* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. SET. I'M ALL READY. [00:00:01] THANK YOU. [I. PUBLIC MEETINGS STATEMENT] ALRIGHT, I CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF MEDFORD TOWNSHIP COUNCIL. THIS MEETING IS CALLED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETINGS LAW. THIS MEETING OF MARCH 3RD, 2026 WAS INCLUDED IN A MEETING NOTICE SENT TO THE BURLINGTON COUNTY TIMES AND CENTRAL RECORD ON JANUARY 7TH, 2026, AND ADVERTISED AND SAID NEWSPAPERS ON JANUARY 11TH, 2026 AND JANUARY 15TH, 2026 RESPECTIVELY POSTED ON THE WEBSITE AND ON THE BOLTON BOARD IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING ON JANUARY 7TH, 2026, AS REMAINED CONTINUOUSLY POSTED AS REQUIRED UNDER THE STATUTE. IN ADDITION, A COPY OF THIS NOTICE IS AND HAS BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND IS ON FILE AT THE OFFICE OF MUNICIPAL CLERK. PLEASE RISE FOR THE FLAG PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR. OKAY, MS. WICKER, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. MS. SANMAR HERE. MR. COX. HERE. MS. MILL HERE. DEPUTY MAYOR MOR. HERE, MAYOR SUSAN HERE. UH, BEFORE WE BEGIN THIS EVENING, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE A YOUNG MEMBER OF OUR LEPE REGIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILY THAT STANDS BEHIND BESIDE HER DURING THIS UNIMAGINABLE TIME. IN MOMENTS LIKE THIS, WE ARE REMINDED THAT OUR MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT POLICY. IT'S LOVE. A SINGLE YOUNG LIFE CAN MOVE AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND IN THESE PAST DAYS, WE'VE SEEN NEIGHBORS COME TOGETHER IN COMPASSION AND SUPPORT. I WANNA THANK OUR TEACHERS, OUR COUNSELORS, EDUCATORS, MEDFORD, EMS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE SHOWN CARE AND LEADERSHIP DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME. AS WE TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, I ASK THAT WE FIND THE STRENGTH TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER, TO LEAD WITH KINDNESS AND TO ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD IN OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THEY'RE VALUED AND NEVER ALONE. THANK YOU. [IV. Communications, Scheduling Matters, Council Agenda, Presentations and Any Amendments to the Agenda] WE WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING WITH A SPECIAL PRESENTATION FOR MR. JOE HENRY THROUGH OUR HARDENBERG INSURANCE BROKER ON SERVICE DOGS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WILL MOVE VERY QUICKLY. UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW, I'M HERE ANNUALLY WITH THE SAFETY TOPIC AS A REQUIREMENT AS A MEMBER OF THE BOROUGH CODE JF UH, AND ALSO BRING UP THE SPEED, HOW YOUR SAFETY, UH, COMMITTEE IS DOING. IT'S FINE. UH, ALL DEPARTMENTS REPRESENTED AND YOU, AGAIN QUALIFIED FOR THE MONETARY SAFETY AWARD IN 2025 AND ON YOUR WAY FOR 2026. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'LL BRING IN THIS YEAR'S TOPIC. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK ON HERE, YOU'LL SEE A FELLOW WALKING WITH SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS A DOG AND SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS A WOLF. AND I CAN ASSURE YOU IT WAS A WOLF. SO HE WAS ON THE WILDWOOD BOARDWALK CAUSED A LOT OF ATTENTION. UH, IT CAUSED OF A LOT OF CONCERN AND DISCUSSION IN THE ATLANTIC GIF, WHICH ENCOMPASSES, UH, CUMBERLAND COUNTY, SALEM COUNTY ATLANTIC, AND CAPE MAY COUNTY. AND THEY HAVE BOARDWALK AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THEY SEE SOMEBODY WALKING THE WOLF. SO, UH, WHEN SOMEONE CLAIMS THAT AN EXOTIC ANIMAL IS A SERVICE DOG, I AM GOING TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS NOT. SO THAT'S WHAT TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION'S ALL ABOUT. I'LL TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND BE OUTTA YOUR WAY. SO, DEFINITION OF A SERVICE ANIMAL UNDER THE A DA AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT, THE SERVICE ANIMAL IS DEFINED AS A DOG THAT HAS BEEN INDIVIDUALLY TRAINED TO DO WORK OR PERFORM TASKS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY. THE STATUTE DOES SAY DOG, HOWEVER, THERE'S A CAVEAT. A SEPARATE PROVISION IS ADDED TO ALLOW MINIATURE HORSES. AND IF YOU SEE THERE'S A MINIATURE HORSE THERE, I'VE YET TO SEE A MINIATURE HORSE AS A SERVICE ANIMAL. BUT APPARENTLY THEY DO EXIST. AND TYPICALLY YOU WILL SEE A SERVICE DOG WITH A JACKET LIKE THAT PONY HAS. IT SAYS, DO NOT TOUCH SERVICE ANIMAL ON DUTY. AND IF, IF YOU'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED A SERVICE DOG, THEY ARE INCREDIBLE ANIMALS. UM, AS I WAS DISCUSSING WITH COUNCILWOMAN MILK EARLIER, WE REPRESENT A LOT OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH AGENCIES TO BRING THOSE DOGS INTO THE SCHOOLS TO COMFORT THE KIDS. SO THEY'RE INCREDIBLE ANIMALS. THEY'RE GONNA DO EXACTLY WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM. SOME OF THE TASKS THAT THEY DO, THEY ASSIST A BLIND. UH, THEY ALERT PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF, THEY CAN PULL PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS. UH, THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING THAT I'VE COME TO REALIZE IS THEY CAN ALERT PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A SEIZURE. THEY CAN SENSE IT, THEY CAN FEEL IT, AND THEY ALERT THE PERSON WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY DON'T FALL AND INJURE THEMSELVES. THESE SERVICE DOGS DO HAVE LEGAL RIGHTS, AS I MENTIONED, UNDER THE A DA AND ENABLES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THE RIGHT TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR SERVICE. ANIMALS [00:05:01] IN PUBLIC PLACES, SERVICE ANIMALS ARE ALLOWED TO BE TAKEN INTO A PERSON'S WORKPLACE. FACILITIES WITH NO PETS, POLICIES MUST ADHERE TO THOSE LAWS AND SERVICE ANIMALS ARE NOT PETS UNDER THE LAW. THEY ARE CONSIDERED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, UH, WITH EVERYTHING ELSE IN LIFE. THERE ARE A FEW EXCEPTIONS RESTRICTED AREAS SUCH AS STERILE ENVIRONMENTS IN A HOSPITAL, FOR ONE OBVIOUS REASONS. THERE. UH, THEY ARE ALLOWED AT PUBLIC, UH, POOLS, BUT NOT IN THE WATER, BUT ALLOWED ON THE DECKS. AND SOMETIMES WE HAVE ISSUES WITH BOARDING HOUSES WHERE YOU HAVE STUDENTS, UH, STAYING. THERE MAY BE SOME ALLERGIES. GOD BLESS YOU TOO, THANK YOU DOG DANDER. SO THEY WOULD HAVE SPECIFIC AREAS TO KEEP THOSE. ALSO, AT A ZOO, YOU CAN IMAGINE CAGED ANIMALS WITH A DOG WALKING THROUGH THE ZOO, THEY MAY BECOME UNRULY, SO THEY WOULD DIRECT THEM ELSEWHERE IN IDENTIFYING A SERVICE ANIMAL. AND THIS IS THE KEY TO THE WHOLE THING. THERE'S ONLY TWO THINGS YOU MAY ASK. IS THE DOG A SERVICE ANIMAL REQUIRED BECAUSE OF A DISABILITY? AND WHAT WORK OR TASK HAS THAT DOG BEEN TRAINED TO PERFORM? AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE REMARKABLE ANIMALS, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY'RE TRAINED TO DO. UH, YOU CANNOT ASK THE FOLLOWING THE NATURE OF A PERSON'S DISABILITY FOR A DEMONSTRATION OF A TASK FOR CERTIFICATION, LICENSING, OR IDENTIFICATION CARDS, BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE. UH, THEY GO THROUGH HIGH TRAINING. UH, THEIR OWNERS ARE ALLOWED TO TRAIN THEM AS WELL. UH, BUT TYPICALLY THEY'LL IDENTIFY 'EM WITH ONE OF THOSE JACKETS TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE IN FACT THEY SERVICE ANIMAL. SO THOSE TWO THINGS YOU CAN ONLY ASK IF IT BECOMES A DISCUSSION. UH, I DON'T SUSPECT YOU'LL SEE MANY WOLFS BEING WALKED AROUND MEDFORD, BUT THE BOARDWALK BRINGS A LOT OF STRANGE STINGS. SERVICE ANIMAL HANDLES RESPONSIBILITIES. THEY MUST REMAIN UNDER THE CONTROL OF ALL TIMES AND MUST BE HOUSEBROKEN AND MUST REMAIN IN THEIR CUSTODY, AS I MENTIONED. AND THE HANDLER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT MAY OCCUR. BUT IT IS VERY, VERY, VERY HIGHLY UNLIKELY. IN ESSENCE, THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE A SERVICE ANIMAL REMOVED IS IF THE HANDLER IS NOT FOLLOWING HIS OR HER RESPONSIBILITIES. LAST PAGE WILL SHOW YOU ON PAGE NINE, UH, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, JUST TO TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. THIS IS A PICTURE OF A PEACOCK. PEOPLE WILL CLAIM PEACOCKS, UH, YOU, YOU NAME IT. UH, SNAKES, LIZARDS, ALL KINDS OF ANIMALS THAT THEY'LL CLAIM, GIVE THEM SOME EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, WHICH NOBODY REALLY QUESTIONS THAT THEY DO OR THEY DON'T. BUT IT'S NOT A SERVICE ANIMAL. SO AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL WILL PROVIDE COMFORT TO THE PEOPLE JUST BY BEING PRESENT. IT HAS NO PUBLIC ACCESS RIGHTS UNDER THE A DA. THE ONLY PLACE WHERE IT WOULD BE OKAY TO HAVE THEM WOULD BE UNDER THE FHA FEDERAL HOUSING AND AN ESA LETTER WOULD BE REQUIRED. AND THAT ESA LETTERS WOULD HAVE TO BE WRITTEN AND SIGNED BY A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO AND THE SOURCES ARE ON PAGE 10. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN LOOKING ANYMORE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE. I HAVE A QUESTION. I WAS GONNA SAY, THIS IS REALLY FASCINATING AND I THINK THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT TOO. NEXT TIME, MAYBE YOU COULD BRING SLIDES. YOU THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT POWERFUL SHOW. YOU GOT BUSY NIGHT TONIGHT. I CAN SAY THAT. IS THIS AVAILABLE FOR US TO SHARE? SURE. YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. IT'S SOMETHING I, IT'S SOMETHING I ASSEMBLED AND THE, UH, INFORMATION IS ON THOSE, UH, THE TWO SOURCES BECAUSE SEE, WE ALL RUN INTO IT. WE DO. YEAH. MORE AND MORE. YES. YES. DOES THAT, UM, WEBSITE ALSO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN APPLY TO GET A SERVICE ANIMAL? OR IS IT JUST TO APPLY? YOU MEAN IN LIKE IF IF SOMEBODY, IF IN NEED OF A SERVICE ANIMAL YEAH, IN NEED OF ONE. IF SOMEONE'S IN NEED OF A SERVICE ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD BE THE RESOURCE? I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING THERE, BUT YOU, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR OWN ANIMAL AND HAVE IT TRAINED. I MEAN, THEY GO HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SIR. SIR, WITH SLIDES. WE'LL ALL BE HERE. . ALRIGHT, SO OUR NEXT TOPIC WOULD BE COMMUNICATIONS. WOULD ANYONE HAVE TO SHARE COMMUNICATIONS? I JUST, OH, GO AHEAD. I JUST HAVE ONE. UM, I KNOW THE WEATHER'S PRETTY BAD RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET NICE AND JUST ANNOUNCING FOOD TRUCKS IS COMING BACK FOR THE SEASON STARTING MARCH 19TH, WHICH IS, UM, A THURSDAY, I BELIEVE IN TWO WEEKS. YES. YES. UH, THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE, IF PEOPLE SEE ME LOOK AT MY PHONE THIS EVENING, I DO APOLOGIZE. UH, MY HUSBAND'S IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER A PROCEDURE TODAY. UH, SO I'M JUST GETTING UPDATES FROM HIM 'CAUSE THEY JUST GONE TO HIS ROOM BEFORE I LEFT TO COME HERE. SO JUST A, JUST AS AN UPDATE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND WHATEVER YOU NEED. ANYONE ELSE? I, I HAVE A FEW. UM, OKAY. UM, ALTHOUGH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY IS CELEBRATED ON MARCH 8TH, WHICH IS THIS COMING