November 10, 2025 Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

01/05/2026 03:19:18 PM Page 37 to 40 of 112 10 of 28 sheets 37 building department or the county engineer. I don't1 know how the municipality would set that up.2 COUNCILWOMAN SCARPA: Okay. Just an area of3 concern.4 THE WITNESS: No, understood.5 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you, Council Person6 Scarpa.7 Mr. Wilkes.8 MR. WILKES: Yes. You mentioned the wells,9 did you read of the wells to give you a better10 evaluation?11 THE WITNESS: Well, if they did install12 wells in order to determine groundwater levels, you13 would have a lot more information than is currently14 available right now. There's really, there isn't15 anything that positively pinpoints whether there's16 groundwater or no groundwater in the records. And that17 is kind of typical in areas that are underlain by rock18 because things vary because of the jointing on the rock.19 MR. WILKES: Is there anything that we can20 put in as a condition to get those readings as far as21 stipulations to continue with the project?22 THE WITNESS: It wouldn't in our opinion be23 -- it would be a good idea to do that in order to24 address the issues that were raised for groundwater and25 38 groundwater infiltration.1 MR. WILKES: Okay.2 Now, you mentioned blasting, was the3 blasting a recommendation or was that what you guys4 think --5 THE WITNESS: No, that's not a6 recommendation. It's an economic decision and, again,7 that's -- it's kind of a time factor and if you don't8 blast it's going to take a lot longer to excavate, so9 the blasting is usually used to increase the ease of10 excavation. This rock is particularly, for some reason11 the strength of the samples that were actually, were12 particularly weak for this type of rock. But this type13 of rock is usually extremely high strength. It's like14 25 to 30,000 PSI, that's almost at the same compressor15 strength of steel. So it's very rough on the equipment16 to excavate and so blasting is usually used to make it17 more economical to complete the excavation.18 MR. WILKES: Do you think the blasting will19 be so significant it would affect some of the other20 slopes in the area? I mean, based on how the rock is,21 based on that.22 THE WITNESS: Well, I think what we're23 recommending is that they apply a very, very24 conservative criteria to determine the amount of25 39 explosive that you would put into the blasting hole.1 Into the hole. So we're recommending that the

recommending is that they apply a very, very24 conservative criteria to determine the amount of25 39 explosive that you would put into the blasting hole.1 Into the hole. So we're recommending that the blasting,2 if it is performed, that they look at distances to the3 area to be protected which is the top of the slope is4 only 40 to 100 feet away. So that would result in a5 much smaller blasting charge than would otherwise be6 required. If you were just worried about a house that7 was 500 feet away, it probably would have no influence8 at all on the size of the charge at that distance.9 MR. WILKES: Okay. All right.10 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you.11 Council Person Scarpa.12 Ms. McGovern.13 MS. McGOVERN: I'm sorry, I know you14 mentioned a condition that you suggested, something15 about basins, Mr. Wilkes?16 MR. WILKES: Yes. The wells, I want to make17 sure we have a condition in there, because I want to see18 if he needed more information to make a better19 evaluation.20 MS. McGOVERN: Is that already included in21 your conditions or is that an additional?22 THE WITNESS: We recommended monitoring.23 MS. McGOVERN. Okay. I just wanted to make24 sure it wasn't something else.25 40 MR. WILKES: I just wanted to make sure it1 was in there.2 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Council Person Scarpa.3 COUNCILWOMAN SCARPA: Yeah, could this4 project be done without blasting?5 THE WITNESS: I believe it could.6 COUNCILWOMAN SCARPA: Would that be a7 condition that that not happen, because that's a real8 concern of the residents?9 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: I'm going to leave that up10 to the experts. That's beyond our understanding.11 COUNCILWOMAN SCARPA: Would you recommend12 that if this was in your backyard?13 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: I think we got testimony14 before that each methodology has it's own risks.15 THE WITNESS: Yeah, I think that's correct.16 There are other effects, if like the, we -- I mean, I17 happen to live near a basalt slope and it is brutal the18 amount of ramming and vibration, the equipment that had19 to be used to get the rock out without blasting, but it20 is doable.21 COUNCILWOMAN SCARPA: From an environmental22 standpoint, I'm thinking which would be better for the23 residents of that neighborhood.24 THE WITNESS: I mean, it's always25