August 25, 2025, Planning Board Special Meeting Transcript - WEHI

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 13 Jersey's GIS data layers and we packaged them in a way that makes it accessible to the nonexpert user. Planning boards are a big target that we're trying to provide this information to, to make the most informed decisions. I'm going to be talking to you about looking at this development from two different angles. One, I had been working with the Office of Planning Advocacy on the State Plan Update and we have a map that is -- a couple of maps that is here directly for serving the estate planning process. And we also have been working for about ten years with a number of conservation groups, including a GIS model that helps to prioritize woodlands that are most valuable for conservation and because you can't, you know, preserve everything. So there's priority models that we have done for that. So we're going to look at it through two different lenses. The smart growth planing and from the conservation, what I call, smart conservation planning. We have many other map layers here as you can see. The proposed project, as you know, is a 496 unit, multifamily residential, 120 acres currently forested land. And the question is, is this the most appropriate use of this land or what are the costs to West Orange. So this idea of smart growth, is it efficient, is it