 5 what losses from surface flow will be experienced by 6 the wetlands after construction? 7 MR.

m 2 underground, from groundwater flow, as well as 3 surface flow. 4 MR. AFRAN: Have you made a study of 5 what losses from surface flow will be experienced by 6 the wetlands after construction? 7 MR. ANDERSON: Not by the wetlands per 8 se, but by the site itself. The groundwater 9 recharge to, uh, to this entire site equals or 10 exceeds what is recharged to the ground under 11 current conditions, so there will be ample water 12 recharging these areas after we're done. 13 MR. AFRAN: Have you made a study as 14 to what percent of surface water flow to the 15 wetlands will be lost after construction? 16 MR. ANDERSON: I haven't looked at it 17 in that regard, no. 18 MR. AFRAN: Okay, thank you. That's 19 all I was asking. 20 Your application to DEP was pulled the 21 first time, wasn't it? 22 MR. PLOCKER: I'm going to object to 23 this regard. This is about a pending DEP 24 application -- 25 MR. AFRAN: No, it's not. Page 129 1 MR. PLOCKER: -- and that's outside 2 the purview of this Board. 3 MR. AFRAN: It's not and I'll explain 4 why. It relates directly to questions many of the 5 Board members made with respect to the 2021 6 standards versus the new standards. 7 MS. McGOVERN: So -- I didn't hear the 8 first part of the question. Ask the question again. 9 MR. AFRAN: It relates to the issue 10 Board members raised as to whether the '21 standards 11 apply and whether possibly the later standards 12 apply. 13 MS. McGOVERN: And the testimony was 14 that the '21 standards applied, so -- 15 MR. AFRAN: I know what the testimony 16 was but my question -- 17 MS. McGOVERN: So you're asking what 18 are the standards versus -- 19 MR. AFRAN: No, that's not my 20 question. 21 MS. McGOVERN: What is it? 22 MR. AFRAN: I simply asked "Did you 23 pull your DEP application at any point?" 24 MS. McGOVERN: "Did you pull your DEP 25 application at any point?"