July 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

53 (Pages 206 to 209) Page 206 1 MS. WHITE: Why is it permanent? 2 MR. ANDERSON: So it's to let the 3 understory grow and to be healthy and to keep it 4 from being overbrowsed in the future so that it can 5 be a healthy forest. 6 The deer fencing was felt to be 7 appropriate in the settlement agreement and we just 8 followed through with specifying some areas on the 9 plan that would be best suited to have additional, 10 you know, shrub growth and sapling growth, more root 11 zones protection, particularly the steep slopes to 12 the east of the site next to where your property 13 is -- 14 MS. WHITE: Okay. 15 MR. ANDERSON: -- so that -- so that 16 you could avoid things like erosion and stormwater 17 runoff. 18 MS. WHITE: Okay, I got that. So with 19 that, what you're also saying is there were no 20 provisions made at all for what happens to the 21 animals who now have one half of their habitat, from 22 what you just said. 23 MR. ANDERSON: That is not something 24 that was under my purview. 25 MS. WHITE: Okay. All right. So my Page 207 1 other question -- it's not even a question -- in 2 your testimony, you mentioned that in your 3 conversations where the water service lines would be 4 coming out at Howell -- 5 MR. ANDERSON: Yes. 6 MS. WHITE: -- and that those 7 conversations would take place with West Orange? 8 MR. ANDERSON: They would -- it's 9 common to loop water systems into multiple streets 10 -- 11 MS. WHITE: Okay, so -- 12 MR. ANDERSON: -- in different zones 13 -- 14 MS. WHITE: Okay. 15 MR. ANDERSON: -- and that's what 16 we've done. 17 MS. WHITE: Um-hum. 18 MR. ANDERSON: So we come out to -- 19 connect to the main at the end of Howell and also 20 connect to the ones in Warner and Kuzik Drive. 21 MS. WHITE: Okay. My question, 22 really, is, I live on Howell, I live in West Orange 23 on the Verona border, as my neighbor is, so I'm just 24 curious whether or not this is something you have to 25 work out with the Town of Verona or is it West Page 208 1 Orange? Because I'm right there almost at the 2 cul-de-sac. 3 MR. ANDERSON: I missed half of what 4 you said, I'm sorry, ma'am. 5 MS. WHITE: I'm trying to determine 6 whether or not your conversations are, in fact, with 7 the Town of West Orange or the Town of Verona. 8 Verona supplies my water, the neighbors going into 9 the cul-de-sac, et cetera, the nearest fire hydrant 10 is Verona, so just, again, is

fact, with 7 the Town of West Orange or the Town of Verona. 8 Verona supplies my water, the neighbors going into 9 the cul-de-sac, et cetera, the nearest fire hydrant 10 is Verona, so just, again, is there another party 11 that has to be a part... (indiscernible) 12 (Court reporter asks Ms. White to repeat.) 13 MS. WHITE: Is there another party, 14 another town, that's part of that... (indiscernible) 15 (Court reporter asks Ms. White to repeat.) 16 MS. WHITE: Is there another town that 17 is part of that water conversation? 18 COURT REPORTER: Thank you. 19 MR. ANDERSON: That will have to be 20 flushed out and resolved. It can't be between two 21 different water systems without an agreement. 22 MS. WHITE: Exactly. So that's, 23 again, why I was raising the question. 24 (Court reporter asks Ms. White to repeat.) 25 MS. WHITE: I was raising the question Page 209 1 because I think there may be an issue with Verona 2 being impacted on the water side, not necessarily 3 West Orange, and Verona has severe water issues, in 4 fact, neither one of the towers are working. 5 MR. ANDERSON: Thank you, we will look 6 into that. 7 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you. Please 8 step up, state your name and spell your last name, 9 please. 10 MR. LATERZA: Thank you. Yes, Patrick 11 Laterza, L-A-T-E-R-Z-A. I have, I think, three 12 questions. 13 First, regarding the forest -- I think 14 I know this answer -- was the current town forester 15 asked about the quality of the forest? 16 MR. ANDERSON: I -- 17 MR. LATERZA: The West Orange town 18 forester. 19 MR. ANDERSON: I don't believe that 20 was the forester that was consulted. I think that's 21 a question more for the town environmental 22 consultant. I know that there was people from Amy 23 Green's environmental group that was engaged by the 24 township and I'm not sure which one of them was the 25 forest and whether they are connected to the town.