PB-24-01 West Essex Highlands Inc; Block: 179 Lot: 32 Zone: IH-1

12s 73. 74. Applicant should be required to appear before the Verona Planning Board due to the proposed emergency access for first responders on Howell Drive. Though requested, the Township of Verona never supplied any resolution or contract that evidenced that the lots on the West Orange side of Howell Drive were subject to the limitations set forth by the Verona Planning Board regarding the Verona property. Geoffrey Goll, P.E. President of Princeton Hydro testified as a geotechnical expert on behalf of We Care (objectors). He questioned the sufficiency of the geological testing done by the Applicant, specifically as related to Building D and the ridge line. Mr. Goll offered questions as to whether the ground had sufficient stability to support Building D, but he could not provide any degree of engineering certainty that there would be a ground failure or collapse if Building D is constructed as planned by Applicant. In response to the testimony of Geoffrey Goll, P.E., Applicant offered testimony of Mark Seel, P.E. of Langan Engineering. Mr. Seel pointed to the report of Mr. Goll as proof that that the rock strength in the area of Building D would support the building and that the slope to the west of the ridgeline would remain stable. Mr. Seel testified that Langan Engineering did not recommend blasting for the construction, but rather excavators and chemical expanders would be the preferred method of construction. Should blasting become necessary, a controlled blasting would entail precise sequencing that would minimize removal of rock beyond the blast site. Mr. Seel also noted that the report of Princeton Hydro and the testimony of Mr. Goll did not make any findings that Langan’s analysis were in error. Objectors to the project introduced testimony from William H. Green, III, P.E. that suggested that the Applicant’s plans did not show required evidence of a water supply