November 13, 2024 Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

17 1 can’t hear you. Could you speak more into the 2 microphone, please? Thank you. 3 MR. HECK: Yeah. He used two photos to 4 support some of his case. One photo showed clearly a 5 very long range of sight in the forest. But to me, 6 that seemed to be a picture of that forest in the 7 winter time. There were a lot of brown leaves on the 8 ground and there was no green vegetation anywhere. 9 Then he had the other picture showing a healthy forest. 10 It was clearly in the summer and with a lot of, you 11 know, greenery. 12 So, Mr. DeFeo, do you think that was a fair 13 comparison to show those two photos when, to me, one 14 seemed to be in the winter and one in the summer? 15 MR. DeFEO: You’re misunderstanding the 16 statement from what a healthy forest is and my point. 17 The point is not that the trees are there. The point 18 is not that there are large trees there -- there are, 19 indeed, large trees there. The health of the forest, 20 it is determined not so much and totally by the total 21 number of large trees. 22 The forest, as I stated last, was with the 23 trees that are there, with exceptions such as ash and 24 beech in particular, the trees that are there are 25 reasonably healthy. The forest is unhealthy on a long 18 1 term basis because there is no undergrowth. There are 2 no new trees coming in. 3 MR. HECK: But -- 4 MR. DeFEO: Whether it’s a winter or summer 5 image is irrelevant. 6 MR. HECK: But that was a winter photo. You 7 wouldn’t expect -- 8 MR. DeFEO: Young trees I would see. And the 9 simple fact is I could go get more photos if you like 10 but the simple fact is there is a dearth, statistically 11 and scientifically, of young trees in that forest. And 12 by every study done statewide, when you have a lack of 13 young trees to replace mature trees as they die, which 14 eventually will happen, you have an unhealthy forest. 15 MR. HECK: Okay. That may be so but I would 16 have preferred to see two summertime photos. 17 THE CHAIRPERSON: Thank you, sir. 18 Please step up to the mic and state your name 19 for the record. 20 MR. GUARINO: My name is Peter Guarino. I 21 live in the Highlands, by the way. I’m just confused a 22 bit. This gentleman mentioned three points of access 23 and somebody mentioned Kuzik Road as a point in access. 24 Kuzik Road goes into Warner. There’s only one means of 25 egress and access. Can somebody explain to me

n mentioned three points of access 23 and somebody mentioned Kuzik Road as a point in access. 24 Kuzik Road goes into Warner. There’s only one means of 25 egress and access. Can somebody explain to me how 19 1 there’s three or two or -- 2 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Mr. Plocker? 3 MR. PLOCKER: I’m certainly not testifying as 4 an engineering professional, but I’ll repeat again. 5 So, the property is accessed from Eagle Rock Avenue via 6 Oval Road up Warner Road. From that point, the site 7 plan proposes that vehicular or pedestrian traffic can 8 continue off Warner into the proposed development or 9 make a left onto Kuzik Drive. 10 MR. GUARINO: Right. And Kuzik goes where? 11 It goes into the development which goes into Warner 12 Road. 13 MR. PLOCKER: We’re talking about access into 14 the development. Up Warner Road and you either head up 15 Warner or you make a left if you were walking up from 16 Oval Road. 17 MR. GUARINO: Right. 18 MR. PLOCKER: And Kuzik has proposed access 19 to the development. But part of this application is, 20 is that the access would be there but we are seeking 21 relief to allow Kuzik access to serve only as an 22 emergency access. 23 MR. GUARINO: Okay. So, you still only have 24 one means of egress and access. 25 MR. PLOCKER: If your point is that 20 1 eventually it all goes to one road, that’s absolutely 2 correct. But all -- 3 MR. GUARINO: That’s my point exactly. There 4 is one means of egress. 5 THE CHAIRPERSON: Okay. That’s the answer to 6 the question. Thank you. 7 MR. WEISLEDER: Hello. Seth Weisleder. I’m 8 from West Orange. So, my question is, this being a, 9 you stated several times it’s an unhealthy forest 10 mainly due to the deer and wildlife causing the issues. 11 With an unhealthy forest, how are slopes affected by an 12 unhealthy forest? Or a steep slope, how would that -- 13 there’s trees on these steep slopes, would you agree 14 with that? 15 MR. DeFEO: Yes. There are trees on a steep 16 slope and I can try to answer your question. Let me 17 see if I understand it correctly so I can answer it. 18 If I understand you correctly, your question is what is 19 the impact of the forest condition on the steep slopes? 20 MR. WEISLEDER: Correct. 21 MR. DeFEO: Okay. So, again, let me 22 emphasize, people keep using the term unhealthy forest 23 in a sense as if it’s being testified to that the 24 forest is dying. I am not saying

LEDER: Correct. 21 MR. DeFEO: Okay. So, again, let me 22 emphasize, people keep using the term unhealthy forest 23 in a sense as if it’s being testified to that the 24 forest is dying. I am not saying that. I have not 25 said that nor do I imply that.