May 6, 2026 Planning Board Regular Meeting - WEHI Transcript

1 of 18 sheets Page 1 to 4 of 38 06/04/2026 06:19:47 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, MAY 6, 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 LEE KLEIN FRANK NOBERINE CHRISTOPHER MORGAN, Sr. 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 . B Y B R Y A N D . P L O C K E R , E S Q .3 B p l o c k e r @ h u t t s h i m . c o m 4 5 9 A M B O Y A V E N U E4 W O O D B R I D G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 9 5 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 t5 6 G A C C I O N E & P O M A C O , E S Q S . B Y D I A N A P . M c G O V E R N , E S Q .7 O N E B O L A N D D R I V E , S U I T E 1 0 2 W E S T O R A N G E , N E W J E R S E Y 0 7 0 5 28 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 d 9 B R U C E I . A F R A N , E S Q .10 1 0 B R A E B R U N D R I V E P R I N C E T O N , N E W J E R S E Y 0 8 5 4 011 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 , 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 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 I N D E X O F E X H I B I T S 4 E X H I B I T D E S C R I P T I O N P A G E 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 : 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 .2 T h e p u b l i c h e a r i n g p o r t i o n o f t h i s a p p l i c a t i o n i s3 c l o s e d . T h e r e w i l l b e n o f u r t h e r t e s t i m o n y t a k e n .4 W e h a v e a p a c k e d r o o m a n d i t ' s a v e r y i m p o r t a n t5 t o p i c b e f o r e u s . I a s k t h a t e v e r y o n e h e r e r e m a i n6 r e s p e c t f u l , r e f r a i n f r o m s h o u t i n g , c l a p p i n g a n d a l l o w7 t h e b o a r d t o c o n d u c t i t s b u s i n e s s w i t h c i v i l i t y a

e h e r e r e m a i n6 r e s p e c t f u l , r e f r a i n f r o m s h o u t i n g , c l a p p i n g a n d a l l o w7 t h e b o a r d t o c o n d u c t i t s b u s i n e s s w i t h c i v i l i t y a n d8 r e s p e c t f o r a l l p a r t i e s .9 T o n i g h t i s t h e B o a r d ' s d e l i b e r a t i o n o f t h e f i n a l10 v o t e o n l y f o r p r e l i m i n a r y a n d f i n a l s i t e p l a n a p p r o v a l11 f o r P B - 2 4 - 0 1 , W e s t E s s e x H i g h l a n d s , B l o c k 1 7 9 , L o t 3 2 ,12 Z o n e I H - 1 , W a r n e r R o a d .13 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 t14 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 a15 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 e16 t o w n s h i p .17 B e f o r e w e b e g i n , I w a n t t o a c k n o w l e d g e t h e18 e x t e n s i v e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 3 0 h e a r i n g p r o c e s s w e h a v e19 c o m p l e t e d . T h e B o a r d h a s h e a r d h o u r s o f t e s t i m o n y ,20 r e c e i v e d d o z e n s o f d o c u m e n t s c o n s i s t i n g o f h u n d r e d s o f21 p a g e s o f i n f o r m a t i o n a n d l i s t e n e d t o e x p e r t s o n b o t h22 s i d e s o f t h e a p p l i c a t i o n a n d o u r n e u t r a l b o a r d e x p e r t s23 t o b o t h s u p p o r t , p r o v i d e s t r o n g s u p p o r t a n d s i g n i f i c a n t24 c o n c e r n s f r o m o u r c o m m u n i t y a n d o u r n e i g h b o r i n g25