SUNDAY, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO [00:10:01] RECOGNIZE THE INCREDIBLE WOMEN THAT ARE AROUND US THIS EVENING AND IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN OUR TOWN'S HISTORY THAT THREE WOMEN HAVE SERVED ON COUNCIL AT THE SAME TIME. UM, THIS IS A MEANINGFUL MILESTONE AND REFLECTS PROGRESS IN LEADERSHIP. WE'RE ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE STEADY GUIDANCE OF OUR CLERK, OF OUR CLERK, TARA LIQUOR, AND ALL THE EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN THAT SERVE US IN OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDING. AND THROUGH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY. YOU ARE MOTHERS, OUR GRANDMOTHERS, OUR WIVES, OUR SISTERS, OUR AUNTS, OUR GODMOTHERS, OUR PARTNERS AND OUR FRIENDS. YOU ARE THE LEADERS IN OUR WORKPLACE, OUR HOMES, AND IN THE HEARTS OF OUR TOWN TONIGHT AND EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. UM, SO THE NEXT TOPIC I HAVE HERE IS GONNA SPEAK TO MORE OF AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE'RE WE'LL BE DISCUSSING TONIGHT AND IN THE FUTURE. OVER THE NEXT 60 DAYS, THIS COUNCIL WILL FOCUS ON TWO MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES ADVANCING THE CALENDAR YEAR 2026, MUNICIPAL BUDGET AND ADDRESSING OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OBLIGATIONS. I'LL OUTLINE EACH SEPARATELY SO RESIDENTS UNDERSTAND EXACTLY HOW THIS PROCESS WILL BE MOVING FORWARD. THE FIRST WILL BE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT. THIS EVENING WE'LL RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE TAYLOR DESIGN GROUP LED BY MR. TAYLOR ON A PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. WE HAVE INSERTED A SPECIAL PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION SO THE PUBLIC CAN ENGAGE DEEPLY IN THIS MATTER. I ASKED THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HOLD THEIR COMMENTS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNTIL AFTER THIS SECTION AND AFTER THE PRESENTATION BY OUR PLANNER. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE FIRST READING AND VOTE FOR INTRODUCTION. SO YOU, WE WILL HAVE THE STANDARD PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION WHERE WE CAN SPEAK TO ANY MATTER, BUT IF IT'S ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I ASK THAT WE WAIT. POTENTIALLY. MR. TAYLOR WILL ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS DURING HIS PRESENTATION. THAT'S WHY WE INSERTED A SPECIAL, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. AFTER THE PRESENTATION ON MARCH 9TH. THE REDEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE LED BY COUNCILMAN COX AND DEPUTY MAYOR VOORHEES WILL BE RECONVENING TO CONTINUE TO THEIR DISCUSSIONS ON MARCH THE 12TH. THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING WILL HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING TO STUDY THESE PLANS ON MARCH 17TH AT OUR TOWN HALL MEETING. THE COUNCIL WILL RECEIVE A SECOND PRESENTATION, CONDUCT A SECOND READING, HOLD, A PUBLIC HEARING, AND CONSIDER ADOPTION OF REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND THE NAMING OF A REDEVELOPER. AT THE SAME TIME, WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO COMPLETE AND SATISFY OBLIGATIONS ESTABLISHED UNDER PRIOR ROUNDS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. THIS WORK REMAINS ONGOING AND IMPORTANT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. WE ARE ALSO POSITIONING METHOD RESPONSIBLY FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF STATE MANDATED HOUSING DETERMINATIONS. OUR OBLIGATION IS COMPLIANCE, LONG-TERM STABILITY, AND THOUGHTFUL PLANNING. SECOND MATTER IS TO OUR CALENDAR YEAR 2026 MUNICIPAL BUDGET. ON FEBRUARY 27TH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL RECEIVED THE INITIAL 2026 BUDGET AND CAPITAL REQUESTS. I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR HER PRE PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONALISM IN ADVANCE. THIS WORK ON MARCH THE 10TH, THE GOVERNOR WILL INTRODUCE THE STATE BUDGET, WHICH WILL CLARIFY MUNICIPAL AID AND FORM OUR LOCAL PLANNING. ON TUESDAY, MARCH 17TH. WE WILL HOLD A BUDGET WORKSHOP AT OUR TOWN HALL ON SATURDAY, MARCH 21ST. WE WILL CONDUCT AN ADDITIONAL BUDGET WORKSHOP AND POTENTIALLY FORMALLY INTRODUCE THE 2026 MUNICIPAL BUDGET ON OUR TUESDAY APRIL 14TH, REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING. THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO ASK QUESTIONS AND COUNCIL TO GO FURTHER INTO DETAIL. ON THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD, WHICH IS A DATE CHANGED FROM THE ORIGINAL DATE, WE MOVED IT TO THURSDAY, WE WILL HOLD IT. AND THEN A SECOND TOWN HALL DEDICATED TO BUDGET DETAILS AND FURTHER PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. AND ON MARCH 5TH, ON TUESDAY, MARCH 5TH, EXCUSE ME, WE WILL HOLD A SECOND READING, PUBLIC HEARING AND POTENTIAL ADOPTION OF THE 2026 BUDGET. SO THERE ARE, INCLUDING TONIGHT, THERE ARE SIX ADDITIONAL OP FIVE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO TONIGHT IS THAT MAY, MAY, I SAID MAY. DID I SAY MARCH? YEAH, I'M SORRY. THE LAST DATE IS MAY 5TH. THANK YOU. UM, THAT WOULD BE EMBARRASSING, . UM, SO, UM, WE WANNA BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH THIS BUDGET AND THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ENGAGE WITH US PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION. AND THESE ARE INCLUDING TONIGHT. THESE ARE SIX OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLIC TO DO SO. THEY'RE ON DIFFERENT DATES AT DIFFERENT TIMES WE DID THAT. SO WE GIVE YOU AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS POSSIBLE. UM, SO WITH THAT, WELL THE WORK BEGINS TONIGHT FOR THESE TWO INITIATIVES, BUT WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN THE TIMEFRAMES AND SCHEDULES. ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR COMMUNICATION? NO. OKAY. SO WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO SCHEDULING ITEMS. OUR NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING IS OUR MARCH 17TH TOWN HALL HALL MEETING AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING RIGHT HERE AT SIX 30. AND NOW [V. APPROVAL OF MINUTES] WE HAVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES. WE HAVE ONE IS FEBRUARY 17TH, 2026. EXECUTIVE SESSION MINUTES. [00:15:01] DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE MINUTES? NO. OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALRIGHT, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. [VI. DISCUSSION ITEMS] WE HAVE A DISCUSSION ITEM FROM MR. NIKAL. UH, MAYOR, IF I COULD, UH, THE COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS MEETING ON MONDAY, UM, MARCH 9TH. IT'S THIS MONDAY, IT'S SIX 30, CORRECT. PM BACK IN TOWN HALL, CORRECT? CORRECT. AND, UM, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO ATTEND. UM, GRANTED THE, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE THEMSELVES WILL BE ONES THAT ARE DOING WORK, BUT THEY CAN CERTAINLY ASK QUESTIONS OF ANY MEMBER BEFORE THAT MEETING. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD. OKAY. THANK YOU. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. YEP. YEP. AND THOSE, THOSE DURING OUR MAIN STREET AND TAUNTON SUBCOMMITTEES, THERE WAS, UH, VERY PRODUCTIVE INSIGHT FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WERE NOT OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEES. SO WE THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, [VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS] SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. BEFORE WE BEGIN, BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT, I ASK THAT WE PAUSE AND RECOGNIZE THE WEIGHT OF WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO DO. THE ABILITY TO STAND BEFORE YOUR GOVERNMENT AND SPEAK FREELY TO OFFER PRAISE POTENTIALLY, IF YOU'D LIKE, AND VOICE CONCERNS TO EXPRESS DISAGREEMENT IS RARE AND IS RARE IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN HISTORY. IT'S A RIGHT SECURE THROUGH SACRIFICE AND ENTRUSTED TO THIS GENERATION. TO THE NEXT, LET US CONDUCT OURSELVES THIS EVENING IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THAT TRUST WITH CIVILITY, WITH DISCIPLINE, AND WITH RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER. AND FOR THIS INSTITUTION UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE, EACH MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IS AFFORDED FIVE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE CHAIR. THE CHAIR MAY GRANT AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE WHEN APPROPRIATE, WHICH IS A RULE THAT WE'VE ALLOWED FOR THIS THIS YEAR. MR. HORNICK, I'D ASK YOU TO KEEP THE TIME AND PROVIDE, UM, A ONE MINUTE WARNING. MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, IF YOU MAY, PLEASE RESERVE YOUR COMMENTS TO THE END OF EACH SPEAKER. UM, IF YOU WISH TO BE HEARD, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND WHEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. APPROACH THE MICROPHONE. STATE YOUR NAME AND ANY PORTION OF YOUR ADDRESS YOU'RE COMFORTABLE SHARING AND SPEAK CLEARLY SO WE MAY HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK ON GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT MATTERS NOW? YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR COUNSEL. I THINK YOU PROBABLY ALL KNOW ME BY NOW, BUT MY NAME'S JASON KLEINMAN AND I'VE LIVED IN MEDFORD FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS NOW. I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I'M ANGRY AND I THINK I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE. FOR OVER A YEAR, I FOLLOWED EVERY RULE THAT THIS TOWN IS SET IN FRONT OF ME. I HIRED PROFESSIONALS, I PAID APPLICATION FEES, I REVISED PLANS, I MET WITH ZONING OFFICIALS, I ATTENDED HEARINGS. AND I SPENT MORE THAN $10,000 JUST TO TRY AND BUILD A SIMPLE DETACHED GARAGE IN MY OWN BACKYARD. NOT AN APARTMENT, NOT A COMMERCIAL USE, NOT SOMETHING THAT CHANGES THE CHARACTER OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD. A GARAGE, NOT ONE THAT EVEN SITS ON THE STREET LINE, 200 FEET OFF THE ROAD BEFORE BEHIND MY HOME, BARELY VISIBLE, NOT INTRUSIVE, AND NOT HARMFUL TO ANYONE. AFTER DOING EVERYTHING THE RIGHT WAY, AFTER RESPECTING THE PROCESS AND RESPECTING THIS GOVERNING BODY, MY APPLICATION WAS DENIED AT THE EXACT SAME TIME. THIS TOWN IS MOVING FORWARD WITH REZONING PROTECTED FARMLAND, LAND WITH KNOWN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS TO BUILD HIGH DENSITY, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT MANY RESIDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE'RE BEING TOLD IT'S GOOD PLANNING, THAT IT'S NECESSARY AND THAT IT WON'T BURDEN THE TAXPAYERS. BUT FORGIVE ME IF I QUESTION THE CONSISTENCY. A HOMEOWNER WHO WANTS TO MODESTLY IMPROVE HIS PROPERTY AT HIS OWN EXPENSE GETS STONEWALLED AFTER A YEAR AND FIVE FIGURES IN COSTS. MEANWHILE, SWEEPING ZONING CHANGES THAT WILL PERMANENTLY ALTER OPEN SPACE, INCREASE INFRASTRUCTURE DEMANDS AND SURELY RAISE EVERYONE'S TAXES, MOVES FORWARD WITH URGENCY. HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WHAT MESSAGE DOES THAT SEND TO THE RESIDENTS WHO ALREADY LIVE HERE, WHO ALREADY PAY TAXES HERE AND WHO ALREADY INVEST HERE FOR YEARS? WE'VE BEEN TOLD SUSTAINABILITY IS A PRIORITY. PRESERVING LAND IS A PRIORITY. PROTECTING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES IS A PRIORITY. YET NOW PROTECT THE FARMLAND IS ON THE TABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT. WHILE A SMALL UNOBTRUSIVE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE ON A FULLY DEVELOPED RESIDENTIAL LOT IS TREATED LIKE A THREAT, THAT INCONSISTENCY IS WHAT UPSETS ME. