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 43 VICE CHAIRMAN GUARINO: Thank you very much and thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Mr. Alper, do you have any questions? MR. ALPER: Thank you. Are there specific things, any specific things you might suggest that would put a project, that would put a project into more smart growth mode? THE WITNESS: In what regard? Whether to -- like change the design, the plans -- MR. ALPER: Right. Based on what you've seen and how that comports to your mapping and everything, are there things that could improve it from that perspective? THE WITNESS: The location, location, location of this has problematic aspects. When you look at the factors that we looked at in trying to evaluate whether somethings smart growth or sprawl, it is not compliant with what is the priorities for smart growth. It's consuming, you know, the last remaining parcel in the county and the future of development in West Orange, as well as most of New Jersey, is redevelopment. So I know there's an affordable housing component to this and, you know, the affordable housing need is a really