September 11, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

1 of 71 sheets Page 1 to 4 of 180 09/27/2024 06:14:01 AM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 1 TOWNSHIP OF WEST ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 6:30 P.M. RE; PB-24-01 WEST ESSEX HIGHLANDS, INC. BOARD MEMBERS: ROBERT BAGOFF, Chairman JERRY GUARINO, Vice Chairman SUSAN McCARTNEY, Mayor BILL RUTHERFORD, Council President LEE KLEIN WILLIAM WILKES II LEE D. KLEIN, PE PTOE LORI KAPFERER (Alternate 2) JOHN R. CARDOZA (Alternate 1) JORDAN RIZZO, Engineer GERARD M. HAIZEL, Planner FISHMAN COURT REPORTING AGENCY 89 HEADQUARTERS PLAZA NORTH 4 SPEEDWELL AVENUE, SUITE 1440 MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY 07960 (973) 285-5331 - FAX - (732) 605-9391 2 A P P E A R A N C E S :1 2 H U T T , S H I M A N O W I T Z & P L O C K E R , E S Q S . B Y B R Y A N D . P L O C K E R , E S Q .3 B p l o c k e r @ h u t t s h i m . c o m 4 5 9 A M B O Y A V E N U E4 W O O D B R I D G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 9 5 A p p e a r i n g o n b e h a l f o f t h e A p p l i c a n t5 6 G A C C I O N E & P O M A C O , E S Q S . B Y D I A N A P . M c G O V E R N , E S Q .7 O N E B O L A N D D R I V E , S U I T E 1 0 2 W E S T O R A N G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 5 28 A p p e a r i n g o n b e h a l f o f t h e B o a r d 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 I N D E X O F E X H I B I T S2 3 E X H I B I T D E S C R I P T I O N 4 0 - 1 B O S W E L L R E P O R T J U L Y 2 6 , 2 0 2 4 5 O - 2 T O W N S H I P O F V E R O N A R E S O L U T I O N 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 C H A I R M A N B A G O F F : T h e q u e s t i o n r e g a r d i n g1 t h i s a p p l i c a t i o n . W e w e n t t h r o u g h O v a l R o a d t o W a r n e r2 R o a d , w e w e n t d o w n t o t h e b r i d g e t h a t g o e s i n t o E s s e x3 F e l l s , w e w e n t u p W a r n e r R o a d a n d K u z i k D r i v e . W e t h e n4 l o o k e d a r o u n d t h a t a r e a , w e w a l k e d t h e s i t e f r o m t h a t5 p o r t i o n . W e w e n t t h e n u p a r o u n d t o H o w e l l D r i v e , w a l k e d6 d o w n t h r o u g h H o w e l l D r i v e t h r o u g h m o s t o f t h e s i t e . A t7 n o t i m e d i d w e m e e t a n y b o d y r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e a p p l i c a n t8 n o r a n y m e m b e r s o f t h e p u b l i c . W e m a d e n o d e c i s i o n s9 b a s e d o n w h a t w e s a w , w e w e r e o n

t a n y b o d y r e p r e s e n t i n g t h e a p p l i c a n t8 n o r a n y m e m b e r s o f t h e p u b l i c . W e m a d e n o d e c i s i o n s9 b a s e d o n w h a t w e s a w , w e w e r e o n a f a c t - f i n d i n g t o u r10 l o o k i n g a t t h e e l e m e n t s o f t h e p r o j e c t .11 T h e A p p l i c a t i o n P B 2 4 - 0 1 W e s t E s s e x H i g h l a n d s , I n c .12 B l o c k : 1 7 9 L o t : 3 2 Z o n e : I H - 1 . W a r n e r R o a d . T h e13 a p p l i c a n t i s p r o p o s i n g t o d e v e l o p a 4 9 6 i n c l u s i o n a r y14 m u l t i f a m i l y r e s i d e n t i a l d e v e l o p m e n t o n a v a c a n t 1 2 0 a c r e15 p r o p e r t y i n t h e n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r o f t h e T o w n s h i p .16 F o r t h e a p p l i c a n t , M r . P l o c k e r .17 M R . P L O C K E R : G o o d e v e n i n g . B r y a n P l o c k e r18 o f t h e f i r m H u t t , S h i m a n o w i t z & P l o c k e r , h e r e o n b e h a l f19 o f t h e a p p l i c a n t .20 C H A I R M A N B A G O F F : Y o u h a v e t h e f l o o r , s i r .21 Y e a h , t h a n k y o u v e r y m u c h .22 Q. W e l e f t o f f w i t h M r . A p p e l , o u r a r c h i t e c t . H e23 g a v e h i s d i r e c t t e s t i m o n y , t o o k q u e s t i o n s f r o m t h e b o a r d24 m e m b e r s a n d t h e p u b l i c , I b e l i e v e t h e o b j e c t o r ' s25