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

02/26/2026 05:17:42 PM Page 149 to 152 of 155 38 of 66 sheets 149 No matter how you vote, whichever it is going to be,1 positive or negative or no vote, I'm not sure what you2 can do legally. The loser will sue the township, that's3 a guarantee. Knowing what I know from all the parties4 involved, this township will get sued, the Planning5 Board will get sued and it's unavoidable and that's my6 personal opinion and it's the opinion of a lot of other7 people here. So take that and run with it. And this is8 going to go up to the New Jersey Supreme Court fairly9 quickly and it's an environmental concern for the10 general welfare versus affordability for subsidized11 housing. That seems to be the issue that this all12 hinges on. Which is more important, the environment13 that we all have to -- that we all live in, that we14 enjoy, that gives us our life or subsidized housing for15 a small percent of people, which is also important, but16 what takes precedence. And the New Jersey DEP has17 already moved past the 2018, 2019, 2020 environmental18 levels twice now to increase them as our environment19 deteriorates. So we're dealing with a project that has20 been designed for old environmental standards and the21 New Jersey DEP has chosen not to review those standards,22 which is wrong, but they chose not to do it and they'll23 probably get sued for it because of that. We'll see24 what happens.25 150 Since the development used to define this1 project is the issue that we're all dealing with, we2 have to realize that the decision rendered in the courts3 that the New Jersey DEP will again be increasing their4 environmental standards. They're in the process of5 doing so as our environment deteriorates. So by the6 time this project could get off the ground there7 probably be a third generation and then probably a8 fourth generation where it's being planned for extinct9 requirements, which is insane because it's a very10 critical steep slope situation. So why would anyone11 want to develop 500 apartments on steep slop when12 they're dealing with extinct regulatory procedures that13 are now moot, because they've been over -- passed over14 by new procedures. So no one should be happy with a 50015 apartment development that could be created using16 antiquated standards so as to create disasters for our17 entire Essex County and adjoining counties. That's why18 surrounding

be happy with a 50015 apartment development that could be created using16 antiquated standards so as to create disasters for our17 entire Essex County and adjoining counties. That's why18 surrounding Essex County Environmental Commissions for19 the towns plus the Essex County Environmental Commission20 have formally stated their opposition to this project.21 If the Wilf developers truly had the22 citizens of Essex County, West Orange and the23 surrounding townships and the other counties in their24 moral compass they would agree to adopting current New25 151 Jersey DEP standards for this project. This is a1 billionaire developer, there's no reason why he should2 hang his hat and develop this project using old3 standards. He should be volunteering that he will do4 what's right to -- if they would develop the project5 using new standards and there is no cooperation from6 them doing that, they're hanging their hat on these old7 standards. And if not then this developer does not have8 the citizens of West Orange and Essex County and9 surrounding counties in their best interest.10 Now, our environment is deteriorating and we11 have to take it very seriously as untold damage and loss12 of life will occur. Steep slopes were protected from13 being built on, our West Orange laws have beep bypassed14 and made null and void in this township agreement.15 There surely will be a -- I'm giving you16 examples. There surely will be a ten inch rain fall, if17 not if, but when. Our area in the past five years has18 had such rain falls to the west and south of us.19 There is no way the stormwater runoff20 engineering would not catastrophically fail under such a21 deluge. The New Jersey DEP knows this is and this is22 why construction standards have been strengthened in23 past number of years. For example, we will have, with a24 ten inch rainfall, which has happened around us, just25 152 hasn't happened here, and it will dump 32 million1 gallons of water onto this property. If there's a 502 percent runoff that's 16 million gallons of water. We3 need to know that they have developed their stormwater4 system to contain 16 million gallons of water for a5 period of time before it's released. We don't have that6 data. Also they haven't even developed this piping7 system for four systems, gas, electrical, water and8 sewage that run through this piece of ground. I worked9 highway

s released. We don't have that6 data. Also they haven't even developed this piping7 system for four systems, gas, electrical, water and8 sewage that run through this piece of ground. I worked9 highway construction Local 472 in Newark building10 stormwater systems for two and a half years and I laid11 systems myself. When you're running 12 to 48 inch pipe12 and you're doing it through bedrock, you're creating a13 super highway for water because you're not going to fill14 it with dirt, you're going to fill it with crushed stone15 so that the water has somewhere to go. And the water16 with this cross network of all these pipe systems that17 haven't even been designed yet is going to fill with18 water. It's under pressure, it's a disaster waiting to19 happen. I've seen it happen on highways. When you20 develop a system for highways you have to get that water21 off the roadbed. You got to make a huge system that22 carries that water away so it doesn't destroy the23 roadbed. Well, not only in this area do you have to24 keep water away, you have to keep the water from running25