October 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

33 of 80 sheets Page 129 to 132 of 203 11/06/2024 03:21:43 PM 129 often I have to block off what I'm doing. This is a1 fairly large piece. There is a, as you may recall,2 there will be staging areas. I can't attest to what the3 applicants going to do for staging areas, I don't know.4 I can't answer your question. But I know this is the5 maximum area of disturbance.6 THE PUBLIC: Okay.7 So let's keep it to where your area of8 testimony and expertise is. I have a question about the9 wetlands area.10 THE WITNESS: Okay.11 THE PUBLIC: So it's not just that strip12 though, isn't it down --13 THE WITNESS: No, there's some in here.14 THE PUBLIC: Right.15 THE WITNESS: And there's little bit here.16 THE PUBLIC: Where, down below the17 Highlands?18 THE WITNESS: Here and here and there's even19 a tiny little bit up in there.20 THE PUBLIC: So deer fencing and the21 absorption that you talked about and the runoff, isn't22 the absorption going to stay on the right and the left?23 In other words, I'm confused, because somehow you're24 saying that the absorption's going to be better, but25 130 it's, it's fenced off. The new undergrowth and1 everything you're talking about is actually away, from2 what I can tell, unless I'm misreading the map, away3 from where the runoff is actually happening.4 THE WITNESS: No, there's runoff in a lot of5 directions first of all, on this property.6 THE PUBLIC: Okay. I would love it if you7 can explain.8 THE WITNESS: I'll do my best. This a9 contour map and when you see these lines here, let's go10 to this one because they're easier to see. The closer11 together these lines appear the steeper the slope.12 THE PUBLIC: Oh, the little faded?13 THE WITNESS: Yeah. You see how it goes like14 this.15 THE PUBLIC: Yeah. Yeah.16 THE WITNESS: Now, I don't have the number17 in front me but being on the site enough, this is18 downhill, that I can tell you.19 THE PUBLIC: Down towards where, the20 Highlands?21 THE WITNESS: Down here. No, this is the22 Highlands here, right.23 THE PUBLIC: Right.24 THE WITNESS: So this is also downhill, to25 131 answer your question.1 THE PUBLIC: Right.2 THE WITNESS: Any storm water runoff, you3 know, in here, they already talked about and I'm not4 going to testify to that, but I know there's been5 testimony, there is a plan pending to deal with that6 storm water runoff. What I talked about and all I can7 testify to is that in

about and I'm not4 going to testify to that, but I know there's been5 testimony, there is a plan pending to deal with that6 storm water runoff. What I talked about and all I can7 testify to is that in the deer fenced area as8 undergrowth continues to grow, because it can, what will9 happen is you will have more plants in this area total10 than there are today. More plants means more water11 absorption.12 THE PUBLIC: In those areas?13 THE WITNESS: In those areas. Now, I am14 projecting, hypothesizing, that over time due to the15 increase in plants here, this is -- one of the board16 members asked me the same question in a similar fashion.17 I, again, let me make that clear. I cannot guarantee18 anything, but I hypothesize that as there are more19 plants growing here and more plants growing here that20 get to seed stage, meaning they can produce seed, those21 seeds will travel throughout the property, which is what22 I want to happen and you would want and the more growth23 that occurs naturally in here the more absorption we24 could hopefully get there, because you have more plants.25 132 THE PUBLIC: Because you nave more planted1 and things like that. Okay. So, but then there's the2 deer that are still there.3 So to go to something that was just asked4 before and I wanted to kind of bring this up within the5 context of the native plants that you talked about.6 THE WITNESS: Yes.7 THE PUBLIC: And what was asked about the8 deer eating what the new plantings might be because9 they're there. I mean, one of the benefits should be10 the native plants as you discussed, correct?11 THE WITNESS: Yes, it's wonderful to have a,12 I rarely get, in my environmental commission, do I get13 developers saying, I'll do all native plants.14 THE PUBLIC: Okay. Great.15 So --16 THE WITNESS: Never had, sorry.17 THE PUBLIC: -- regardless of whether the18 deer are eating them or not, if you have to do things19 like do deer proof plants, deer resistant plants, does20 that, do those plants in your expertise fit within that21 realm of the benefit of native plants?22 THE WITNESS: Yes, there are many native23 plants that are deer resistant, there are many that are24 not. But there certainly are native plants that are.25