7 2 25 WO PB Draft Minutes

1 DRAFT MINUTES TOWNSHIP OF WEST ORANGE PLANNING BOARD MEETING July 2, 2025, 7:30 P.M. The Township of West Orange Planning Board held its regular meeting on July 2, 2025, at 7:30 P.M. via virtual ZOOM videoconference. Chairman Bagoff called the meeting to order at approximately 7:30 P.M. He announced that notification of the meeting was given to the Township Clerk, and posted on the Township Bulletin Board, sent to the West Orange Chronicle and the Star Ledger, and posted on the Township’s website calendar. This meeting has been properly noticed to the public in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. No new matters will start after 10:30 P.M. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE • Chairman Bagoff requested all persons stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. ANNOUNCEMENTS ● The next Planning Board special meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 6:30 P.M. in person. ● The next Planning Board special meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, at 6:30 P.M. in person. ● The next Planning Board special meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 6:30 P.M. in person. ● The next Planning Board regular meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 7:30 P.M. via Zoom. ROLL CALL PRESENT: Dr. Robert Bagoff; Mr. Jerry Guarino; Mr. Ken Alper; Mr. John Cardoza; Mr. Christopher Morgan, Sr.; Mayor Susan McCartney; Mr. Frank Noborine; Councilwoman Susan Scarpa; Ms. Lori Kapferer ABSENT: Mr. Lee Klein; Mr. William Wilkes; ALSO PRESENT: Diana P. McGovern, Esq., Planning Board Attorney; Gerry Haizel, Consulting Town Planner; Mr. Phil Scott, Board Engineer; Zayibeth Carballo, Town Engineer Jamilet Baquerizo Vite, Planning Board Secretary MINUTES & RESOLUTIONS SWEARING IN

2 ● The Township Professional(s) sworn in. APPLICATIONS • PB-25-05 WO Board of Education Block: 172 Lot: 29.01 Zone: 29.01 9 Manger Road The applicant is proposing a new paved playground and modular building with 6 classrooms for pre-k. PRESENTATION ● On behalf of the applicant, the attorney, Brian Chewcaskie, is before the board for a review and recommendation pursuant to Section 31 of the Municipal Land Use Law. ● Since this is a project by a government entity, they are required to appear before the board for their review and recommendation. ● What is before the board this evening is an addition of a modular building to the Mount Pleasant Elementary School located at 9 Menger Road, as indicated. ● The application was submitted on June 11th, along with thereafter a tree removal application. ● There are 2 sets of site plans before the board, one for the modular building, one for the playground, and also the architectural plans. ● The proposal is for a modular building with 6 classrooms and a paved playground in the north area of the school, behind the existing building. The use is for pre-kindergarten. ● The applicant received reports from the board planner, which was dated June 23rd, and also from the board engineer dated June 27th. ● The applicant reviewed those reports, and there were some questions raised in those reports, which they will answer. ● The architect, Kenneth Ross, entered on the record, he was sworn under oath and his credentials were accepted by the board. He testified to the following: ● The applicant was looking to provide a modular unit to house the 6 pre-K classrooms on the property. Mr. Ross worked with a mobile lease to put the other plans for that use on location. ● Each classroom will have its toilet room as is prescribed in the state code. ● At the back of the building, there's an area that's going to be designated as a playground for the preschool. ● This is a self-contained building for pre-kindergarten, along with the outdoor recreation area, which is designed to accommodate those students. ● It'll have a nurse's office in the building, and it also has a couple of private offices to provide security and support for the teachers. ● It has 2 exits from the building as is required by code. It'll be barrier-free access. ● Mr. Ross has reviewed the board engineer's report dated June 27th. ● Mr. Ross answered questions about building

It has 2 exits from the building as is required by code. It'll be barrier-free access. ● Mr. Ross has reviewed the board engineer's report dated June 27th. ● Mr. Ross answered questions about building lighting. There will be site lighting on the side of the building. ● Mr. Ross has also read the board planner's report. There was a question about whether there was an elevation view of the building. ● Mr. Ross has a rendering that they used for another project which would show the general idea of what they'd be doing. ● Mr. Ross presented exhibit A1, the proposed front elevation. ● What is shown isn't exactly what it would look like, but it is similar to what they would have.