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE GARAGE ANYMORE, IT'S ABOUT FAIRNESS. IT'S ABOUT PROPORTIONALITY AND IT'S ABOUT WHETHER ORDINARY RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT REASONABLE TREATMENT WHEN THEY FOLLOW THE RULES. I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. I RESPECTED THE SYSTEM, AND THE SYSTEM DID NOT RESPECT ME BACK. I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL TO REFLECT ON THAT BECAUSE WHEN RESIDENTS START TO FEEL LIKE THE RULES ONLY APPLY IN ONE DIRECTION, THE TRUST ERODES. AND ONCE THAT ERODES, IT'S VERY HARD TO REBUILD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR S SORRY, JIM. HE HAD [00:20:01] HIS HAND UP FIRST. BRIAN CARNES, TWO 16 CHURCH ROAD. I KNOW JASON, I'VE BEEN FOLLOWING WHAT HE'S BEEN TRYING TO DO. IT'S AMAZING THAT THE COUNCIL AND THE BOARDS, HOW FAR YOU GUYS BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR THE BUILDERS AND A RESIDENT LIKE HIM CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE. I WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING THAT JASON WENT THROUGH 10 YEARS AGO. LEMME GUESS THE PROFESSIONAL OVER HERE. DAN TAYLOR, DID HE GET A A CHUNK OF YOUR MONEY? JASON? HE GOT A BUNCH OF MY MONEY TOO IN 2016. HE DENIED IT. I DON'T KNOW IF HE DENIED YOUR GARAGE. IT'S AMAZING. 10 YEARS LATER, GUYS, HE ROBS ME BLIND AND HE'S SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW. HE'S THE GUY THAT DENIED US FOR OUR VARIANCE FOR THE TRUCKS AT THE FARM. IT'S A REAL PROBLEM HERE. LIKE JASON SAID, YOU ARE THROWING UP CITIES ON FARMLANDS. HE'S A CAR COLLECTOR. HE WANTS TO PARK A FEW OF HIS CARS IN HIS BACKYARD. HE SPENT OVER $10,000 FOR NOTHING. SO I HOPE COUNSEL PAYS ATTENTION TO THIS. AND THIS HAS BEEN PART OF THE PROBLEMS IS THE PROFESSIONALS HERE. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GET RID OF 'EM AND THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE STILL HITTING UP THE RESIDENCE. THEY PROBABLY KNEW HE WAS NEVER GONNA GET THAT GARAGE TO BEGIN WITH, BUT HEY, LET'S SET UP THAT ESCROW ACCOUNT. AND, AND THAT'S JUST REALLY UNFAIR. IT REALLY IS. AND MAYBE A COUNCIL CAN LOOK INTO WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO AND SEE IF YOU GUYS CAN'T COME UP TO SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT WHETHER HE'S GOTTA REDUCE THE SIZE OF A GARAGE. 'CAUSE HE DOES. HE HAS A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY AND HE'S BEEN TALKING ABOUT MOVING OUTTA THE STATE. I HOPE YOU DON'T IF YOU GET INVOLVED IN, INTO POLITICS HERE IN THE FUTURE. SO I WANTED TO CLARIFY A FEW OTHER THINGS TOO. SO SOMEBODY SLIPPED AND FELL ON, ON MAIN STREET. IT'S A GOOD RESIDENT. UM, THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME AND IT WAS A CROSSWALK THAT WAS BLOCKED OFF. UM, I THINK THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT NEEDS MORE SUPPORT FROM COUNCIL FINANCIALLY. I THINK THEY NEED A BETTER MANAGER ABOVE THEM. OKAY? I THINK A LOT OF MISTAKES WERE MADE THIS PAST WINTER. GUYS, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG FAILURE FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. IT JUST IS. AND IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT. I I DON'T KNOW ALL THE DETAILS. I KNOW YOUR MAN DAN HERE FIRED THE HEAD OF PUBLIC WORKS WITHOUT ANYBODY ON COUNCIL KNOWING. IS THAT TRUE? MIKE, DID YOU KNOW THAT HE WAS GONNA GET FIRED? YOU DIDN'T. YOU GOT A MANAGER DOING WHATEVER HE WANTS TO DO. SO YOU GUYS GOTTA REALLY HANDLE BUSINESS. YOU REALLY WANT THE CONFIDENCE OF THE COMMUNITY HERE. PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING TO WHAT HE'S SAYING AND, AND LET'S GET SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS FIXED. I CAN'T IMAGINE ROLLING INTO THIS DEVELOPMENT WITH THIS MANAGER HERE. IF YOU LOOK HIM UP IN PEMBERTON, HE WAS INVOLVED IN THE SAME THING, A BIG DEVELOPMENT AT MOUNT ARIES AND THE RESIDENTS FOUGHT BACK AND, UM, AND IT'S JUST CRAZY. THESE HERE NOW, NO OFFENSE DAN, BUT YOU WASTED A LOT OF OUR TIME LAST YEAR TOO. MY BROTHER'S TIME. AND YOU'RE SITTING HERE. IT'S MARCH MAN, MARCH 'EM OUTTA HERE. SERIOUSLY GUYS, I CAN'T IMAGINE DOING THIS LARGE DEVELOPMENT WITH SOMEBODY LIKE HERE, HERE, LIKE THIS GUY HERE. WAKE UP, FIX THESE PROBLEMS, GET SOME NEUTRAL PEOPLE IN HERE. DON'T STINK, OKAY? OR HAVE SERIOUS BAGGAGE FROM PEMBERTON AND, AND, AND LET'S ADDRESS YOUR PROFESSIONALS. YOU GUYS SHOULD TALK TO TAILOR DESIGN AND SAY, LISTEN, GO EASY. AND IF YOU THINK THE RESIDENT'S NEVER GONNA GET IT, DON'T TAKE THEIR MONEY OR DO A FLAT RATE FOR VARIANCES. IT'S REAL SIMPLE, MAN, BECAUSE THE LITTLE GUY CAN'T GET NOTHING DONE HERE. AND IT'S NOT THE STATE RULES, IT'S MEDFORD TOWNSHIP. IT'S, IT'S YOU GUYS THAT ARE BLOCKING IT BY, BY PUTTING THESE PROFESSIONALS IN THESE POSITIONS THAT RESIDENTS CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE ON THEIR PROPERTY. BUT ANYWAY, ON RECORD AT THAT LAST MEETING, DAN SAYS THAT IT'S UP TO THE COUNTY TO CLEAR THE CROSSWALKS AND THE SIDEWALKS ON MAIN STREET. YOU GUYS DON'T REALLY BELIEVE THAT, RIGHT? THE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAIN STREET AND THE BRIDGES, THEY DON'T GET OUT, THEY DON'T SHOVEL SNOW. THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T OPEN UP CROSSWALKS. SO WE'RE KIND OF NOW BLAMING THE COUNTY FOR SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN DONE HERE IN MEDFORD. I I'VE NEVER SEEN THE COUNTY WORKING IN LUMBERTON, HOPPING OUT OF THE TRUCKS AND OPENING UP THE SIDEWALKS OF THE CROSSWALKS. IT'S UP TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS. AND, AND SOMEBODY FELL THREE DAYS OR FOUR DAYS WAY AFTER THAT STORM. GUYS, I BELIEVE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE METAL NOW IN THEIR WRIST. THEY'RE A GOOD RESIDENT HERE. AND, AND, AND, AND THEY'RE NOT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE GETTING SUED OR IF WE'RE GETTING SUED OR NOT, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY, THERE'S NOTHING SKETCHY ABOUT THIS. THEY SLIPPED AND FELL. I SAW THE ICE. THERE'S PHOTOS UP, IT'S THREE DAYS AFTER. SO I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO LOOK AT BEEFING UP THE PUBLIC WORKS, GETTING THEM THE MANPOWER THAT THEY NEED, OKAY? SO WE CAN GET THINGS DONE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ALL KNOW THE TAXES ARE GOING UP. ALL THESE OTHER THINGS ARE CHANGING AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE SERVICERS ARE WORSE THAN THEY EVER BEEN. OKAY? THE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD, WHICH [00:25:01] I DON'T, I MEAN, I, I TEND TO BURN ALL MY STUFF ANYWAY, BUT LET'S JUST SAY I DIDN'T WHERE TO THE COUNTY WILL I NOW BE TAKING MY PRESSURE TREATED WOOD? DO YOU HAVE MORE QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO WELL, NO, IF I HAVE WOOD THAT I NEED TO DUMP THAT'S PRESSURE TREATED. WE'LL ANSWER THAT QUESTION. I'M JUST CURIOUS IF, IF YOU HAD MORE QUESTIONS THAT, BECAUSE YOUR TIME IS UP, RIGHT? NO, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT. WE'LL ANSWER THE PRESSURE TREATED QUESTION. THE COUNTY RESOURCE RECOVERY COMPLEX IN MANSFIELD. SO I GOTTA DRIVE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A WHOLE DAY INVOLVED IN THIS. SO THAT'S GOING TO THE DUMP. YOU'RE SAYING THESE SERVICES OVERLOAD, BUT YO, I COULD TAKE ALL MY STUFF TO THE DUMP IF I WANTED TO. SO THAT'S NOT REALLY, A LOT OF RESIDENTS GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. EVERYTHING'S PRESSURE TREATED AND YOU GUYS ARE JUST LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS. NO MORE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD. LET'S GIVE THIS GUY HALF DAYS ON FRIDAYS. I THINK YOU WANT A RAISE TOO. WAKE UP GUYS. THIS SHOULD BE BASED ON PERFORMANCE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. SCHIFFER. HI EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS JIM SCHIFFER AND I LIVE AT 2 0 9 TAUNTON BOULEVARD AND I'M HERE TO DISCUSS THE ONGOING PROBLEMS ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD. AND YOU KNOW, UM, IT, THANKFULLY IT'S NOT BASEBALL SEASON YET, SO I STILL HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON MY HANDS TO LOOK AT THIS STUFF. . AND I WAS GIVING THIS A LOT OF THOUGHT THE OTHER DAY, AND I, AND IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SPEEDING CONSISTENTLY ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD ARE PROBABLY SPEEDING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TOWNSHIP. THEY JUST DON'T SPEED DOWN THAT MILE STRETCHER ROAD AND SAY, NOW I THINK I'M GONNA OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT. SO FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO NOT INCREASE THEIR ENFORCEMENT OF THE LOCAL SPEED LIMITS AFFECTS EVERYONE IN THE TOWNSHIP. THIS IS NOT JUST A LAKE PINE ISSUE WHEN I DRIVE AROUND THIS TOWN. PEOPLE SPEEDING THROUGH THIS TOWNSHIP IS OUTRAGEOUS. AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, AND I ONLY HAVE NUMBERS FROM NOVEMBER BECAUSE I DECIDED TO GIVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT A BREAK BECAUSE OF ALL THE SNOW AND NOT ASK FOR A, A TICKETING REPORT FOR MANY MONTHS AFTER NOVEMBER. BUT I WILL BE ASKING FOR ONE IN MARCH AT THE END OF MARCH. SO IN ON TON BOULEVARD IN A MONTH, WE HAVE 300,000 PEOPLE ON THAT ROADWAY IN ONE MONTH. THE POLICE REPORT THAT SAYS THAT 6% OF THEM ARE ENFORCEABLE SPEEDERS, 6% OF 300,000 IS 18,000 ENFORCEABLE SPEEDERS A MONTH. IN NOVEMBER, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT GAVE OUT 11 SPEEDING TICKETS. OUT OF THOSE 18,000, WE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB. YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW LIVES ON PAULTON BOULEVARD. YEAH. SO WHERE'S OF RESPECT FOR HER SAFETY, MR. SCHIFFER QUALITY OF LIFE, IF YOU MAY ADDRESS THE CHAIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO ANYWAY, TWO QUESTIONS. WE'VE NEVER BEEN TOLD WHY CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES ARE NOT TICKETED ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD. NO ONE HAS EVER REPLIED TO THAT QUESTION. WE'VE NEVER SEEN A CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE TICKETED. THEY POUND UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD TO THE TUNE OF 164 A DAY ALL DAY. MIKE, YOU LIVE ON THAT ROAD, YOU LIVE ON TAUNTON ROAD, YOU HEAR THE SAME THING ALL DAY. 164 A DAY. AND A LOT OF THEM ARE, ARE GOING OVER 38 MILES AN HOUR, WHICH FOR SOME REASON THE ENFORCEABLE SPEED LIMIT USED TO BE 37 ON BOULEVARD. THE LAST REPORT I GOT FROM LAST JULY SUDDENLY INCREASED THAT ENFORCE SPEED, ENFORCEABLE SPEED LIMIT TO 40. