11 5 25 WO PB Draft Minutes

2 560 Northfield Avenue The applicant is looking to install a timber barn within the existing giraffe exhibit area. PRESENTATION ● Andrew French, the professional engineer, entered on the record, and he was sworn under oath. He testified to the following: ● Mr. French presented the color rendering of the plan that was submitted as part of the application. ● The Essex County is proposing a hoofstock exhibit in the African Adventures section of the Turtleback Zoo. ● Presented on the plan is the existing barn for the giraffe facility on the top right. ● To the right is the lion and the hyena exhibit. Further to the south there is the penguin building. And in the lower center of the site, is where they're proposing the hoofstock barn exhibit area. ● This area isn't an area that's already been disturbed. It's an underutilized portion of the giraffe yard space. That's the area that the hoofstock exhibit is being proposed. ● It will be a one-story timber barn structure, 52x96. Also, as part of the barn, there will be two off-exhibit areas. One on the east side, which is a 20x40 space, and another off- exhibit area, 20x40, on the south side. ● As part of the improvements, the area just to the rear of the proposed barn will be utilized for maintenance purposes by the zoo personnel. ● In order to flatten out the area with the grade change, the applicant is proposing modular block retaining walls, one on the south side that runs along the southern portion of the maintenance yard, and then additional modular block wall on the west side of that maintenance space. ● The walls will be five to six feet in height, but just to change the grade to flatten out that space behind the barn space. ● On the left side of the plan, there's two refuse containers that'll be used for the purposes of managing the hoofstock exhibit space. ● For the stormwater management, what the applicant designed is the area that's to the rear will be consisted of a porous pavement system with uncontrolled runoff from the proposed improvements. ● The porous pavement system is a green infrastructure as part of the NJDEP stormwater rules, and the proposed project will be designed to be consistent with those DEP stormwater management rules. ● They also have an outdoor exhibit area that's associated with the yard space, and it's been designed to resemble an African grassland. ● In addition, there's some

se DEP stormwater management rules. ● They also have an outdoor exhibit area that's associated with the yard space, and it's been designed to resemble an African grassland. ● In addition, there's some shade structures out in the yard area as well, to resemble an African grassland. ● They're also proposing some additional landscaping. ● On the left side of the open yard space, they have additional landscape screening including some evergreen trees, as well as deciduous trees. ● The entire yard space will be fenced in and secure, as well as both of the off-exhibit and outdoor spaces. ● This is not open to the public. Just north of the Hoofstock barn space, there's an elevated walkway. And this will be where the visitors will be able to view and experience the Hoofstock exhibit. But they will not be in the barn or in those outdoor spaces. This area would just be for zoo personnel. BOARD QUESTIONS