February 25, 2026 Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

11 of 68 sheets Page 41 to 44 of 154 03/20/2026 06:14:03 AM 41 plan. It doesn't include Building D, because Building D1 is not directly implicated by this particular issue.2 Now, you heard about recharge and you heard3 that DEP said recharge is okay on the site. We will4 achieve recharge. Now, what does recharge mean. I5 think you all know it, but just to summarize. It simply6 means stormwater runoff will be returned to the riverine7 system so it can serve in the drinking water supply.8 That's all it means. We're recharging the system with9 the natural stormwater runoff that has to be diverted10 and we're going to make sure it gets back into the11 rivers, because that's where we get our water from.12 Canoe Brook is one the places this community and13 neighboring communities get their water. And the runoff14 from this site goes into Canoe Brook, and we'll see that15 later in Professor Hasse's exhibit. You'll see that16 this forest is actually the headwater, the only17 headwater of the Canoe Brook, for good reason, it's a18 ridge.19 Now, on this chart Mr. Walsh has included20 blue arrows and red arrows, they may be purple arrows.21 Now, look at the purple arrows on the left22 side, they go to that long wetland that I pointed out23 earlier that's on the left side of the, western side of24 the site. And that -- the purple arrows show the25 42 natural stormwater movement under existing conditions as1 the forest exists today, and it's based frankly only on2 the contour lines and the presence of the wetlands.3 Now, why are the wetlands there. They're4 there for a very good reason. We have wetlands on the5 western side, we have wetlands in the center on the6 bottom, and we have wetlands right here on the eastern7 side. In the right-hand corner, eastern side here.8 Now, why are the wetlands there. They're there for one9 simple reason. Gravity puts the water there, because10 the contour lines are going down in altitude, and we're11 starting from a high point in the center, and you can12 the see lines narrow, and in each case the lines narrow13 in the direction where the wetlands are. That's why the14 wetlands are there. Because over thousands of years15 water has accumulated and gradually soils change,16 because of the presents of the water, and we get hydric17 soils. Clay develops, we get other types of conditions18 that lead to the creation of wetlands. A wetland

ulated and gradually soils change,16 because of the presents of the water, and we get hydric17 soils. Clay develops, we get other types of conditions18 that lead to the creation of wetlands. A wetland always19 appears, almost always, because gravity sends the water20 there naturally. That's the natural direction of the21 water on this site. That's what those blue lines do --22 the purple lines do. And you can see on the western23 side, the purple lines are going directly to these24 western wetlands. I'm using my pointer to show that.25 43 You can see in the center the contour lines lie down1 towards the center bottom of the site right into the2 wetlands, and you can see towards the right side or the3 eastern side, there are contour lines that direct water4 to the eastern side of the wetlands on the lower5 right-hand corner. The upper wetlands are not really6 implicated in this analysis, because their water is not7 coming from this side. So the purple lines in each case8 show the existing conditions now and the water movement9 that goes naturally to the wetlands.10 Now, what happens after the project is11 built. Well, that's what the red lines show. And so we12 can see the red lines are now taking a different course.13 They're naturally bringing the water to where the14 engineering will direct it. And you can see in the15 center there's a contour and the red lines in the16 central part are no longer going to the left, to the17 western wetlands. They're now being redirected down18 into a conduit that will lead to where my arrow is19 pointing -- my laser is pointing, right to the proposed20 detention basin. And over here as well. And so the21 wetlands that normally would go towards the western22 side, the water that would normally go to the western23 wetlands, is now going into a conduit bypassing entirely24 the wetland and going into a detention basin. All of25 44 that water that now goes to the western wetlands is1 going to be diverted into a detention basin and then out2 back into the Canoe Brook here in the bottom left hand3 corner. So -- and the same phenomenon is happening4 everywhere else. We have the water that would normally5 flow into the wetland in the center is also being6 diverted away, and you can see the arrow being pointed.7 And similarly on the eastern side, where it would8 normally have been diverted into these wetlands is going9 this way and

center is also being6 diverted away, and you can see the arrow being pointed.7 And similarly on the eastern side, where it would8 normally have been diverted into these wetlands is going9 this way and out.10 Now, what does this mean. It means that11 recharge is achieved. That's why DEP gives it a permit.12 Because recharge is achieved, the water will go back13 into the riverine system. It will go back into the14 Canoe Brook and we can drink it. But what is happening15 is something entirely different. The wetlands are being16 deprived of the natural water supply, and that's what a17 recharge permit does not analyze.18 Now, your duty is to understand the19 ecological implications of a proposed project. It's not20 enough to say, I don't have to worry about this because21 DEP gave a permit for recharge purposes. That's all22 that means. You have an independent jurisdiction to23 understand the environmental and ecological harm the24 project will cause. And all of that water will be25