3 ● The front entrance will have a barrier-free ramp on the right-hand side providing access to the building. ● The roof over the top would extend the entire length of that ramp to provide coverage for the entire ramp. ● They would have a similar cover on the back end at the other exit, which would be much smaller because it's a smaller stair and landing at the back. ● The entire building will be accessible. Once you're up that ramp and into the building, everything should be barrier-free. BOARD QUESTIONS ● Chairman Bagoff asked if there would be bathrooms in the building. Mr. Ross said yes, there's bathrooms in each of the classrooms. There's also a bathroom in the nurse's office and a staff bathroom in the hallway by the nurse's office. ● Chairman Bagoff asked if all bathrooms will be unisex and ADA compliant. Mr. Ross said yes. ● Chairman Bagoff asked if the sub-code official had looked at the plans. Mr. Ross said he can't answer that question, but they typically provide all of the requirements of the local code for fire protection. ● Mr. Alper asked if there was going to be any landscaping added to the playground or the building area. Mr. Chewcaskie said Mr. Keenan can answer that question, but if that's the recommendation of the board, they'll certainly add the landscaping. ● Mayor McCartney asked Mr. Ross if he is going to get into any of the details about the 6 classrooms that will be provided within the building. Mr. Ross said yes. They are showing 950 square feet per classroom. The code is 900 square feet for 15 occupants, and they're showing 13 per classroom. ● Mayor McCartney asked as a planning board, how do they determine that because that's the Board of Education, and the grant funding applies to 15 students per classroom. Mr. Ross said it has been submitted to the state of New Jersey for review. They will have to get approval from them for the plans that they submitted. ● Mayor McCartney asked, are they reducing the number of students to accommodate this structure. Mr. Ross said he wouldn't be able to comment on that. That would be a matter of how many they think that they need to put in each classroom. ● Mr. Guarino asked if this is a permanent building or is this for temporary use. Mr. Ross said he believes it's to be used for an indefinite length of time. These are modular units and they are frequently used for a more permanent use and

ent building or is this for temporary use. Mr. Ross said he believes it's to be used for an indefinite length of time. These are modular units and they are frequently used for a more permanent use and installation. ● Mr. Guarino asked are these like trailers. Mr. Ross said they're modular units that they put together to form these buildings. NO PROFESSIONALS QUESTIONS NO PUBLIC QUESTIONS PRESENTATION ● The civil engineer, Dennis Keenan, entered on the record, he was sworn under oath and his credentials were accepted by the board. He testified to the following: ● Mr. Keenan presented Exhibit A2, an aerial image of the subject property, Mount Pleasant School. ● This website is NearMap, which has images from March 19th, 2025. ● The whole property is seen. The school is set up on the lower portion of the property, up by Manger Road. ● Ellison Ave is off to the left. On the north side is an existing open field. There is also a

4 small asphalt playground area off to the side. Adjacent to that is an existing playground area that's mulch with some exercise equipment off in the grass. ● There's a driveway connecting the asphalt area to Ellison Ave. That is a kind of existing service road that provides connectivity and allows them to maintain this portion of the property. ● The modular building is going to be constructed in what essentially looks like the outfield of the baseball field, the recreational field. ● There is going to be a parking area that's constructed in what is the existing asphalt play area, and using the existing drive aisle that will be widened a little bit. ● Mr. Keenan also presented sheet C3 of the submitted site plan set for the proposed modular building. ● The existing school is at the bottom of the sheet. It also shows the existing ball field, which shows the proposed 1-story modular building. ● The asphalt area where the proposed parking is the existing asphalt area that is the playground. And there's a connector road that they're following the same one, providing it a little bit wider because they are going to have more vehicles using it. ● They've widened it up to 20 feet and provided 11 parking stalls with 1 ADA within the footprint of the existing asphalt area. That is connected by a sidewalk to the proposed building. ● There is an ADA ramp. From the hatch area off of the ADA parking stall, someone could go in and access the main entrance of the school, or they would have access through the ramp system to get up to the main entrance of the school. ● Additionally, there's a rear exit door at the back. And there's a sidewalk just providing connection to the back. ● Within the ball field is an existing underground stormwater management basin. They are adding new impervious surfaces. ● They are triggering major development from a stormwater management standpoint. They are providing stormwater detention in this area underground, and then that's going to discharge out the back. ● The existing playground area with mulch is going to remain. ● Mr. Keenan presented the site sheet C1 civil site plan for the Mount Pleasant Elementary School and the new paved playground. ● What is screened out is what is proposed as far as the building is concerned and all the features which will be built by the modular building contractor. ● There's the playground that is essentially

● What is screened out is what is proposed as far as the building is concerned and all the features which will be built by the modular building contractor. ● There's the playground that is essentially going to be taking the playground that they had in this area and relocating it into the location up next to the school. It is a sloped area. There is a retaining wall constructed around it. ● It's an asphalt surface matching what's out there now. ● There are basketball courts, a funnel ball area, and four squares. It's all going to be fenced in with some man gates here and some access for vehicles. ● They're also upgrading. There's an existing sidewalk here that's getting upgraded along with that. ● There's striping to allow the children to cross the street and then come into the playground area. During school hours, there will not be vehicular traffic going into this driveway. ● According to the engineer's letter, there was a question raised about the drainage. Mr. Keenan is in agreement that stormwater will be considered major in this instance and will comply with the appropriate regulations and ordinances. ● The stormwater management that's incorporated into phase one being the building, anticipates the playground and controls the runoff for that as well.

