May 6, 2026 Planning Board Regular Meeting - WEHI Transcript

3 of 18 sheets Page 9 to 12 of 38 06/04/2026 06:19:47 AM 9 there was a long emergency.1 Kuzik, a block and a half long, connects to2 Warner, a block and a half outside that site, and that3 goes back to Oval. Kuzik's not a separate access point,4 it's a stub to Warner, they're the same road. And I5 thought the Litwornia report was credible on all this as6 well.7 Ingress and egress to this specific proposed8 development is a required element under RSIS as well as9 under our more general charge of public safety and I10 don't believe we have sufficient ingress and egress for11 here without a true second road. So that's where I was12 and am.13 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you.14 Mr. Cardoza.15 MR. CARDOZA: I don't know that I have much16 to add to what Mr. Alper has said and as you've noted in17 your opening we've wrestled with this issue for quite18 some time. I'm happy to proceed to a vote, so long as19 we've -- we're sure that we recapped what needs to be20 recapped with the public and, yeah. We had two months21 to mull this over, proceedings, you know, following what22 was pretty much deliberation session last time. So with23 that, I'd like to see us come to some sort of closure,24 at least this section of this matter.25 10 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you.1 Mr. Morgan.2 MS. McGOVERN: Mr. Morgan is not voting.3 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: I'm sorry. Gotcha. Thank4 you.5 Mr. Klein.6 MR. KLEIN: I'm going to say that I had7 similar concerns about emergency access, then I thought8 about what it was like during Hurricane Sandy when I9 live on a street which I have three ways to get out and10 all three were blocked with trees and it was three or11 four days until all the trees were removed so I could12 get out of there.13 I also think about times when I've been on14 the Garden State Parkway when traffic has been stopped15 and I'm not near an exit so I turn off my engine and16 just sit there and wait until an emergency has been17 cleared. But I think we have -- there is a way to get18 out through Essex Fells if there is some sort of an19 emergency and if somebody needed to get through. I20 think they could work something out with the local21 police, be able to get that person to get through there.22 And then we're going to have Howell as well. So, yeah,23 I'm not so much concerned with that.24 I think the other issues, as Mr. Alper25 11 brought up, soils and the blasting and whatever's

h there.22 And then we're going to have Howell as well. So, yeah,23 I'm not so much concerned with that.24 I think the other issues, as Mr. Alper25 11 brought up, soils and the blasting and whatever's going1 to be done, a lot of that there are additional steps2 that need to be fulfilled by the applicant to get3 permits for things like that. So I think I have an4 answer in my mind. Thank you.5 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Okay.6 Mayor McCartney.7 MAYOR McCARTNEY: Chairman, I have to say8 that you actually took me by surprise at the last9 meeting when you asked for the applicant to look for10 another means of egress, that did take me by surprise11 because we hadn't discussed that and I don't see that12 that's not happening, but I do see when we talked about13 emergency access there are really three points of14 emergency access. Yeah. Okay.15 That there are three points of emergency16 access, one is Oval Road that has been in existence the17 whole time, Howell Drive, and there's also a way through18 Bakley Drive as well, so I was okay with the emergency19 access.20 Going through the list of all of those21 conditions, and I don't know if you're going to22 reiterate them, I still have a question on the sanitary23 sewer lines. I would really like Mr. MacNeill to weigh24 in. This -- my question is about the capacity in the25 12 town and who really is responsible for any off-site1 improvements. Because this is a major application, it2 is a major impact to our sanitary sewer system and I3 would need assurances that I do -- I made notes. That4 was really a big question that I still had after we5 listed all of the conditions.6 MS. McGOVERN: Okay. I have to just say7 that you can't consider off-site improvement as part of8 this application. You can only consider what's on the9 actual site. So your purview is the project not10 off-site.11 MAYOR McCARTNEY: So how do we address that?12 MS. McGOVERN: You don't. The town has to13 address it. If it gets approved and something off-site14 needs to be taken care of then it's the town. It's15 everything on-site that needs to get done by this16 applicant.17 MAYOR McCARTNEY: However, in the settlement18 agreement on Page 12 it does say --19 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Wait a minute, we're not20 going to the agreement.21 MAYOR McCARTNEY: No. Okay.22 MR. MacNEILL: To add to that. So this23 sanitary sewer needs to be reviewed by the township24 Engineering

RMAN BAGOFF: Wait a minute, we're not20 going to the agreement.21 MAYOR McCARTNEY: No. Okay.22 MR. MacNEILL: To add to that. So this23 sanitary sewer needs to be reviewed by the township24 Engineering Department, my office before signing any TWA25