12 12 24 PSEG West Orange BOA ZB 24 06 PSEG 35 Mt Pleasant Ave Condensed

65b96228-b9ab-4f72-9291-fa4a14ff04c8 23 (Pages 89 to 92) Page 89 1 THE WITNESS: I'm good. 2 MS. RUDIN: -- to let you know that the 3 tree is doing beautifully. The tree that you planted 4 on my lawn. 5 THE WITNESS: I drive past it 6 regularly. 7 MS. RUDIN: Good. 8 So I just wanted to ask you, do you 9 believe -- is it your impression that the applicant 10 is following, to the greatest of their ability, the 11 intent of the law, which is to save as many trees as 12 possible? 13 THE WITNESS: I -- to the best of my 14 knowledge. I have not seen any of the other 15 testimony or listened to a video or any of the 16 professional -- professionals from Public Service 17 that testified -- that are testifying that the 18 facility has to go where these specimen trees are. 19 So I -- I personally am not convinced 20 that they have attempted to save these trees to the 21 greatest extent possible, particularly when it's the 22 largest trees on the site that are being removed or 23 proposed for removal. I just -- it just doesn't add 24 up in my mind. 25 MS. RUDIN: Thank you. Page 91 1 have to assume that everything is working 2 appropriately at this time. 3 MS. RUDIN: With the trees on the 4 property, they're just -- 5 THE WITNESS: With the trees on the 6 property. 7 MS. RUDIN: Correct. 8 You mentioned just driving by and the 9 screening that these trees provide from -- for the 10 residents driving by in a suburban neighborhood to 11 not see the metal construction behind it. 12 In your opinion, would this be a 13 significant change in the screening between the -- 14 the street and -- just a change -- a significant 15 change in the screening for our community? 16 THE WITNESS: I -- I think it's a 17 reduction in the quality of life as it is at present. 18 MS. RUDIN: Thank you. 19 Do you think that it's possible 20 removing these trees could impair the habitats of all 21 of the small animals, birds, et cetera, that are 22 living in these trees? 23 THE WITNESS: Well, they're -- they're 24 going to have to go somewhere. 25 And I know, I have seen deer on the Page 90 1 And I know that you've read our 2 prohibitions in the tree ordinance, so you're aware 3 that this tree -- the trees in this property are on a 4 slope. Is that correct? 5 THE WITNESS: What's the question 6 again, Joyce. 7 MS. RUDIN: That these trees -- that 8 this property is on a slope. Is that correct. 9 THE

trees in this property are on a 4 slope. Is that correct? 5 THE WITNESS: What's the question 6 again, Joyce. 7 MS. RUDIN: That these trees -- that 8 this property is on a slope. Is that correct. 9 THE WITNESS: Yes, it is, yes. 10 MS. RUDIN: Okay. And do you -- in 11 your professional opinion, do you believe that 12 removing the trees would increase the amount of 13 stormwater runoff and/or negatively affect stormwater 14 runoff patterns? 15 THE WITNESS: Well, they're very 16 comfortable there and they are soaking up water in 17 their present location, which is at the bottom of the 18 hill. So they're in a strategic location to have 19 nature naturally treat wastewater runoff. 20 So it's just -- the water is going to 21 have to go somewhere and whether it's -- it's able to 22 be soaked into the ground or not, to the extent that 23 it is right now, I don't know. 24 In all my years of driving by there 25 I've never seen a ponding situation down there, so I Page 92 1 site. 2 They hop the fence and they'll find a 3 way in there. Some of -- not all the trees are 4 native, but they been there a hundred years. 5 So the wildlife has adjusted to what is 6 available to it in terms of pollen and nectar and the 7 nuts and seeds that are produced by these trees, so 8 there will be an adjustment to the wildlife by the 9 removal of these trees. 10 MS. RUDIN: In other words, a loss. 11 One final question: Do you believe 12 that removing these trees will result in soil 13 erosion? 14 THE WITNESS: Most likely it will be 15 addressed somewhere along the line, but it will be 16 artificial -- artificially induced by diverting it 17 through a collection system. 18 MS. RUDIN: Okay, thank you so much. 19 Nice to see you. 20 THE WITNESS: Okay. 21 CHAIRMAN NEUER: Thank you, Ms. Rudin. 22 Megan, do we have any other hands up? 23 MS. BRILL: Yes, I have -- I am not 24 seeing any other hands. 25 CHAIRMAN NEUER: Going once.