5 ● A soil conservation district approval has been obtained for both projects. ● With respect to wetlands, the board planner indicated that there may be certain designated wetlands that may affect the site. The constructions or improvements that are being proposed, are not going to impact any of the existing wetlands. They had one of their professionals go take a look at where wetlands were to make sure they were not impacting them. And they ensured that all improvements were maintained outside of any buffer areas. BOARD QUESTIONS ● Chairman Bagoff asked if the playground is going to be for the preschool, the elementary, or both. Mr. Keenan said he believes it's going to be for both. ● Chairman Bagoff asked who's going to be watching the kids out there. Mr. Chewcaskie said that any of the younger children are going to be accompanied by an aide or a teacher when they use this. The playground was primarily designed to accommodate the pre- kindergarten. However, there's nothing to preclude other students from using that playground. ● Chairman Bagoff asked if there is a road where they have to cross where there's traffic. Mr. Chewcaskie said no. ● Chairman Bagoff asked if there is going to be fencing around this to keep the kids out of or in the area specifically. Mr. Keenan said yes, there's fencing around the entire playground area. There's an 8-foot-high fence around these edges and then 4 feet on the high side because there's a retaining wall there. ● Chairman Bagoff asked if there are going to be any structures there where the kids just play ball, whether they have sliding ponds or other things that will be there. Mr. Keenan said there will be basketball nets, funnel ball, and there are some striping games that they play like four squares. ● Chairman Bagoff asked if there are going to be any cameras out there to watch what's going on at all times. Mr. Keenan said he is not aware of that. But if they have cameras out there back in this area, he is sure it would pick this up. But whether that's being added or not, he doesn't know. ● Ms. Kapferer asked, wondering about the wetlands, was a letter of interpretation had been obtained for that. Mr. Keenan said no, they did not. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if the DEP had taken a look at the delineation. Mr. Keenan said it's not a requirement that they have to. ● Perhaps, Mr. Keenan, if you could help Ms. Capra out, is

they did not. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if the DEP had taken a look at the delineation. Mr. Keenan said it's not a requirement that they have to. ● Perhaps, Mr. Keenan, if you could help Ms. Capra out, is that there was a visual observation that would indicate that if there are existing wetlands, they are not being implicated by the construction on or in this location. However, there's a separation of woods between any wetlands and any of their activities. Anything they're doing is within a disturbed area and maintained out of any native buffers. ● Ms. Kapferer asked about the underground detention. Was there any consideration of providing infiltration there? Was there any soil testing to see if green infrastructure could be provided? Mr. Keenan said they have infiltration. They did soil testing and verified the soil. They made sure they had adequate depth around the water table with stormwater regulations. ● Ms. Kapferer asked regarding the parking count; how was the number of spaces determined? Mr. Keenan said they got as much in as they could. They didn't want to expand the area. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if the intent is like a drop-off, where parents are dropping kids off and picking them up. Mr. Keenan said yes, that's how he understands it. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if the access drive itself has a turning radius, wanting to make sure

6 the cars can get in and out. Mr. Keenan said 20 feet is an RSI standard for an alley or road where you have two-way traffic. Typical drive aisles ideally would be at 24 feet, but ultimately, they don't have anybody parking on either side, so the narrower they can keep it, the better. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if the new sidewalk that they’re providing, kind of from that driveway up to the existing school, is ADA compliant. Mr. Keenan said he doesn't believe that it is ADA-compliant. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if it maybe should be ADA-compliant. Mr. Keenan said it would be a pretty significant challenge. It would be a massive tearing out of the outside and switchbacks, and it would take up the whole area. ● Ms. Kapferer asked if there is an alternate route. Mr. Keenan said yes, the opposite side of the school would be the alternate route. ● Mr. Cardoza asked, starting on Ellison Avenue, the new entrance where a wider drive aisle is being created, what does that entrance look like? Mr. Keenan said that currently, the existing entrance is gated. ● Mr. Cardoza asked if they would be removing the gate and widening the drive. Mr. Keenan said yes. ● Mr. Cardoza asked if the building is where the current baseball diamond is. Mr. Keenan said, looking at the plan, he would say, that's the backstop right there. ● Mr. Cardoza asked about the turn that we have, the tiny parking lot, does that fall in the smack dab in the middle of the current blacktop? Mr. Keenan said yes, which follows the current blacktop. ● Mr. Cardoza asked the elementary school students if it looked like they would not necessarily have access to the fields, or if they would conduct recess in the other blacktop. Mr. Keenan said there is a lot of activity, which currently resides in the existing playground, that's now as vehicles are going to be relocated to that asphalt area. And then, whether they're going to use the remaining grass areas within the ball field for activities, he can't say for certain, but he imagines they probably would to some degree. ● Mr. Cardoza asked if all of the students are intended to use this new playground. Mr. Keenan said he believes so. ● Mr. Cardoza asked how many entrances to the playground. Mr. Keenan said there are 2 entrances. There's one entrance for the children, and then there's essentially a service entrance that's got a wider gate. ● Mr. Noborine asked regarding the