January 28, 2026, Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

1 of 66 sheets Page 1 to 4 of 155 02/26/2026 05:17:42 PM 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 1 TOWNSHIP OF WEST ORANGE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2026 6:30 P.M. RE; PB-24-01 WEST ESSEX HIGHLANDS, INC. BOARD MEMBERS: ROBERT BAGOFF, Chairman JERRY GUARINO, Vice Chairman SUSAN McCARTNEY, Mayor KEN ALPER JOHN CARDOZA LORI KAPFERER SUSAN SCARPA, Councilwoman RYAN MacNEILL, Engineer JAMILET BAQUERIZO VITE, Board Secretary GENIECE GARY-ADAMS, Zoning Official JOHN FAGAN FISHMAN COURT REPORTING AGENCY 89 HEADQUARTERS PLAZA NORTH 4 SPEEDWELL AVENUE, SUITE 1440 MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY 07960 (973) 285-5331 - FAX - (732) 605-9391 2 A P P E A R A N C E S :1 2 H U T T , S H I M A N O W I T Z & P L O C K E R , E S Q S . B Y B R Y A N D . P L O C K E R , E S Q .3 B p l o c k e r @ h u t t s h i m . c o m 4 5 9 A M B O Y A V E N U E4 W O O D B R I D G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 9 5 A p p e a r i n g o n b e h a l f o f t h e A p p l i c a n t5 6 G A C C I O N E & P O M A C O , E S Q S . B Y D I A N A P . M c G O V E R N , E S Q .7 O N E B O L A N D D R I V E , S U I T E 1 0 2 W E S T O R A N G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 5 28 A p p e a r i n g o n b e h a l f o f t h e B o a r d 9 B R U C E I . A F R A N , E S Q .10 1 0 B R A E B R U N D R I V E P R I N C E T O N , N E W J E R S E Y 0 8 5 4 011 A p p e a r i n g o n b e h a l f o f t h e O b j e c t o r , W e C a r e N J C o r p .12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 I N D E X1 W I T N E S S D I R E C T C R O S S R E D I R E C T R E C R O S S2 3 I N D E X O F E X H I B I T S4 E X H I B I T D E S C R I P T I O N P A G E5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 C H A I R M A N B A G O F F : P B - 2 4 - 0 1 W e s t E s s e x1 H i g h l a n d s , I n c . , B l o c k : 1 7 9 L o t 3 2 Z o n e I H - 1 , W a r n e r2 R o a d . T h e a p p l i c a n t i s p r o p o s i n g t o d e v e l o p a 4 9 63 I n c l u s i o n a r y m u l t i f a m i l y r e s i d e n t i a l d e v e l o p m e n t o n a4 V a c a n t 1 2 0 a c r e p r o p e r t y i n t h e n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r o f t h e5 T o w n s h i p o f W e s t O r a n g e .6 W e ' r e n o w i n p u b l i c c o m m e n t .7 F o r t h e p e o p l e h e r e , p u b l i c c o m m e n t w i l l b e , y o u h a v e8 o n e b i t e o f t h e a p p l e . Y o u c a n c o m e u p , w h e t h e r y o u9 s

u b l i c c o m m e n t .7 F o r t h e p e o p l e h e r e , p u b l i c c o m m e n t w i l l b e , y o u h a v e8 o n e b i t e o f t h e a p p l e . Y o u c a n c o m e u p , w h e t h e r y o u9 s p o k e f o r y o u r s e l f o r y o u s p o k e f o r a n y b o d y e l s e , y o u10 c a n c o m e u p o n c e , s o e v e r y b o d y h a s t h e i r f i r s t r o u n d .11 Y o u w i l l b e g i v e n f i v e m i n u t e s t o p r e s e n t w h a t e v e r y o u12 h a v e . A t t h e e n d o f 4 m i n u t e s a n d 5 5 s e c o n d s , I w i l l13 s a y , t h a n k y o u , a n d t h a t w i l l e n d a t f i v e m i n u t e s .14 Y o u ' l l c o m e u p t o t h e m i c r o p h o n e h e r e , p l e a s e15 s p e a k l o u d l y i n t o t h e m i c r o p h o n e s o p e o p l e c a n h e a r y o u .16 I m a y i n t e r r u p t y o u a t a n y t i m e a n d a m e n d y o u r t i m e i f17 y o u a r e n o t s p e a k i n g l o u d l y a n d p e o p l e i n t h e a u d i e n c e18 i n t h e b a c k c a n n o t h e a r y o u .19 I t h a n k e v e r y b o d y f o r t h e i r p u b l i c c o m m e n t .20 P l e a s e c o m e u p , s t a t e y o u r n a m e a n d a d d r e s s f o r21 t h e r e c o r d o n e a t a t i m e . E v e r y b o d y e l s e c a n - - o k a y .22 S t a n d , s i t , w h a t e v e r y o u f e e l i s r e a s o n a b l e .23 M R . P A N N U L L O : B e f o r e w e p r o c e e d w i t h t h e24 c o m m e n t s .25