V4 08 EIS 1 26 2023

AREA AND REGIONAL DESCRIPTION West Orange is centrally located in Essex County with nearby access to both NJSH Route 10 and Interstate 280. The area is well served by public transportation and provides easy accessibility to virtually anywhere in the tri-state area via highway connections. The subject property is located along Pleasant Valley Way (County Route 636) which is an Arterial Roadway under Essex County Jurisdiction. The existing development includes two driveways that provide access to the existing 236-space parking lot. These driveways provide access to staff, visitors and service vehicles that utilize the site daily. A detailed Traffic Study is included as part of the overall submittal. ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION OF THE ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF THE PROJECT Soils – While significant re-grading is proposed, there are no changes to the on-site soil types. An initial investigation has been performed to identify depth to rock within the existing disturbed areas. This investigation identified high bedrock in the southwest areas of the existing building. Rock elevations dropped moving both easterly and northerly, as the front portion of the site appears to have been filled over the course of construction. In an effort to limit rock removal, the proposed main floor elevation of the new building has been elevated about twelve inches above the existing main floor elevation. The lower floor area has been dropped in the easterly portion of the building to limit the building height. Along the easterly facade, the building is located in fill material. Wetlands and Waterbodies – NJ GeoWeb indicates that there is potential for wetlands in the wooded area to the rear of the existing parking lot. Due to these findings, we engaged an environmental consultant to conduct a study on the site. The study was performed by Vincent Agovino, Phd, PWS and it was determined that there are no wetlands present at the site of 7