February 25, 2026 Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

03/20/2026 06:14:03 AM Page 5 to 8 of 154 2 of 68 sheets 5 So, you know, you're together to long that, you know,1 you're -- what you start out with is not exactly what2 you end up with, in terms of who you know and your3 experiences, and so I feel that as well.4 We are not in an ordinary land use case. I5 think we're in the 28th session today, I'm not exactly6 certain. Some of the sessions didn't have a lot of the7 necessary testimony, but this has been a very8 substantive case and you have all been sitting through,9 as has the community and those watching, an unusual10 situation in which, you know, there have been two sets11 of witnesses fairly equally matching each other in12 general, in experience, in credentials and in knowledge13 and in what they have had to say. And the reason for14 all that is that what's at stake here is actually15 extremely important. We're not talking about an16 ordinary project. We're not talking about an ordinary17 supermarket in a mall or in a strip mall. We're not18 talking about an ordinary office building along side a19 well developed corridor. We're talking about a very20 rare thing, that is an old growth forest in the center21 of New Jersey.22 Now, you've heard Dr. DeVito speak about the age23 of these trees, and that's not what we're speaking of,24 we're speaking of other aspects of the plan. But to25 6 begin with, we're speaking of that. We're speaking of1 really something that almost never exists anywhere in2 this state, except in some small corners perhaps.3 Somehow this 120 acres, it's actually 140 when you add4 in the pieces in the corner that are not part of this5 lot. The lots 120 acres. I think Dr. DeVito pointed6 out that the total size of the forest is 140 or so.7 It's all contiguous of course. As Dr. DeVito said, the8 trees on this site alone are generally, on average,9 about 100 years old. That in itself is rare, a10 collection of trees on a large property of that acreage.11 One of the reasons that there is a relatively small12 understory, of course we have deer browse, as Mr. DeFeo13 said. We have that everywhere.14 Another reason, and that comes right from Dr.15 DeVito's testimony, actually Mr. Appel alluded to it16 indirectly, though being an architect he didn't realize17 his reference referred to the environmental issues.18 You may recall way back, Mr. Appel, the architect19 who was here July, I think, of

it16 indirectly, though being an architect he didn't realize17 his reference referred to the environmental issues.18 You may recall way back, Mr. Appel, the architect19 who was here July, I think, of 2024 was asked by20 someone, may have been a member of the public, I'm not21 sure, why the balloon test was not done. And that22 balloon test, for those who don't know, is the test23 where you send a balloon up at the height of the24 building so that from a certain point one can see25 7 whether the height will be visible, what will be visible1 of the building. It wasn't done, and I think it was Mr.2 Appel, it could have been Mr. Anderson, forgive me if3 I'm incorrect Mr. Anderson, but I believe Mr. Appel4 said, we didn't do it because we couldn't do it. And5 the reason we couldn't do it is because the balloons6 can't penetrate the canopy. The canopy of this forest7 is so dense that they could not do the balloon test.8 Now, we didn't complain about that because we9 understood the reason. Sometimes you have an agreement10 and it says you'll do a balloon test or other test, you11 may not be able to do it, but that is a very telling12 point.13 Now, Mr. Appel being an architect, I think it was14 him, didn't really necessarily perceive the point we15 would derive from it. But the canopy is so dense in16 this forest you can't even send the balloon up. One of17 the reasons the understory is relatively minimal, and18 this comes through Mr. DeFeo, and I think Ms. Lafar19 also, is the canopy is so dense. In a mature forest20 very little sunlight reaches the fall. So of course we21 have deer browse, deer do get to some of the understory22 that grows. But as it was made clear in some of the23 professional testimony from Dr. DeVito, when you have a24 very dense canopy and little sunlight reaching the floor25 8 of the forest, very little grows on the floor of the1 forest. That's not a sign, as Mr. DeFeo tried to2 suggest, that this is not a healthy forest. That's a3 sign of a mature forest from old growth trees. I don't4 know if anyone has ever heard this before, but when you5 study the history of the eastern seaboard, Europeans6 first came, I won't say to settle, I'd probably say to7 invade, the eastern areas, the reports were that they8 often ride a horse through woods, and that's because the9 woodlands were so developed and so mature that there was10 relatively little

ly say to7 invade, the eastern areas, the reports were that they8 often ride a horse through woods, and that's because the9 woodlands were so developed and so mature that there was10 relatively little understory. And this is a point we11 need to understand. That this is not a forest that is12 unhealthy, this is not a degrading forest, it is not a13 degenerative forest. This forest is like the way it is,14 is because it is so rare an entity. It is an old growth15 forest in the center of one of the most dense suburban16 areas in the world.17 Now, we'll see the images from the exhibits in a18 few minutes and you can see how this 120 acres, and I19 think you all know this, is surrounded by an enormous20 settled area, and there are very few other areas like it21 nearby. Off to the right of the image you'll see22 there's a park, which is a little bigger than this area.23 And then to the left is a smaller triangular piece of24 green, and some scattered pieces here and there. But in25