August 14, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

47 (Pages 182 to 185)47 (Pages 182 to 185) Page 182 1 specialist and the applicant -- 2 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: I'm going to turn 3 that over to our attorney. 4 MS. BENYO: Thank you. 5 MS. McGOVERN: Okay. So in any 6 Planning Board application with a site plan, we 7 always have a planner and our engineer. They're 8 hired by the town. 9 MS. BENYO: Um-hum. 10 MS. McGOVERN: Before an application 11 begins, they're required, the applicant, to put 12 money into a fund, the escrow fund. They don't get 13 to pick our experts. In this case, we asked for 14 even more money because we knew we wanted to hire an 15 environmental expert. They didn't hire Mr. DeFeo. 16 This Board selected him. They get to pay for him, 17 but they don't get to choose who he is. The Board 18 did. Just like the Board selected their planner and 19 their engineer, just like they testify in every one 20 of our applications, but in this case, because of 21 the environmental concerns, a separate expert was 22 hired. 23 MS. BENYO: Excellent. Thank you for 24 the clarification. Just one final question. A 25 clarification to confirm that Mr. DeFeo will be Page 184 1 not be worded well at all, but they also are not 2 professionals and we have to give them that grace. 3 And Mr. Chair, I would ask -- I would ask that you 4 would help police that because I think we're giving 5 an impression -- we may be giving an impression that 6 we're not intending to. Thank you, Mr. Chair. 7 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: You're welcome. I 8 think the Chair and the Board has, by extending 9 hours and hours of time to hear every person's 10 questions and make sure that the Board -- and ladies 11 and gentlemen, the goal of this is a fewfold, but 12 the biggest goal is that the Board hear your 13 comments, your questions and the answers by the 14 applicant so we can make a decision based on the 15 facts. So we want -- that's why I'm trying to keep 16 everything on the narrow, right in the middle, we 17 don't go too far left or too far right, because 18 other people in the room have questions, and we 19 don't want people going too far off with the -- with 20 the experts because if it's not in their purview, we 21 should get to the people who it is in their purview. 22 So to that end, I want to thank you again, as 23 Council President said, for your help, questions, 24 and go right ahead, young lady. 25 MS. RUDIN: Joyce Rudin. You might Page

is in their purview. 22 So to that end, I want to thank you again, as 23 Council President said, for your help, questions, 24 and go right ahead, young lady. 25 MS. RUDIN: Joyce Rudin. You might Page 183 1 available for public comment and questioning at some 2 point during this process. 3 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Yes, and he will 4 make a presentation based on this application. 5 MS. BENYO: Okay. Thank you very 6 much. 7 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: You're welcome. 8 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: Mr. Chairman. 9 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Council President 10 Rutherford. 11 COUNCILMAN RUTHERFORD: So there's 12 some back-and-forth, on this side of the table at 13 least, with regard to some of the questions that are 14 being posed. I do think it's important for us and 15 for the applicant and their professionals to 16 understand that the folks that are asking these 17 questions are not professionals. They have a 18 personal interest in this project. They matter, 19 they are important to me, I expect they are 20 important to this entire body, and will deserve to 21 be treated with respect. So I think we all need to 22 take a deep breath and afford them the grace that 23 they are due, since they have now come out at least 24 three times and they just want answers to their 25 questions. They may not ask them artfully, they may Page 185 1 not recognize me because I'm a bit younger than I 2 was a few minutes ago. 3 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: And I just had my 4 eyes checked so it looks good from here. 5 MS. RUDIN: I would just appreciate if 6 you could put up that cross-section of the hill with 7 the trees and the building and the house. Whose 8 house it is, we don't know, but it's in the woods. 9 (Site plan is put up on the screen.) 10 MS. RUDIN: Okay. So we're not sure 11 whose house that is. 12 MR. APPEL: The house is -- 13 MS. RUDIN: It's in the woods, though. 14 Right there, right before the woods. 15 MR. APPEL: So you're talking about 16 the house that's sitting right here (indicating), at 17 that corner. 18 MS. RUDIN: Yes. So I was just 19 wondering, will construction equipment be going up 20 that hill so that the buildings can be built? 21 MR. APPEL: You're talking about which 22 hill, you're talking about this hill here 23 (indicating)? 24 MS. RUDIN: Well, if you could show me 25 the other hill where the cross-section is.