February 25, 2026 Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

1 of 68 sheets Page 1 to 4 of 154 03/20/2026 06:14:03 AM 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, FEBRUARY 25, 2026 6:30 P.M. FINAL SUMMATIONS 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 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 .2 B Y B R Y A N D . P L O C K E R , E S Q . B p l o c k e r @ h u t t s h i m . c o m3 4 5 9 A M B O Y A V E N U E W O O D B R I D G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 9 54 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 t 5 G A C C I O N E & P O M A C O , E S Q S .6 B Y D I A N A P . M c G O V E R N , E S Q . O N E B O L A N D D R I V E , S U I T E 1 0 27 W E S T O R A N G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 5 2 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 d8 9 B R U C E I . A F R A N , E S Q . 1 0 B R A E B R U N D R I V E10 P R I N C E T O N , N E W J E R S E Y 0 8 5 4 0 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 ,11 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 1 I N D E X O F E X H I B I T S2 E X H I B I T D E S C R I P T I O N P A G E3 4 5 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 : W e l c o m e b a c k , l a d i e s a n d1 g e n t l e m a n , b o t h h e r e a n d o n z o o m .2 W e n o w h a v e a n a p p l i c a t i o n b e f o r e y o u , P B - 2 4 - 0 13 W e s t E s s e x 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 e4 I H - 1 , W a r n e r 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 o5 d e v e l o p a 4 9 6 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 l6 d e v e l o p m e n t o n a 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 e7 n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r o f t h e T o w n s h i p o f W e s t O r a n g e .8 T h i s e v e n i n g , l a d i e s a n d g e n t l e m e n , w e w i l l h e a r9 t h e f i n a l s u m m a t i

h e7 n o r t h w e s t c o r n e r o f t h e T o w n s h i p o f W e s t O r a n g e .8 T h i s e v e n i n g , l a d i e s a n d g e n t l e m e n , w e w i l l h e a r9 t h e f i n a l s u m m a t i o n o f t h e a t t o r n e y f o r t h e a p p l i c a n t ,10 M r . P l o c k e r , a n d t h e a t t o r n e y f o r t h e o b j e c t o r , M r .11 A f r a n .12 M r . A f r a n h a s t h e f l o o r f i r s t , s i r .13 M R . A F R A N : T h a n k y o u . J u s t g i v e m e o n e14 m o m e n t , M r . C h a i r m a n , p l e a s e .15 C H A I R M A N B A G O F F : S u r e .16 M R . A F R A N : J u s t g i v e m e o n e m o m e n t , M r .17 C h a i r m a n .18 C H A I R M A N B A G O F F : S u r e .19 M R . A F R A N : T h i s p i l e i s n o t a s f e a r s o m e a s20 i t l o o k s .21 G o o d e v e n i n g . W e a r e a t t h e p e n u l t i m a t e p h a s e o f22 o u r c a s e . A n d , y o u k n o w , w e w e r e t a l k i n g b e f o r e , i t ' s23 a l m o s t a s i f , t r i a l s a r e f u n n y t h i n g s . T h i s i s a t r a i l .24 Y o u k n o w , e v e n a d v e r s a r i e s b e c o m e f a m i l y a f t e r a w h i l e .25