June 30, 2025, Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

08/07/2025 02:56:42 PM Page 13 to 16 of 175 4 of 70 sheets 13 working on it.1 MR. AFRAN: I am not complaining, I am just2 pointing out I was asked to raise the issue.3 MS. McGOVERN: Nobody is foreclosed from4 watching the meeting from beginning to end. It's posted5 on the website.6 MR. AFRAN: Mr. Plocker, are there other7 transcripts outstanding?8 MR. PLOCKER: Except for last Monday, I9 believe all of them were sent in to the board.10 MR. AFRAN: Okay. Great.11 MR. PLOCKER: I'm just not making a12 representation definitely, but we can certainly go back13 and check.14 MR. AFRAN: Thank you. Thank you.15 MR. PLOCKER: Okay.16 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Plocker.17 MR. PLOCKER: Thank you.18 The applicant would like to call Mark Seel19 and he has testified before, if you would like to20 reswear him in.21 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Yes, let's reswear him.22 MS. McGOVERN: Do you swear or affirm to23 tell the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth.24 THE WITNESS: I do.25 14 MS. McGOVERN: Please state you full name,1 spelling your last name for the record.2 THE WITNESS: Mark Seel, S-E-E-L.3 M A R K S E E L, having been duly sworn4 testifies as follows:5 And Mr. Seel, you testified in this public6 Q. hearing before, I believe it was on January 29, is that7 correct?8 That's correct.9 A. Why don't we just have him quickly go over his10 Q. qualifications for the benefit of the board and11 everybody else in the room.12 Mr. Seel, could you just state who your employer13 is, your background, licenses, what you do, we'll start14 with that?15 Sure. I'm employed with Langan Engineering and16 A. Environmental Services. I've got over 30 years of17 experience in geotechnical and geological engineering.18 I have a bachelor's degree in geological engineering and19 a master's in engineering from Stevens Institute of20 Technology in civil environmental.21 For the last 30 years I've primarily focused on a22 combination of commercial and residential and retail23 projects throughout the country and rural and focused on24 a lot of, primarily on geological rock falls,25 15 landslides, stability, things of that nature.1 I am a licensed engineer in New Jersey as well as2 a licensed professional geologist in three states.3 And your license in New Jersey is currently good4 Q. and in good standing?5 Yes, it is.6 A. Okay.7 Q. Originally in this case I believe you issued or8 your company issued a report dated

three states.3 And your license in New Jersey is currently good4 Q. and in good standing?5 Yes, it is.6 A. Okay.7 Q. Originally in this case I believe you issued or8 your company issued a report dated January 14, 2025?9 That's correct.10 A. And you testified at the January 29 meeting about11 Q. the findings in that report, correct?12 Correct.13 A. And after that meeting or during that meeting it14 Q. was suggested that perhaps additional testing should be15 performed. Do you recall that?16 Yes.17 A. And you performed additional testing?18 Q. Correct.19 A. And you issued a revised report from this month,20 Q. June of 2025?21 Correct. 18th of June.22 A. Okay.23 Q. Could you please explain to the board and24 everybody in the room about the additional testing that25 16 was done and what your conclusions were?1 Yes. So the additional testing we did was2 A. focused on the area of the slope north of the proposed3 Building D between the proposed Building E and Howell4 Drive. The nature of the investigation was a handful of5 borings, it was a total of four soil borings into rock6 as well as additional test pits that were in the slope.7 The intent was, once again, to characterize the nature8 of the materials and evaluate the stability of that9 slope with respect to the construction of the proposed10 Building D. And what we found was that the rock,11 generally speaking, was shallower to the north of12 Building D. The rock mass appeared strong, very hard.13 The materials, the soils, overburden materials, the14 soils are very typically dense. They're very dense and15 the stability was -- the slopes are stable both with16 respect to existing conditions as well as proposed17 conditions to do the development.18 MR. PLOCKER: I have nothing further.19 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay.20 Mayor McCartney, do you have any questions21 for the witness on his testimony?22 MAYOR McCARTNEY: I guess my only question23 would be, so if and when the plan was presented and they24 were looking at where the test sites were and you did25