October 30, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

7 of 80 sheets Page 25 to 28 of 203 11/06/2024 03:21:43 PM 25 talked about the net required replacement 1400, but that1 really would depend on, here we go. Net required2 replacement 1493 trees over the requirement. So the3 requirement is --4 THE WITNESS: Well, the requirements based5 on the way your township does a replacement planted tree6 ordinance. So this is giving the allowance to encourage7 more deer fencing.8 MR. AFRAN: Could the Mayor just speak up a9 little bit, it's very hard to hear.10 MAYOR McCARTNEY: I was discussing that last11 slide, the net required replacement over the12 requirement. You're saying that it's still an estimate13 of 212 trees per acre, so what would be the requirement?14 Will it be the actual count or the trees that come down?15 THE WITNESS: It would be based on your16 ordinance and quite honestly the negotiations that we17 were working with, I don't have that in my head.18 MAYOR McCARTNEY: Can we find out?19 THE WITNESS: We can -- I'm sorry. We can20 find out if we go back and look. I just don't have it21 with me here today.22 MAYOR McCARTNEY: Thank you.23 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Klein.24 MR. KLEIN: Can you go back to SP-11.25 26 THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.1 MR. KLEIN: So by putting the deer fence in2 sort of blocking their path, how will that change the3 migration, the traveling patterns of the deer?4 THE WITNESS: You know, that's a good5 question. Deer fencing does tend to impact migration.6 The important thing here is the deer are moving, no7 matter how you look at this, if there's no fencing there8 the deer are moving freely like this. It's a total9 random movement. There are deer paths that you will see10 in here where deer have traditionally walked, say this11 line. That's very common in a woodland. You'll see12 where they walked through. It's hard to in this forest13 because we don't really enough undergrowth for them to14 collapse when they walk-through but they will walk15 everywhere. It's a little hard to judge them, but you16 can see it, you just have to look carefully. The deer17 will have to do this or they'll go this way. Those are18 that in here, there may be some that stay. The rest19 will move around as they do today because the forage20 isn't very good in here. There is forage but it's not21 great. So they're moving around today, they will just22 take a longer path.23 MR. KLEIN: Will it affect -- how will it24 affect

use the forage20 isn't very good in here. There is forage but it's not21 great. So they're moving around today, they will just22 take a longer path.23 MR. KLEIN: Will it affect -- how will it24 affect the neighbors? In other words, the neighbors to25 27 the east, looks like the deer will be blocked. The1 neighbors to the north, it looks like it might funnel2 towards them?3 THE WITNESS: Not towards them so much but4 they will come around this way. This is still vacant5 land right now. There are no houses right here as of6 yet. The -- will the deer move to other yards,7 probably. That's what they're doing today. If there's8 no forest they're moving around. Will it impact those9 yards, well, there are three things that define what10 deer impact will be. What have the neighbors planted in11 their yard. If they planted hosta and the deer walks12 through there today, they're probably going to eat it13 anyway. If you plant something in your yard that a deer14 likes, the fence is irrelevant. They're finding a way15 to get there. If you plant things that are, and I want16 to use the word, deer resistant, because there is no17 such thing as deer proof, except apparently for18 barberry, because deer when they're hungry, like19 anything, will eat. So the answer to your question is,20 will deer move, yes. Will they go to anywhere else to21 eat, yes. But of the 77 percent of this land, let's22 see, there's 33 acres deer fencing. 20 -- let's say 30,23 just for math sake, that's 66 acres. There's still 6024 acres of open space here the deer can walk around. It's25 28 not like the whole site is being closed off.1 MR. KLEIN: You also said that the fenced in2 deer areas, the undisturbed area they can be used as3 trails?4 THE WITNESS: Well, this area has a number5 of what I would call, it's not my judgment to say, but I6 would call them, since I haven't walked it that often,7 probably for lack of better term, they're illegal8 trails, people using the property, but those trails9 could be historic in going back 50 years for all I know.10 They are human trails that have been cut through here by11 use. I've seen occasional deer paths through here, but12 that was because I went off trail and looked for where13 the deer were going. So I was essentially tracking.14 MR. KLEIN: But I mean, it's going to be15 fence there, there would some gates?16 THE WITNESS: For people.17 MR. KLEIN: To

l and looked for where13 the deer were going. So I was essentially tracking.14 MR. KLEIN: But I mean, it's going to be15 fence there, there would some gates?16 THE WITNESS: For people.17 MR. KLEIN: To be able to open the gate?18 THE WITNESS: Yes, the residents -- there19 will two sets of gates in here, at least, and it's up to20 the applicant, all though the applicant has said to me21 they expressed an interest not so much on this side22 here, the east side, because of the steepness, but over23 here to potentially make this a walking recreation area24 for people in the complex so they could walk-through the25