March 4, 2026, Planning Board Regular Meeting - WEHI Transcript

1 of 54 sheets Page 1 to 4 of 136 03/11/2026 06:15:33 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, MARCH 4, 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 .3 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 m4 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 55 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 6 G A C C I O N E & P O M A C O , E S Q S .7 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 28 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 d9 10 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 E11 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 ,12 W e C a r e N J C o r p . 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 4 I N D E X O F E X H I B I T S 5 E X H I B I T D E S C R I P T I O N P A G E 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 6 u n i t3 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 A t t h i s m o m e n t o n l y t h e P l a n n i n g B o a r d w i l l7 d i s c u s s w i t h o u r a t t o r n e y a n d o u r e x p e r t s t h e8 a p p l i c a t i o n t h a t w e h a v e h a d s i n c e A u g u

m e n t o n l y t h e P l a n n i n g B o a r d w i l l7 d i s c u s s w i t h o u r a t t o r n e y a n d o u r e x p e r t s t h e8 a p p l i c a t i o n t h a t w e h a v e h a d s i n c e A u g u s t o f 2 0 2 4 .9 T h e r e w i l l b e n o p u b l i c c o m m e n t . W e w i l l n o t t a k e a n y10 i n f o r m a t i o n f r o m t h e a t t o r n e y s .11 S o a t t h i s t i m e I o p e n t h e f l o o r t o d i s c u s s i o n o f12 t h e a p p l i c a t i o n a n d e v e r y t h i n g t h a t w e ' v e h a d . D o e s13 a n y b o d y w a n t t o s t a r t w i t h q u e s t i o n s o r , I ' m s o r r y , M s .14 M c G o v e r n . I ' m s o r r y . M y f a u l t . A l i t t l e a h e a d o f15 m y s e l f . M s . M c G o v e r n i s g o i n g t o g u i d e u s i n t h e l a w ,16 t h e o r d i n a n c e a n d h o w w e s h a l l p r o c e e d .17 M S . M c G O V E R N : O k a y .18 A n d I ' l l w i l l t r y n o t t o b e t o l o n g b u t t h i s19 w a s a l o n g p r o c e s s .20 N o w , i t ' s t h e b o a r d s j o b t o r e v i e w t h e21 e v i d e n c e , t h a t i n c l u d e s t h e e x h i b i t s , t h e r e p o r t s , t h e22 p l a n s a n d t h e o t h e r s u b m i s s i o n s t h a t a r e f o u n d o n t h e23 a g e n d a a l o n g w i t h t h e t e s t i m o n y o f w i t n e s s e s a n d I w a n t24 t o g o o v e r t h e l e g a l a s p e c t s o f w h a t y o u s h o u l d a n d25