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT. WHO RAISED THE FORCIBLE SPEED LIMIT FROM 37 TO 40 TO MAKE THE REPORTS LOOK BETTER IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S FAVOR. OKAY, UM, ONE MORE THING I HAVE HERE. I HAVE THREE LETTERS HERE FROM 1979 THAT A NEIGHBOR WAS CLEANING OUT SOME CLOSETS AND SHE CAME ACROSS THESE LETTERS, HONEST TO GOD. AND SHE SENT 'EM TO ME ASKING FOR THE COUNTY AND THE TOWNSHIP TO PUT WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD. THAT WAS 21 PLUS 26, 47 YEARS AGO. AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD. I'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR SIX YEARS. I'M GETTING EXHAUSTED. I'M TIRED OF IT. IT'S NOT GETTING ANY BETTER. WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOME ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD 10 OR 11 YEARS AGO, 11 YEARS AGO ALMOST, THERE WAS SIX, SEVEN, 6,000 CARS ON THAT ROAD A DAY. NOW WE'RE UP TO 10 TO 12,000 A DAY. AND IF WE COULD JUST GET THE TRUCKS TICKETED, THEY WOULD SLOW IT. THEY'D TELL, SAY THEIR FRIEND, THEIR OTHER TRUCK DRIVING FRIENDS, HEY, I GOT A TICKET. I LOST MY, I LOST MY LICENSE TO DRIVE A TRUCK. NOW ON TAUNTON [00:30:01] BOULEVARD, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER SLOWING DOWN. I'VE BEEN BEGGING FOR THAT FOR YEARS. SO WE KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ACCORDING TO MR. RNOLD, SPENDS A LOT OR THAT HE QUOTED SOME TIMES ABOUT THE PERCENTAGES OF ENFORCEMENT THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SPENDS ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD. I DON'T CONSIDER DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AN ENFORCEABLE MEASURE. I DON'T CONSIDER SITTING ON THE ROADWAY IN PLAIN SIGHT, ENFORCEABLE. WE HAVE SIDE ROADS. WE, WE HAVE ALL OFFERED OUR DRIVEWAYS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SIT IN OUR DRIVEWAYS. I DRIVE THROUGH MEDFORD LAKES AND THE POLICE HIDE BEHIND TREES. AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT MEDFORD COPS CAN'T HIDE BEHIND TREES. I DON'T GET THAT AT ALL. I WAS DRIVING THROUGH FROM BETHLEHEM THE OTHER NIGHT AND THERE WAS A COP IN A, IN A, IN A BAR PARKING LOT AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, COMPLETELY DARK, SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PULLING PEOPLE OVER, HIDDEN BEHIND TREES. I DON'T KNOW WHY MEDFORD TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT CAN'T DO THE SAME THING. THIS HAS GOTTA STOP. YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA MISS BASEBALL GAMES BECAUSE I GOTTA COME HERE AND, AND PLEAD OUR CASE ANYMORE. THE SEASON'S GONNA START SOON AND I HAVE A SEASON TICKET PLAN AND I DON'T WANNA MISS GAMES COMING HERE TO SAY THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN, MR. SCH SCHIFFER, WE WILL DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO GET YOU TO THOSE GAMES. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UM, BEFORE I TAKE THE NEXT PERSON FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE HAS DONE AND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE. WE HAVE TWO RESOLUTIONS ON TONIGHT THAT WILL BE ADDRESSING THE MATTERS THAT MR. SCHIFFER BROUGHT UP. UM, ONE IS A BEACON THAT MR. HORNO HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE COUNTY TO GET APPROVAL. SO MEDFORD DOES NOT BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITY OR THE FULL COST OF THAT BEACON FOR CROSS SAFE, UH, SAFE CROSSING OF, FORGIVE ME LOCUST. UM, AND OUR SECOND RESOLUTION IS A REQUEST TO THE COUNTY FOR ALL THE MATTERS THAT MR. SCHIFFER JUST BROUGHT UP. WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS, UM, COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, SPEEDING, ALL THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED. UM, AND AS MR. SHIPPER SAID, I DO LIVE ON TAUNTON ROAD MYSELF. I HAPPEN TO ALSO OWN A COMPANY THAT HAS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. WE TRY NOT TO DRIVE ON TAUNTON ROAD BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE WILL BE STOPPED. UM, ONE OF MY DRIVERS WAS STOPPED LAST MEETING THE MORNING OF THE LAST MEETING. AND SO THEY ARE STOPPING COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ON YOUR ROAD. THEY'RE STOPPING MY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ON YOUR ROAD. UM, AND WE NORMALLY ARE JUST FROM, FROM ON A PERSON NOTE, I INTENTIONALLY ROUTE MY STOPS TO NOT DRIVE DOWN TAUNTON ROAD 'CAUSE IT'S MY ROAD AS WELL. UM, THIS WAS A OBSCURE STOP. A CLIENT NEEDED A SPECIAL DELIVERY AND THE DRIVER, UH, DISOBEYED THE ROUTING THAT WE GAVE HIM, BUT HE WAS STOPPED ON THAT ROAD AT 10:15 AM ON THE 17TH. HE HAD A FULL ROADSIDE, DOT HE PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS, THANK GOD. UM, BUT, UM, THERE IS ENFORCEMENT ON YOUR ROAD, ON OUR ROAD, I SHOULD SAY. UM, NOT ONLY BY THE LOCAL MEDFORD POLICE, BUT BY, THIS IS A STATE POLICE PATROL FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES AND DOT INSPECTIONS. SO, UM, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ADVANCE YOUR CAUSE. UM, AND YOU'RE BEING HEARD. THANK YOU. CAN I HAVE ONE SECOND JUST TO STATE IT? YOU CAN GIVE IT TO ME IF THAT WAS A FOX TRUCK. I'M TALKING DESTRUCTION VEHICLE. IT WAS A VERY LARGE, HEAVY TRUCK, SIR. AND, UM, AND HE WAS SCALED, HE WAS FULLY INSPECTED. THE DRIVER'S MEDICAL DOT WAS INSPECTED. UM, THEY DID EVERYTHING BUT A STRIP SEARCH ON HIM AND, AND WE PASS WITH FLYING COLORS. SO I'M VERY CONFIDENT IN THE WORK THAT THE METFORD POLICE DO TO KEEP US SAFE AS WELL AS THE, THE, UH, PARTNERSHIP THEY HAVE WITH THE STATE POLICE TO MONITOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ON OUR ROAD. THANK YOU, MARY. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MARY LUCAS, 2 0 7 TOTON BOULEVARD. UM, I'M FOLLOWING UP ON A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT JIM MENTIONED, UH, FOR THE EDIFICATION OF THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS. UH, WHEN WE WERE PRESENTING OUR INFORMATION LAST YEAR, THE STUDY WAS DONE TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR CAR STOPS AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT'S FORCED TO STOP AT 25. AND THE DIFFERENCE FROM THAT IS SIGNIFICANT. IT REALLY IS BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, THE POWER OF THE VEHICLE COMING TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP BECAUSE SOMEBODY STOPPED SHORT IN FRONT OF THEM. SO I WANNA POINT THAT OUT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF GOING FROM 30 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT IN LIFE SAVING. SO THAT, THAT'S NUMBER [00:35:01] ONE. NUMBER TWO, TO GO FROM 30 TO 25 COSTS NOTHING IS NO MONEY TO THE TOWNSHIP, NO MONEY TO THE COUNTY. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DONE, UH, TH 300,000 VEHICLES PER MONTH. UM, I THINK THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. HOW THE SPEEDS ARE ALLOCATED AND WHAT THE PERCENTILE AND ALL OF THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE 300,000 VEHICLES ON OUR ROAD EVERY SINGLE MONTH. AND THAT'S REALLY SIGNIFICANT. AND IT, THERE'S NO SIGNS OF THAT SLOWING DOWN. IF COMMERCE INCREASES IN ANY WAY, THAT NUMBER'S GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, INFLATED EVEN MORE. UH, HE, JIM WITNESSED COMING TO THE MEETING LAST WEEK OR LAST TWO WEEKS AGO. I COULDN'T GET OUTTA MY DRIVEWAY. HE WAS LEAVING. I WAS LEAVING THE TRAFFIC. HE LITERALLY HAD TO STOP TO LET ME OUT SO I COULD GO. AND IT'S LIKE THAT EVERY DAY. THE NOISE DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IS INCREDIBLE. I WOULD OFFER MY DRIVEWAY TO HAVE A POLICE OFFICER SIT THERE OVERNIGHT JUST TO HEAR AND SEE THE SPEED THAT THAT GOES ON, ON THAT STREET. SO I, FOR YOU NEW FOLKS TO KNOW THE SITUATION I THINK IS GONNA BE HELPFUL BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THE HELP OF, UH, CONGRESS. CONGRESS. WELL NOW YOU'RE IN CONGRESS. HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT? CONGRATULATIONS. I DON'T THINK YOUR HUSBAND KNEW THAT ONE. UM, FOR COUNCILMAN MILK AND ALSO MAYOR CIZIK FOR THEIR HELP HAS BEEN INVALUABLE. BUT I THINK HAVING, UH, THE ADDITIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW AND BE FULLY BRIEFED ON WHAT'S HAPPENING IS REALLY VERY HELPFUL. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING FROM 30 TO 25 AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS AND THAT'S OUR GOAL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. IF I MAY. SURE. JUST SO YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH JIM AND WE'RE SETTING UP A DATE, UM, ONE FOR ME TO HEAR IT, TWO, TO DISCUSS A FEW OTHER ITEMS, AND HE ALSO OFFERED TO TOTALLY GET ME UP TO DATE ON ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS, SO. GREAT. WELL, WE'RE AVAILABLE TO BRIEF. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. RAY HOFFMAN, 3 0 9 MEDFORD, MOUNT HOLLY ROAD, ABOUT A MILE UP FROM WHERE YOU'RE PROPOSING TO PUT IN 800 NEW HOUSES OR WHATEVER. BACK WHEN I WENT TO LENAPE A FEW YEARS AGO, THERE WAS ONE HIGH SCHOOL AND IT SERVED THE WHOLE DISTRICT AND NOW WE HAVE FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS. SO I'M FIGURING WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR TIMES AS MANY PEOPLE IN THE AREA ON ALL THE SAME ROADS THAT WERE HERE BACK THEN, EXCEPT NOW WE HAVE A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT ALMOST EVERY INTERSECTION. UM, WHERE I LIVE ON 5 41, I'VE WAITED AT OVER A MINUTE TRYING TO GET OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN THE MORNING TO GO TO WORK. AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANT ANY MORE TRAFFIC. I DON'T CARE IF IT'S HIGH INCOME, LOW INCOME, WHATEVER IT IS. I DON'T WANT ANY MORE HOUSES IN THIS AREA. THANK YOU, SIR. ANYONE ELSE? YES, MA'AM. HI EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY. EXCUSE ME. MY NAME IS ERICA PERONE, UH, TWO 18 TOLTON BOULEVARD. JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME NOTES, UM, WHAT MARY HAD SAID FOR THE NATURAL SPEED OF THE ROAD GOING FROM 30 TO 25, I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAD MENTIONED IN OUR PREVIOUS SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT GOING THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS OF PUTTING WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS ON THE ROAD, ENHANCING THE CROSSWALKS, AND GOING THROUGH THE NATURAL PROCESS TO SEE HOW THE NATURE OF THE ROADS SLOWLY DWINDLES, UM, ITSELF. WHILE WE'RE WAITING, WE'RE CAUGHT IN LIMBO BETWEEN US AND WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND COUNCILWOMAN BORHEES. WE APPRECIATE YOUR RECENT REACH OUT THAT YOU'VE HAD WITH JIM AND BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR US. BUT ONE THING THE TOWNSHIP CAN CONTROL IS WORKING WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE VIGILANT ON THE ROAD. AND WHILE THEY ARE HAVING TIME SPENT ON THE ROAD AND GIVING US A PORTION OF OVERSIGHT OF MEDFORD, WE ARE BEGGING AND PLEADING FOR THEM TO STRATEGICALLY PLEASE BE PLACED AREAS ON THE ROAD THAT ARE NOT IN PLAIN SIGHT TO WHETHER THAT'S ON ADJACENT ROADS, WHETHER THAT'S SITTING IN OUR, OUR, UM, DRIVEWAYS. I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, BUT THEY ARE GIVING US HOURS OF THEIR TIME AND WE'RE ASKING FOR THOSE [00:40:01] HOURS TO PLEASE BE EFFICIENT AND PLEASE BE WATCHFUL. AND HAVING AN INCREASE IN TICKETING OF THE VIOLATIONS THAT JIM HAS GONE OVER TIME AND TIME AGAIN CAN HELP OUR CAUSE. SO JUST SOME NOTES, WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORT, BUT ALSO PLEADING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO DO THEIR PORTION AS WELL. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NONE. MOTION TO CLOSE. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE MANAGER'S REPORT. [VIII. MANAGER’S REPORT] MR. HOEL. THANK YOU, MAYOR. UM, I HAVE ONE ITEM FORMALLY FOR COUNSEL TONIGHT AND HAS APPROVAL OF MR. MCELHANEY AS OUR NEW JUNIOR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER AT STATION 2 51. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO USE THIS TIME TO GIVE COUNSEL AN UPDATE ON SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS. UM, INFORMATION AT THE PUBLIC MAY NOT BE AWARE OF ON ACCOUNT OF WHAT WAS PROBABLY OUR HEAVIEST ACCUMULATION IN 30 YEARS. UM, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO 62 DOWN TREES DURING THE SNOWSTORM, MOST OF WHICH WERE 18 INCHES IN DIAMETER OR GREATER. THAT'S IN ADDITION TO ALL THE DOWN POWER LINES. AND A FEW PEOPLE THAT CONTACTED ME AFTER THE STORM HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT IF THERE'S A DOWN POWER LINE, IT'S LIVE. WE CAN'T DRIVE OVER IT, WE HAVE TO COMPLETELY REROUTE. AND CERTAINLY WITH THESE 62 DOWN TREES, MOST OF THEM WERE BLOCKING EITHER THE ENTIRE ROAD OR A LANE. SO THAT DIVERTED OUR PUBLIC WORK STAFF TO GET OUT OF THE TRUCKS, TO GET THEIR CHAINSAWS TO CUT, PUSH, MOVE, PULL, WHATEVER THEY HAD TO DO. THEY HAD TO GET THESE TREES OUT OF THE WAY IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PLOW SNOW. ADDITIONALLY, OUR FIRE AND ES EMS DEPARTMENT WAS HELPING OUT, THEY WERE HELPING OUT WITH BOTH THE DOWN WIRE CALLS AND THE DOWN TREE CALLS. WE HAD, UH, 2300 POWER OUTAGES, MOST OF WHICH WERE IN ATLANTIC CITY ELECTRIC TERRITORY. PROMPTING OUR DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND EMS TO OPEN UP A RECEPTION CENTER FOR A COUPLE DAYS LAST WEEK TO ENABLE RESIDENTS THAT LOST POWER TO COME IN AND CHARGE THEIR CELL PHONES, GET ICE AND WATER IN. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY ALSO RESPONDED TO MULTIPLE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS THAT WERE, THAT OCCURRED DURING THE STORM, AGAIN, MAKING MORE DETOURS FOR PUBLIC WORKS THAT'S PLOWING IT AND FIRE ALARM CALLS THAT WENT OFF, INCLUDING, UM, A FIRE THAT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT AFTER THE FACT. CHIEF DOVEY HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO COMPILE OUR, UM, EXPENSES TO THE STORM. IT'S OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN SUBMIT TO, UH, NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT. IF ENOUGH TOWNS, COUNTIES SUBMIT ANY, MEET THE THRESHOLD, WE CAN GET REIMBURSED, UH, A GOOD CHUNK OR POSSIBLY ALL OF OUR EXPENSES FOR SNOW REMOVAL OPERATIONS. THAT'S MY REPORT. THANK YOU, SIR. UM, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MENTION, I, I'LL DO IT PUBLICLY HERE, BUT I KNOW THERE WAS CHALLENGES AT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, THE, THE NIGHT OF THE STORM AS WELL. SO, UM, WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES DID FOR THOSE EVENINGS AND THOSE NIGHTS AND, UM, UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS WAS REALLY EXTRAORDINARY. SO I DO WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE. UM, AND I DO KNOW THAT THE METFORD BOARD OF ED DID PUT IN AS WELL FOR FEMA REIMBURSEMENT. SO, UM, THE MORE TOWNS AND, AND GOVERNING BODIES THAT DO THAT, THE, THE BETTER LIKELIHOOD WE HAVE OF BEING REIMBURSED. AND WE ALSO HAD A GREAT RESPONSE FROM OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS AS WELL. OUR VOLUNTEER, UH, FIRE AND EMS PEOPLE WERE OUT HELPING OUT AS WELL. YEAH. RECOGNIZING THE MAGNITUDE OF THE EVENT. YEAH. UH, YOU KNOW, BEING STAFFED AHEAD OF TIME FOR THESE, FOR THESE, UM, SITUATIONS WAS, UH, GREATLY APPRECIATED. UM, WE DO, UM, HAVE TO PROPERLY, UH, VOICE, VOICE AFFIRM. YEP. VOICE VOTE. UH, MR. MCELHANNEY. MCELHANNEY. YEP. YEP. I, I DO WANT TO SAY, UH, TO CHIEF DOVEY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO, TO THIS YOUNG MAN'S SERVICE. UM, WE GET TO SEE, UM, KIND OF A BIO OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT VOLUNTEER, AND I FIND IT EXTRAORDINARY THAT THIS YOUNG MAN USED HIS, UH, LEPE REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL EMAIL. SO, UM, JUST TO THINK THAT, UM, UM, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE NOT ONLY PART OF OUR COMMUNITY BUT GOING, JUST GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY, THEY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOLUNTEER FOR US IN OUR TIME OF NEED. SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF VOLUNTEERS, UM, FOR WHAT THEY DO, AND I WILL ASK FOR AN ALL IN FAVOR FOR APPROVAL. AYE. A AYE AYE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU MR. PLE. MR. WICKER [IX. CLERK’S REPORT] [00:45:02] CLERK'S REPORT? YEAH. CLERK'S RECORD. YES. UM, SO RIGHT HAVE THE APPROVAL FOR BINGO BASKET 50 50 FOR ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH ON APRIL 24TH. UM, WE HAVE A BASKET WRAP FOR THE LIONS CLUB ON MEDFORD LAKES ON MAY 2ND. MURPHY'S MARKET BASKET 50 50 FOR NATION FOR EDUCATION EXCELLENCE ON MAY 11TH AT THE MEDFORD VILLAGE COUNTRY CLUB. UM, A BAG RAFFLE FOR BROADWAY BOUND PLAYERS AT 11 BENNINGTON DRIVE AND A SOCIAL AFFAIR PERMIT FOR FRIENDS OF BURLINGTON COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER ON APRIL 18TH, UM, AT 86. SO THEY WERE OFF IN PENN STATE APPROVAL. I ALL IN FAVOR? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. A AYE. ALRIGHT. CLERK'S REPORT IS APPROVED. I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS. YOU DIDN'T SEE ST. MARY'S ON THERE. I CALLED 'EM UP. THEY'RE STILL OPEN, SO, OH YEAH. THEY USUALLY, IT'S USUALLY ON EVERY BINGO, RLE, THEY'RE HERE. SO, UM, ALRIGHT. BILL'S LIST. [X. BILL LIST] FEBRUARY 25TH, 2026 AND FEBRUARY 26TH. 2026. DO ANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE BILLS LIST? NO. OKAY. MAY HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SO, SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. BILLS LIST APPROVED. ALRIGHT, SO [XI. RESOLUTIONS] NOW WE HAVE, UM, A RESOLUTION SECTION. THESE WILL EACH BE READ INDIVIDUALLY. OUR FIRST WILL BE RESOLUTION 71 20 26, DETERMINING THAT THE PROPERTY IDENTIFIED ON THE OFFICIAL TAX MAP AS BLOCK 3 0 2 LOT 28.02 AND 39.03 QUALIFIES AS AN AREA NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT AND OR REHABILITATION UNDER THE LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING LAW. UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS RESOLUTION? HEARING NONE, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION? SAME MOVE I SECOND. OKAY. UH, MS. . MS. SANOR? YES. MR. COX? AYE. MS. MILL AYE. AND MAYOR BHE. AYE. MAYOR AYE, THIS RESOLUTION IS APPROVED AND NOW WE HAVE RESOLUTION 72 20 26. DETERMINING THAT THE PROPERTY IDENTIFIED ON THE OFFICIAL TAX MAP AS BLOCK 8 0 3 LOT 6.01 AND 6.02 QUALIFIES AS AN AREA NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT AND OR REHABILITATION UNDER LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING LAW. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL ON THIS RESOLUTION? OKAY. HEARING NONE, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION? SO I'LL SECOND. OKAY. MS. WICKER. MS. SANMAR? YES. MR. COX? AYE. MS. MILL? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR AYE. MAYOR CESAR AYE. OKAY. FOR OUR ORDINANCES [XII. ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION ] FOR INTRODUCTION, UM, AGAIN, WE WILL, UH, SEPARATE THIS SECTION UP A LITTLE BIT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF PUBLIC PRESENTATION. WE WILL START WITH ORDINANCE 2026 DASH FIVE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION MOVED? I, I'M SORRY, I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH FIVE AUTHORIZING THE CREATION OF TWO POSITIONS WITHIN THE TOWNSHIP WORKFORCE. OKAY, THANK YOU. UH, THIS ORDINANCE AUTHORIZED THE CREATION OF TWO NEW POSITIONS WITHIN THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP WORKFORCE. THE NEW POSITIONS OF DEPUTY CHIEF OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND AN AUTOMATION ENGINEER FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. AND UTILITIES HELP HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED TO OVERSEE SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE TOWN'S OPERATIONS. UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE SUBORDINATES? NO. MAYOR, I HAVE TWO COMMENTS. SURE. JUST BY MEANS OF CLARIFICATION TO THE PUBLIC, THE CREATION OF A DEPUTY FIRE AND EMS CHIEF POSITION WILL NOT EXPAND THE NUMBER OF PAID CAREER STAFF IN THE DEPARTMENT. SECOND, FOR THE AUTOMATION ENGINEER, WE ARE LOOKING TO, UH, THAT POSITION WOULD BE FUNDED ENTIRELY OUTTA THE UTILITIES BUDGET. AND TO GIVE COUNSEL SOME CONTEXT ON THE NEED FOR IT, WE SPENT $19,000 IN THE MONTHS OF NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER FOR THE CONTRACTED AUTOMATION ENGINEER AT $170 AN HOUR, WHICH CAME OUT TO ABOUT 112 HOURS OF SERVICE OVER NINE WEEKS. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S A BENEFIT OF CREATING THIS POSITION AND BRINGING IT IN-HOUSE TO HAVE SOMEBODY MAKING A LOT LESS THAN $170 AN HOUR. AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, TRAINING OUR OTHER UTILITY WORKERS ON HOW TO USE TECHNOLOGY AT THE PLANT AND AT THE, THE, UH, WATER SYSTEM WELLS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, SIR. ALRIGHT. [00:50:01] ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS PERTAINING TO THIS ORDINANCE? NO. OKAY. WE, I NEED A SECOND. OH, I'M SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. SECOND. DO YOU NEED A MOTION? SECOND? I, SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR. I'LL SECOND THAT. OKAY. OKAY. MS. SANMAR? AYE. MR. COX? AYE. MS. MILL, AYE. SECOND AYE. MAYOR? AYE. ALRIGHT. THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS WILL BE ON MARCH 17TH, 2026. AT THIS TIME, I WILL ASK THAT MR. TAYLOR PRESENT A COUNSEL IN THE PUBLIC, UM, THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR OUR FOURTH ROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING OBLIGATIONS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNSEL. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S BETTER. THANK YOU. UM, SO I'LL START, I, I, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS AND I KNOW NORMALLY FOR ORDINANCES THERE IS AN EXPLAN IS NOT EXPLANATION, IT'S JUST READ BY TITLE. UM, BUT AS WE DISCUSSED, WE THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO SORT OF GET SOME OF THE INFORMATION OUT, THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE DESIGN AND WORKING, UM, ON THESE SITES AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE SOME OF THAT, UH, TONIGHT, OPEN THAT UP FOR THE PUBLIC FOR SOME FEEDBACK, WHICH AGAIN, TYPICALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE PLANNING BOARD. REFERRAL FROM MASTER PLAN CONSISTENCY ON THE 12TH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY A PUBLIC HEARING ON MARCH 17TH. SO, BY WAY OF BACKGROUND, AS, AS MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS KNOW, THE SUPREME COURT IN NEW JERSEY IS HELD THAT ALL MUNICIPALITIES WITHIN THE STATE MUST FULFILL THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE FOR THE REGION'S FAIR SHARE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, NEEDS WITHIN THE STATE. THE OBLIGATIONS ARE QUANTIFIED AND ASSIGNED TO EACH MUNICIPALITY BY THE STATE. UH, MOST NOTABLY ON, ON MARCH 20TH, 2024, GOVERNOR MURPHY SIGNED, UH, SWEEPING LEGISLATION MODIFYING THE FAIR HOUSING ACT, UM, AND DIRECTING THE DCA, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TO ASSIGN EACH MUNICIPALITY ITS FOURTH ROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING OBLIGATION NUMBERS, AS YOU KNOW, THROUGH 2024 AND 2025, UH, COUNSEL, UH, ALONG WITH, UH, THE TOWNSHIP ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, AND MR. NOEL'S OFFICE PREPARED A HOUSING ELEMENT AND A FAIR SHARE PLAN TO ADDRESS THE TOWNSHIP'S PERSPECTIVE NEED OF 171 AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREDITS. UH, THAT, THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT. UH, THAT PLAN WAS ADOPTED ON JUNE 17TH, 2025, UH, TO MEET THE, UH, STATE'S DEADLINE. THAT PLAN WAS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED DECEMBER 18TH, 2025 BECAUSE ONE OF THE PROPERTIES THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN LISTED, THE LAFFERTY FARM WAS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO CONTRACTUAL ISSUES. SO THAT HAD TO BE WITHDRAWN. AND THE, THE RICK'S AUTO BODY SITE THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT THAT WAS JUST DECLARED AN AREA NEEDED REDEVELOPMENT, UH, WAS ADDED INTO THE PLAN AS A BACKUP SITE. SO THAT HOUSING ELEMENT, THAT HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN SELECTED THESE SITES. IT IDENTIFIED THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS THAT WOULD BE PROVIDED AT EACH ONE OF THESE SITES. IT ALSO PROVIDED FOR A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TOTAL UNITS AT EACH ONE OF THOSE SITES. THAT HOUSING ELEMENT, AGAIN, WAS ADOPTED BY THE TOWNSHIP. IT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE COURT, TO THE SPECIAL COURT ADJUDICATOR, AND TO THE FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER WAS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES. AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE REFLECTED IN BOTH A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND ALSO A CONSENT ORDER. PART OF THE REQUIREMENT OF THIS PROCESS IS THE TOWNSHIP IS REQUIRED TO DEVELOP ZONING MODIFICATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE REQUIRED AFFORDABLE HOUSING REZONING. THESE SITES FOR INCLUSIONARY HOUSING OR HIGHER DENSITY HOUSING WAS NEVER PART OF ANY OF MEDFORD'S MASTER PLANS DATING BACK FOR CLOSE TO 60 YEARS. NOW, THESE AREAS ARE, WERE RURAL IN NATURE. MEDFORD HAD ALWAYS ENVISIONED LOWER DENSITY HOUSING HERE AND FOR DECADES, THIS COUNCIL AND COUNCILS BEFORE IT WOULD STRIVE TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE CHARACTER OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND THE EXISTING CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY. ANY OF THESE SITES COULD HAVE BEEN REZONED TWO YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO, IF THIS OR ANY PRIOR COUNSEL SO SELECTED TO REZONE THEM THROUGH A MASTER PLAN PROCESS OR OTHERWISE. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR HANDS HAVE BEEN FORCED BY THE NUMBERS ASSIGNED TO US BY DCA TO MEET THAT COURT MANDATED AND CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION. THE PROCESS CAN BE DONE IN ONE OF TWO WAYS. SPOT ZONING, WHICH IS GENERALLY [00:55:01] NOT PERMITTED FOR A MUNICIPALITY TO DO, IS ALLOWED TO BE DONE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PURPOSES. AND THE COURTS HAVE FOUND AND SUPPORT THAT WHAT WE HAD RECOMMENDED AS WE WERE BROUGHT INTO THE PROCESS TO HELP THE IM IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS WAS GOING THE REDEVELOPMENT ROUTE. THE REDEVELOPMENT ROUTE ALLOWS US TO GET MUCH MORE SPECIFIC WITH REGARD TO THE ARCHITECTURE, THE BUFFERS, THE SPECIFICS OF LIGHTING, UM, AND ACTUALLY INCLUDING GRAPHICS, SOME OF WHICH ARE, ARE SHARED ON THE BOARD AND ARE INCLUDED IN ALL OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS. SO WE'RE HERE TONIGHT AND I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE ITEMS, UH, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS. I'M GONNA GO OVER FIRST SOME OF THE BACKGROUND AND SOME OF THE, WELL, I DID THE BACKGROUND, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT LONG. I WILL GO OVER SOME OF THE COMMON ELEMENTS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH ALL THREE OF THE PLANS, UH, INCLUDING SOME OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS. AND THEN I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT, UH, IN SPECIFICS. I WILL SAY THAT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS AND THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AT EACH ONE OF THESE SITES REMAINS EXACTLY CONSISTENT, AS WAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN IN BOTH OF THE PRIOR ADOPTED HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLANS, THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND THE CONSENT ORDER. SO THOSE NUMBERS REMAIN UNCHANGED. THESE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS REALLY FOCUS ON HOW DO WE BEST TRY TO MAKE THESE FIT WITHIN THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY AND BE AS FUNCTIONALLY AND VISUALLY, UM, COMPATIBLE WITH WITH OUR TOWN. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THOSE. ALL THREE OF THESE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED TO THIS EVENING DESIGNATED AREAS IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT. THE TRIALER SITE, WHICH IS KNOWN AS BLOCK 3 0 2 LOTS, 14 26, 27, AND 49 WAS ACTUALLY DESIGNATED AS A BACKUP SITE IN THE THIRD ROUND IN CASE ONE OF THE OTHER PROJECTS DIDN'T COME TO FRUITION. SO THAT WAS DONE, UH, RESOLUTION 95 DASH 2017. SO THAT REMAINS DESIGNATED. UH, THE IRON BRIDGE SITE AS IT'S NOW KNOWN, WHICH IS THE RICK'S AUTO BODY SITE IS BLOCK 8 0 3 LOTS, 6.01 AND 6.02. AND THE LANDINGS AT KIRBY'S MILL, AS IT'S NOW REFERENCED, WHICH IS THE EFS SITE, IS KNOWN AS BLOCK 3 0 2 LOTS, 28.02 AND 39.03. THAT PROPERTY IS LOCATED ON FOSTER TOWN ROAD ACROSS FROM LAUREL FIELD, UH, JUST SOUTH OF THE CEMETERY PROPERTY. UM, AS WE KNOW, ALL OF THESE SITES WERE DESIGNATED AS AREAS IN NEED OF REDEVELOPMENT WITHOUT CONDEMNATION UNDER THE LOCAL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING LAW. SO, AS SUCH, THE MUNICIPALITY HAS NO AUTHORITY, UH, TO UTILIZE ITS POWERS OF EMINENT DOMAIN INVOLVEMENT IN THESE PROCESS. IN, IN THIS REDEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS PURELY VOLUNTARY WITH ONE EXCEPTION. WE WERE MANDATED BY DCA AND THE COURTS FOR US TO ENTER INTO THIS PROCESS, MAINLY TO MEET OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OBLIGATION OF 171 UNITS FOR THE FOURTH ROUND. UM, I WILL ALSO SAY THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, UH, HAS BEEN ABBREVIATED, UH, BASED ON THE COURT IMPOSED DEADLINES. UH, SO THESE HAVE BEEN, UM, PREPARED TO MEET THOSE MANDATED DEADLINES OF THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HAVING A SPECIAL PLANNING BOARD MEETING FOR REFERRAL ON MARCH 12TH AND THEN HAVING A SECOND HEARING ON MARCH 17. SO UNDER THE STATUTE, UH, THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN WILL OFFICIALLY BECOME THE FORMAL ZONING DOCUMENT. THIS BECOMES A MINI ZONING ORDINANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE PROPERTIES. THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, ALL THREE OF THEM INCLUDE BY REFERENCE ARE LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE, CHAPTER DR. UM, IN LARGE PART, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PERMITTED USES, THE DENSITY, THE BULK STANDARDS, AND THE DESIGN AND THE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT ARE EXPRESSLY SET FORTH. MANY OF THOSE STANDARDS ARE MORE STRINGENT IN THE LAND, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS THAN THEY ARE WITHIN OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AS IT EXISTS. THAT WAS ONE OF THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT GOING THE REDEVELOPMENT ROUTE, WAS THAT SPECIFICITY AND TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS MINIMALLY UM, IMPACTFUL AS POSSIBLE. OBVIOUSLY THE VISION, UH, WHICH WE IDENTIFY IS TO CREATE A NEW RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY TO MEET THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS AS MANDATED BY THE COURTS, AND TO CREATE A FRAMEWORK FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WILL COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, HAVING PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY [01:00:01] WITHIN THOSE SITES AND INTO THE GREATER COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AS WE GET INTO, UM, SOME OF THE ELEMENTS AND SOME OF THE SPECIFIC PLANS, WE IDENTIFY SOME OF THE GOALS OF THE PRIOR MASTER PLANS, HOW THIS, UH, IS CONSISTENT WITH IT AND ADVANCES SOME OF THOSE GOALS. THE PRIMARY OF WHICH IS TO PROVIDE FOR A VARIETY OF HOUSING FOR DIFFERENT INCOME LEVELS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT OUR MASTER PLANS IN THE PAST OF 2014 AND 2017 HAVE PLE HAVE REPEATEDLY IDENTIFIED THE STANDARDS THAT ARE IN HERE. AS I SAID, THEY SUPERSEDE THE REGULATIONS. SO ANYTHING THAT IS IN HERE WOULD GOVERN WHERE THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS SILENT. WITH RESPECT TO A STANDARD, THE MUNICIPAL ORDINANCES WILL GOVERN, WHICH IS WHY IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A 300 PAGE DOCUMENT. WE'RE ABLE TO GENERATE A 40 TO 60 PAGE DOCUMENT TO ADDRESS THOSE, JUST THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE CHANGED IN OTHER RESPECTS, WE REFER BACK TO THOSE. WE ALSO REFER HEAVILY TO THE NEW JERSEY RESIDENTIAL SITE IMPROVEMENT STANDARDS, WHICH GOVERNS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CART, WEIGHS THE ROADWAYS, THE SIDEWALKS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THE LIKE, WHICH IS THE CASE FOR ANY OTHER RESIDENTIAL, UH, SUBDIVISION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND ANYWHERE ELSE WITHIN THE STATE. UM, PURSUANT TO THE MUNICIPAL LAND USE LAW, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS WILL STILL HAVE TO UNDERGO SITE PLAN AND SUBDIVISION APPROVAL BY THE PLANNING BOARD UNDER THE NORMAL COURSE OF ANY LAND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION LIKE ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BUILT IN MEDFORD. ALL THESE PROJECTS ARE ALSO SUBJECT TO SOIL EROSION, SEDIMENT CONTROL. UH, BURLINGTON COUNTY APPROVALS WERE APPLICABLE RELATIVE TO COUNTY ROADS, UH, AND ALL N-J-D-E-P RESTRICTIONS. THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS ARE BASED ON CONCEPT PLANS THAT ARE ENGINEERED, UH, TO A CERTAIN DEGREE. FINAL GRADING FINAL, UH, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT DESIGN HAS NOT BEEN DONE. ALL OF THE PLANS BEFORE THEY PROCEED TO A SITE PLAN OR SUBDIVISION HEARING BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD HAVE TO BE RESUBMITTED TO TOWNSHIP COUNCIL AS THE RE REDEVELOPMENT ENTITY FOR A DETERMINATION THAT THE GENERAL CONCEPT PLAN, THE ARCHITECTURE, AND ANY OF THOSE OTHER SITE FEATURES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN THIS PLAN ARE SUBSTANTIALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. IT'S QUITE LIKELY ONCE, UH, THE APPLICANT'S ENGINEERS GO THROUGH STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND GRADING, SOMETIMES ROADS MOVE 10, 15 FEET. SOMETIMES THE BASIN HAS TO SHIFT INTO A DIFFERENT AREA IF IT TRIGGERS VARIANCE RELIEF THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED AT THE TIME. WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANY THAT WOULD BE NEEDED AT THIS POINT. WE'VE REALLY TRIED, UH, TO WORK THROUGH THIS TO HAVE A PROJECT THAT REQUIRES NO VARIANCES AND MINIMAL DESIGN WAIVERS. BUT BECAUSE OF THE ABBREVIATED TIMEFRAMES IMPOSED BY THE STATE AND THE COURT, UM, WE'RE REALLY WORKING FROM A REFINED CONCEPT PLAN AND NOT A FULLY ENGINEERED SITE PLAN, WHICH WE IDEALLY WOULD'VE LIKED TO HAVE BEEN. AND THIS IS SOMETHING LITERALLY EVERY MUNICIPALITY IN THE STATE, UM, IS STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH. THEY'RE MAKE HAVING TO MAKE ZONING AND LAND USE DECISIONS THAT WERE NOT PART OF THEIR HISTORIC VISION FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, BUT THEY'RE HAVING TO MEET THE MANDATED NUMBERS. ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, PRIOR TO ANY SUBMISSION TO THE PLANNING BOARD, WE WROTE IN A REQUIREMENT THAT PRIOR TO ANY SUBMISSION, THAT THE REDEVELOPER MUST SUBMIT A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT EXAMINES THE FUTURE MUNICIPAL SERVICE COSTS THAT COULD BE EXPECTED TO RESULT FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AS OUTLINED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. AND THE ANALYSIS MUST PROVIDE A COMPARISON OF REVENUES TO COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACTS TO MUNICIPAL SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE LIKE. AGAIN, WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS WILL HAVE IMPACTS ON THE MUNICIPALITY FROM A REVENUE STANDPOINT. IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN UNFUNDED MANDATE THAT WE MUST COMPLY WITH AS EVERY OTHER MUNICIPALITY MUST. AND THERE WILL BE IMPLICATIONS, UM, LOCALLY, UH, ACCORDINGLY. THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN REQUIRES THERE TO BE A SUBMISSION OF THAT ANALYSIS THAT CAN THEN BE VETTED BY TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONALS AND STAFF SO THAT THE TOWN CAN, THE TOWN AND THE SCHOOLS, FRANKLY, CAN PREPARE ACCORDINGLY BASED ON DATA, UH, AS THESE PROJECTS ALL MOVE FORWARD. I'M SORRY TO ASK A QUESTION. WHAT IS THE TIMEFRAME FOR THAT ANALYSIS THAT WILL HAPPEN BEFORE ANY APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED [01:05:01] TO THE PLANNING BOARD? SO IT USUALLY TAKES A WHILE FOR THE ENGINEERING TO HAPPEN, THE FINAL ARCHITECTURE FOR THEM TO GET, UM, FINAL PLANS. BUT BEFORE THEY SUBMIT TO MOVE FORWARD FOR ANY, ANY ACTUAL APPROVALS, THAT DOCUMENT WILL HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED, UH, TO THE TOWN. THANK YOU. ALL OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS INCLUDE GENERAL CONCEPT PLANS AS IDENTIFIED ON THE BOARD. UM, IN THE SIDE OF THE ROOM THERE, WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER IMAGES THAT I'LL REFER TO, UH, IN THERE, BUT THEY'RE ALL INCLUDED IN EACH ONE OF THE SEPARATE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, UM, FOR THE RESERVE AT IRON BRIDGE OR THE RICK SITE UNDER THE PRINCIPAL PERMITTED USES. AGAIN, THESE ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CONCEPT PLANS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN. UM, WE WROTE ALL OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NUMBERS AS ABSOLUTE NUMBERS THAT THE PERMITTED USE IS AN INCLUSIONARY TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY CONSISTING OF NOT MORE THAN 287 UNITS, AND THAT CONSISTS OF UP TO 239 MARKET RATE TOWNHOUSE UNITS ON FEE. SIMPLE, LOTS UP TO, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS AND THAT NUMBER HAS TO MOVE DOWN, UH, TO 2 38 OR 2 37 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, IT'S STILL PERMITTED. THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NUMBERS ARE WRITTEN AS ABSOLUTES THAT IT WILL REQUIRE 48 AFFORDABLE RENTAL THREE BEDROOM STACKED TOWNHOUSE UNITS. SO EVEN IF THERE ARE MODIFICATIONS, THE TOWN'S COMPLIANCE WITH ITS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OBLIGATIONS IS SET FORTH IN THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. AND THE CONSENT ORDER WILL BE FULLY COMPLIED WITH, UM, UNDER THE LANDINGS AT KIRBY'S MILL, UH, WHICH IS THE EFS PROPERTY. THAT TOO, AS THE PRINCIPAL PERMITTED USE, IS AN INCLUSIONARY TOWNHOUSE COMMUNITY CONSISTING OF NOT MORE THAN 198 TOTAL UNITS BROKEN DOWN AS UP TO 158 MARKET RATE FOR SALE TOWNHOUSE UNITS ON FEE. SIMPLE LOTS. UM, THERE WAS ONE TYPO, WHICH I THINK I CIRCULATED AMONG COUNCIL, WHERE I HAD CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED THE NUMBERS IN TWO LOCATIONS AND I HIT AN EIGHT INSTEAD OF A ZERO IN ANOTHER. SO WE CAN, WE CAN CORRECT THOSE, BUT THE NUMBERS I'M REFERENCING NOW ARE CORRECT AND CONSISTENT WITH THE HOUSING ELEMENT 100 UP TO 158 MARKET RATE TOWNHOUSES AND 40 AFFORDABLE RENTAL, UH, STACKED TOWNHOUSE UNITS IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN, THERE WAS A CONTEMPLATION THAT THERE WOULD BE THREE SINGLE FAMILY LOTS, UH, FRONTING ON CHURCH ROAD AS PART OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, UM, THROUGH SIGNIFICANT, UH, URGING ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN. AND, UH, WE WERE WORKING TO TRY TO PRESERVE AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE. UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RECLASSIFICATION OF SOME ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS OUT ON THAT SITE, AND THE DEVELOPER HAS AGREED TO REMOVE THOSE THREE, UH, LOTS, AND THERE WILL BE NO INCREASE WITHIN THE REMAINING PORTION. SO THAT TOTAL LOT YIELD GOES FROM 201 UNITS DOWN TO 198 UNITS. SO THAT WOODED AREA THAT IS DIRECTLY ACROSS FOSTER TOWN FROM KIRBY'S MILL WILL BE PRESERVED AS COMMON OPEN SPACE TO BE MAINTAINED BY THAT FUTURE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION. AND FOR THE TINGER, UH, STONEBRIDGE REDEVELOPMENT AREA WITH THAT HAS FRONTAGE, UM, ON ROUTE 5 41 AND ALSO ON AND ALSO ON CHURCH. I'M GONNA TRY TO NOT POKE GREG IN THE EYE WITH THESE. THAT'S SHOWN ON THE FAR THAT IS THE BRIGHTEST LASER POINTER EVER. UH, ROUTE 5 41 IS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE. CHURCH ROAD IS TO THE BOTTOM. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS. THE OTHER TWO PROJECTS ARE INCLUSIONARY TOWNHOUSE PROJECTS ONLY. THIS ONE HAS AT THE TOP LEFT IN THE NORTHERN PORTION, THERE ARE 36 AGE RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE TWIN UNITS ON FEE SIMPLE LOTS. SO THEY WILL BE SENIOR TWIN ATTACHED UNITS ON FEE SIMPLE LOTS. THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT HAS ACCESS OFF OF CHURCH ROAD AND A SECONDARY ACCESS OFF OF ROUTE 5 41. AND THAT PART INCLUDES AN INCLUSIONARY TOWNHOUSE COMPONENT WITH 12 AFFORDABLE RENTAL, THREE BEDROOM STACKED TOWNHOUSE UNITS AND UP TO 113 MARKET RATE TOWNHOUSE UNITS ON FEE. SIMPLE LOTS. AND THEN UP AGAINST THE RAIL TRAIL, OR I'M SORRY, UP AGAINST THE, UH, LOT 27, WHICH IS THE FORMER RAIL RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY. UH, THERE WILL BE UP TO 139 MARKET [01:10:01] RATE FOR SALE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, UH, UNITS. AS WE ALL KNOW, LOT 27 IS THE OLD RAIL LINE, AND THAT EXTENDS, UH, JUST OVER NINE TENTHS OF A MILE FROM CHURCH ROAD UP TO REEB STATION ROAD. THAT'S PART OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AREA. UM, PART OF THE EARLIEST DISCUSSIONS, UM, INVOLVED THE CREATION OF A REGIONAL TRAIL THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY CONNECT INTO BURLINGTON COUNTY'S OCCUS CREEK GREENWAY TRAIL. THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN REQUIRES THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT 10 FOOT WIDE MULTI-USE BIKE PATH, UM, AND ALSO THE DEDICATION OF LOT 27 TO EITHER THE TOWNSHIP OR DIRECTLY TO BURLINGTON COUNTY AT THE DISCRETION OF THE TOWNSHIP. UH, BURLINGTON COUNTY IS UNDERTAKING FEASIBILITY STUDIES OF OVER 50 MILES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO TRY TO CREATE MULTI-USE TRAIL, UH, CONDUCTIVITY, UH, UP TO THE RCOS CREEK GREENWAY TRAIL, AND THROUGH SEVERAL AREAS DOWN INTO MEDFORD, MARLTON, AND THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THIS MULTI-USE TRAIL, WE KNOW THAT AS FLYING W GETS DEVELOPED AND WE HAVE OTHER, UH, DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING IN THIS AREA, WE HAVE BIKE LANES THAT WERE PART OF A MILLION DOLLAR TAP GRANT ALONG ROUTE 5 41 THAT GETS UP TO WILKINS STATION ROAD. WE HAVE, AGAIN, NINE TENTHS OF A MILE THAT'S BEING CONSTRUCTED HERE BY THE DEVELOPER WITH THE HOPES THAT ADULTS AND KIDS WILL BE ABLE TO RIDE THEIR BIKES FROM THIS AREA OF OUR COMMUNITY DOWN INTO THE DOWNTOWN, DOWN INTO THE SCOS ROAD CORRIDOR, UM, AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE BEING OFF ROAD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND WITHIN DESIGNATED BIKE LANES. IN, IN A SIMILAR VEIN, A ALONG ROUTE 5 41, I'M GONNA USE THIS CHURCH ROAD COMES KIND OF ALONG THE BOTTOM HERE. THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET BETWEEN THE EXISTING SITE, UH, THAT CROSSES DOWN BY AN AUTO REPAIR AND SOME OTHER USES, UH, THE TOWNSHIP REQUESTED AND THE RE DEVELOPERS AGREED, UM, TO CONSTRUCT A SIDEWALK DOWN TO THAT COMMERCIAL MODE WHERE THE WAWA AND DUNKING DONUTS ARE SO THAT THE RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA CAN PRO, CAN PROVIDE CONNECTIVITY, UM, FOR SAFE, UH, PEDESTRIAN PASSAGE DOWN TO THOSE NODES, WHICH WE EXPECT WILL BE, WILL BE OCCURRING LONG TERM. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY COULD BE MADE UP TO BENDY, UH, PARK FOR THE FUTURE, UM, TO BE MUCH SAFER. THAT'S A MUCH LONGER, MUCH, MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TASK. UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE CHIPPING AWAY AND MAKING GOOD PROGRESS ON MAKING SOME OF THOSE CONNECTIONS AS PART OF THAT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. EACH ONE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS HAS A LIST OF ACCESSORY USES THAT ARE PERMITTED, COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH ANY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UH, LIKE PARKING AND CLUSTER MAILBOX BOXES AND TRASH ENCLOSURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN THERE ARE SPECIFIC BULK TABLES THAT IDENTIFY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE SETBACKS TO UNITS FROM PERIMETERS. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED EARLIER ON WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST EICS WAS THAT THERE WILL BE PERIMETER ENHANCED BUFFERS OF AT LEAST 50 FEET SURROUNDING ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. AND WITHIN THOSE BUFFER AREAS, THERE WILL BE MEANDERING BERMS, FOUR TO SIX FEET IN HEIGHT WITH LAYERED MASSES OF EVERGREEN TREES, SIX TO EIGHT FEET IN HEIGHT. 