November 13, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

37 1 sides to that coin. One is, yes, you can do that, but 2 we also find that larger trees require a lot more care 3 up front and there’s a higher mortality rate from what 4 I’ve seen. You want to balance those two risks. The 5 goal is to get a tree to grow and, hopefully, grow 6 fairly quickly. 7 MR. COVIAT: Thank you. You also had on the 8 slide about the native seed mixture for 37,388 square 9 feet. And what is the composition of this seed mixture 10 and what is it supposed to do and are you aware of any 11 studies as to the impact it is supposed to have? 12 MR. DeFEO: I don’t have the list in my head 13 of the native seed mixture. It was on the landscape 14 plan which I don’t have in front of me. And I looked 15 at it, it is consisting of native plants for this 16 particular part of the country. 17 As far as its impact, I’ve seen native plant 18 restorations done before and if they’re done well, and 19 we would hope they would do them well, the impact is 20 you get fairly quick germination and you have fairly 21 quick stabilization. 22 I’ve done two that have worked well. I’ve 23 done one particularly that worked fairly well at our 24 environment center in West Orange and one that didn’t 25 work out so well. But that was just due to lack of 38 1 care. So, it really depends on follow up care. 2 Like, any seed mixture, you know, if you put 3 seed down on your lawn this fall, probably not going to 4 very well, you know, unless you watered it, right? But 5 in this case, it would be planting at the right time, 6 putting it in under the right conditions. I presume 7 we’ll get rain again in the spring, you know, and 8 that’s when those kinds of things will be determined. 9 MR. COVIAT: I also have not seen the 10 landscaping plan but it does occur to me that you, if 11 you’ve reviewed it before, whether you had an 12 distinctive thoughts about the proposal within the area 13 of disturbance? 14 MR. DeFEO: My looking at that landscape 15 plan, and I’ve looked at a lot of landscape plans for 16 developments over the years, being in my own 17 environmental commission and we review them fairly 18 heavily, this is one of the better ones I’ve seen. 19 There was not a let me see if I can slip in this 20 species or that species or some arcane hybrid. It was 21 very clean in terms of picking native species and 22 native plants. 23 The layout I leave to the applicant

let me see if I can slip in this 20 species or that species or some arcane hybrid. It was 21 very clean in terms of picking native species and 22 native plants. 23 The layout I leave to the applicant because 24 it’s around their buildings but even on its face I 25 didn’t see something that would jump out at me and say 39 1 oh my goodness, you’re putting this tree next to a 2 building, are you nuts. I’m not seen that kind of 3 error. it looks like they took a fair amount of care. 4 Again, it’s not finalized I realize, but it looked like 5 it was very well done compared to others that I have 6 seen. 7 MR. COVIAT: Okay. When you say well done, 8 do you think that will be effective in addressing in 9 any potential problems with erosion, the soil erosion, 10 or with water runoff? 11 MR. DeFEO: Well, this particular landscape 12 plan is fundamentally for -- let me go back and just 13 show it -- not the landscape plan, but the general area 14 -- 15 MR. COVIAT: Well, my concern is it’s the top 16 of the hill, so everywhere is down. 17 MR. DeFEO: Yeah, yeah, no, I get that. 18 But the landscape plan itself really isn’t, 19 per se, with the exception of the seed mixture which is 20 to help stabilize soil. This area isn’t being planted. 21 This area will regenerate on its own basis. 22 So, in terms of erosion and control, if 23 that’s your primary concern, the area as it regenerates 24 will take care of that. Where there’s disturbed area 25 and they’re going to seed, that area, the young 40 1 plantings that come in because they’re herbaceous 2 plantings, not trees or shrubs, will help to stabilize 3 those areas much more quickly. And in my experience, 4 that works out pretty well. 5 MR. COVIAT: Thank you. 6 THE CHAIRPERSON: Thank you. 7 Do any members of the public have any 8 questions for Mr. DeFeo about his testimony, please 9 come up and be recognized. 10 State your name for the record, sir? 11 MR. McGLYNN: Yeah, it’s Mike McGlynn, 55 12 Lapis Circle and hello, Mr. DeFeo, the Mayor. Anyway, 13 I’ve lived in the community for just about -- 14 THE CHAIRPERSON: Sir, come closer to the 15 microphone. People in the back can’t hear you. 16 MR. McGLYNN: I’ve lived in the homeowner’s 17 association area for the last four years. And my main 18 concern has to do with the water flow and all the trees 19 being cut down. I’m probably the closest unit next to 20 Canoe Brook,

homeowner’s 17 association area for the last four years. And my main 18 concern has to do with the water flow and all the trees 19 being cut down. I’m probably the closest unit next to 20 Canoe Brook, literally, a couple of feet away from it. 21 We’ve already had an issue where a tree from the brook, 22 after a big storm in the spring, was leaning against 23 our house and then several trees had to be cut down. 24 So, my concern is whether all these trees 25 being knocked down and all the construction about all