25% OF THOSE TREES HAVE TO BE EIGHT TO 10 FEET IN HEIGHT, ALONG WITH ORNAMENTAL TREES, SHADE TREES, EVERGREEN SHRUBS, AND DECIDUOUS SHRUBS, UH, TO REALLY CREATE, UH, AN ENCLAVE FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT LIVE THERE, BUT ALSO TO MINIMIZE THE VISUAL IMPACTS FOR NEIGHBORS AND FOR THE MOTORING PUBLIC AROUND THESE PROPERTIES. UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WAS ADDRESSED IN TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE VISUAL IMPACTS OF THESE STRUCTURES, THE THIRD ROUND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITES WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE THREE STORIES AND UP TO 45 FEET IN HEIGHT. WE'VE TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS IN THIS PLAN. THE 45 FOOT HEIGHT HAS BEEN REDUCED DOWN TO 39 FEET IN HEIGHT. AND THERE WAS ALSO A LIMITATION PLACED THAT IN ANY AREAS OF THE SITE WHERE THERE ARE MORE THAN THREE FEET OF FILL, THAT THE CALCULATION OF BUILDING HEIGHT WILL BE BASED ON THE CALCULATION OF THE EXISTING GRADE. THIS WOULD ELIMINATE A CONDITION WHERE A DEVELOPER WOULD COME IN AND INTENTIONALLY FILL SIX EIGHT FEET OF CERTAIN AREAS OF THE SITE, AND THE HOMES WOULD THEN BE THAT MUCH HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE SURROUNDING GROUNDS AND THE SURROUNDING HOMES. UM, THIS IS PRETTY COMMONLY DONE IN THE BARRIER ISLAND COMMUNITIES AND A NUMBER OF OTHER COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE TO TRY TO REDUCE SOME OF THOSE VISUAL IN IMPACTS AND THE VISUAL MASS OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. [01:15:06] UM, IS MY FIVE MINUTES UP AND I BROUGHT MY, UM, YEAH, TYLER CAN TAKE OVER. I I BROUGHT MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT HENRY ALONG WITH ME. OH, HENRY. HENRY, SORRY. UM, A A NUMBER OF OTHER BULK, UH, REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE IN THERE, WE DO, AND THEY'RE IDENTIFIED ON THE DISPLAY BOARD THAT WE HAVE THERE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE, UH, BUFFER DESIGN IN HERE THAT SHOWS THAT CONCEPT WITH AN ENLARGEMENT AND THEN A CROSS SECTION THAT GENERALLY REPRESENTS WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FIELD, UM, SHOWING WHERE STREET TREES AND WALKWAYS ALONG THE ROADWAY WOULD BE THE HEIGHT OF THAT. AND THEN GENERALLY ABOUT HOW FAR THOSE BUILDINGS WOULD BE SET BACK, UM, IN SOME LOCATIONS DEPENDING ON WHERE THAT SECTION LINE IS TAKEN. BUT IT'S GENERALLY REPRESENTATIVE, UM, AND THE EXACT REQUIREMENTS AND DIMENSIONS ARE SET FORTH IN THE BULK STANDARDS TABLE IN EACH ONE OF THOSE PLANS. UM, WE'RE ALSO REQUIRING, UH, COMMUNITY AMENITIES AND OPEN SPACE AREAS FOR EACH ONE OF THESE COMMUNITIES. UH, FOR THE COMMON AREAS, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR AN 18 BY 18 SHADE PAVILION, CHILDREN'S PLAY AREA WITH FENCING, FENCES, UH, PICNIC TABLES, BENCHES, BIKE RACKS, GRILLS AND ACCENT PLANTINGS AND ADDITIONAL AMENITY AREAS. THE AFFORDABLE UNITS THEMSELVES DO NOT HAVE OUTSIDE PATIOS OR DECKS. SO EACH ONE OF THE AFFORDABLE BUILDINGS WILL HAVE ITS OWN 14 BY 14 SMALL SITTING PAVILION ALONG WITH PICNIC TABLES, BENCHES, GRILLS, ET CETERA, TO PROVIDE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF HOME RECREATION SORT OF OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE, UH, NEW NEIGHBORS OF OUR COMMUNITY. UH, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING CONSIDERATION OF FENCED DOG WALK AREAS AND PERHAPS SHARED NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN AREAS FOR VEGETABLE GARDENING WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE SPENT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, WORKING WITH THE PROSPECTIVE RE DEVELOPERS, ARCHITECTS, AND DESIGNERS TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A PALETTE OF DESIGN FEATURES AND COLORS THAT FITS AS BEST IT CAN WITHIN THE CHARACTER OF MEDFORD. WE'RE GOING FOR A LITTLE BIT OF A FARMHOUSE FEEL. THERE ARE A LOT OF, UH, SHED AND PENT DORMERS, A LOT OF BOARD AND BATTEN VERTICAL SIDING. UM, ALL OF THE TOWNHOUSE UNITS HAVE SIDE ENTRY PORCHES, WHICH INSTEAD OF HAVING COMPLETELY FLAT FACADES THAT REALLY TEND TO STICK OUT IN THE LANDSCAPE, THERE ARE SMALL WRAPAROUND PORCHES, SMALL ROOFED ENTRY AREAS TO ALLOW SIDE ACCESS. YOU ALSO SEE LESS DOORS FROM THE STREET. SO IT SORT OF DEEMPHASIZES THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN ALL OF THOSE BUILDINGS. WE'VE MADE GOOD PROGRESS ON THAT. ALL OF THE FLOOR PLANS AND ELEVATIONS THAT YOU SEE HERE ARE REPRESENTATIVE. THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN REQUIRES THAT WHAT IS SUBMITTED TO THE PLANNING BOARD BE SUBMITTED TO ALL OF YOU FOR CONSISTENCY. AGAIN, GENERAL CONSISTENCY WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. THAT INCLUDES ALL COLORS, ALL MATERIALS, THE CHANGES IN TEXTURE, THE ENHANCED WINDOW AND DOOR SURROUNDS THAT ARE WIDER THAN NORMAL, UM, TO TRY TO GET THIS TO FIT WITHIN THE LOCAL ARCHITECTURAL VERNACULAR, AGAIN, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE. UM, CONSIDERING THE UNIT TYPES UNDER DESIGN STANDARDS, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, ALL OF THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW JERSEY RESIDENTIAL SITE IMPROVEMENT STANDARDS. ALL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT HAS TO BE COM DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE CURRENT N-J-D-E-P STORMWATER MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS, UM, AND SHOULD INCORPORATE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE MEASURES AS REQUIRED BY REGULATIONS. THERE'S A REQUIREMENT IN HERE THAT ALL SOIL PIT, ALL SOIL LOGS AND PIT EXCAVATIONS AND PERMEABILITY AND PERCOLATION TESTS SHALL BE WITNESSED BY THE TOWNSHIP ENGINEER, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES AND STATE LAW TRYING TO HIT ON SOME OF THE LARGER ONES. ALL SIDEWALKS HAVE TO BE, AGAIN, DESIGNED WITH THE RSIS AND PROVIDED ALONG ALL STREETS FOR PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY AND ANY PUBLIC SIDEWALKS WITHIN RIGHTS OF WAY HAVE TO BE DESIGNED, UM, IN, IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UH, PRO WA, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES, UM, AGAIN, WHERE IT'S IN A RIGHT OF WAY. ALL THE UNITS THAT HAVE GARAGES ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THEIR TRASH AND RECYCLING WITHIN THOSE GARAGES. THOSE RECEPTACLE AREAS HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY CLEAR OF THE REQUIRED NINE BY 18 PARKING SPACES, UH, SO THEY CAN PROVIDE FOR THOSE WITHIN THE UNITS THEMSELVES. THAT MUST ALSO [01:20:01] BE REFLECTED IN THE HOA DOCUMENTS FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. THERE ARE GOING TO BE COMMON TRASH RECEPTACLES OR DUMPSTERS. UH, THERE IS A GRAPHIC IN THE DESIGN PLAN THERE IDENTIFIED ON THE BOARD THAT ACTUALLY SHOWS A SIX FOOT HIGH STRUCTURE. IT HAS A MASONRY WATER TABLE AND SIDING THAT ACTUALLY MATCHES THE STRUCTURES OF THE BUILDING. SO IT REALLY FITS WITHIN THE CHARACTER OF EACH ONE OF THESE COMMUNITIES AS IT'S BUILT, AGAIN TO MINIMIZE THE VISUAL IMPACTS. UH, BUT COVERED BICYCLE PARKING IS REQUIRED FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. ALSO, WE HAVE A GRAPHIC OF THAT. IT'S BASICALLY A THREE-SIDED LOAFING SHED OR ALMOST A SMALL SHEEP, UH, OR DONKEY SHED, WHICH FITS SORT OF WITHIN THE AGRICULTURAL CONTEXT OF THE COMMUNITY AND COLORS THAT COMPLIMENT THE REST OF THE ARCHITECTURE ON SITE. SO PARTICULARLY THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING IN THE AFFORDABLE UNITS HAVE COVERED BICYCLE STORAGE FOR THE MARKET RATE UNITS. THEY ALL HAVE GARAGES, SO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO STORE BIKES WITHIN THE GARAGES. UM, THERE'S A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF BUILDING DESIGN STANDARDS. I THINK THEY'RE REFLECTED IN THE GRAPHICS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF ARTICULATION AND MOVEMENT. THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR BUILDING SETBACKS OF EVERY OF TWO FEET FOR EVERY UNIT FOR MARKET RATE AND EVERY TWO UNITS FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS. SO WE DON'T HAVE THESE BLANK FACADES THAT LOOK LIKE BARRACKS. IT CREATES SHADOW. IT BREAKS UP THE VISUAL MASS OF THOSE STRUCTURES. THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS FOR ROOF PITCH FOR A MINIMUM AVERAGE OF FIVE ON 12, WHICH IS A MORE TRADITIONAL ROOF FORM. UM, THERE ALSO HAVE HAS TO BE, UH, ARTICULATION OF THE ROOF LINE. SO WE DON'T HAVE ONE CONTINUOUS RIDGE EITHER. THERE IS MOVEMENT OF, UM, THE FACADES BACK AND FORTH. AND THEN ALSO VERTICAL ARTICULATION ALONG THAT RIDGE LINE. UH, THERE WILL BE TWO SETS OF FACADES OF THE, THE FACADES THAT ARE AROUND THE PERIMETERS OF THE SITE ARE GONNA GET A HIGHLY VISIBLE TREATMENT, UM, WHERE IT'S MORE CRITICAL AND MORE VISIBLE TO THE SURROUNDING ROADWAYS AND SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITIES. UH, THERE WILL BE A SECOND SET OF GUIDELINES INTERNAL TO THE SITE, UM, THAT WILL BE SLIGHTLY LESS, UM, LESS DETAILED. ALL OF THOSE ARE IDENTIFIED ON THE PLAN OF WHERE THOSE HIGH-VIS FACADES WILL BE. I THINK I TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THOSE. UM, THERE'S REQUIREMENTS AGAIN THAT, UH, THE HOA DOCUMENTS FOR ALL OF THESE, UM, WILL REQUIRE THAT WHERE THE GARAGE PARKING SPACES ARE COUNTED TOWARD THE RSIS PARKING REQUIREMENTS, THAT THERE'LL BE A DEED RESTRICTION THAT GARAGES MAY NOT BE CONVERTED INTO STORAGE LIVING SPACE OR ANY OTHER SPACE OTHER THAN PARKING. SO IT CAN ALWAYS BE, UM, AVAILABLE FOR RESIDENT USE FOR PARKING. SO WE DON'T HAVE A PROLIFERATION OF, UM, UH, TOO MUCH PARKING DEMAND AND PEOPLE NEED PARK ILLEGALLY THROUGHOUT THERE. ALL THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES IS REGULATED BY THE NEW JERSEY RESIDENTIAL SITE IMPROVEMENT STANDARDS, AND THE SITE WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THOSE STANDARDS WHEN THEY COME IN FOR SITE PLAN APPROVAL. UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, NO OTHER LIVING SPACE OFFICE DEN BASEMENT OR OTHER BUILDING AREA MAY BE CONVERTED TO AN ADDITIONAL BEDROOM TO THE EXTENT THAT THOSE AREAS WERE INCLUDED IN THEIR RSIS CALCULATIONS. THE RSIS HAS, UH, ESTABLISHES PARKING REQUIREMENTS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS LOGICALLY. SO WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS SOMEONE COMES IN, OR ANY PROJECT COMES IN FOR FOUR BEDROOM UNITS AND TWO OTHER SPACES GET CONVERTED. NOW, THERE'S A SIX BEDROOM UNIT, UM, WHICH WOULD HAVE INCREASED PARKING DEMAND, WHICH WAS NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL APPROVAL. SO WHATEVER IS PRESENTED AT THE TIME OF PLANNING BOARD APPROVAL FOR THE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES, UH, THERE WILL BE RESTRICTIONS AGAINST FUTURE EXPANSION, UH, BEYOND THAT BECAUSE IT COULD CREATE A NONCONFORMITY WITH RESPECT TO PARKING, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS. EVEN FOR THINGS LIKE THE GARAGE DOORS. ALL THE GARAGE DOORS WILL HAVE WINDOWS. THEY WILL HAVE FAUX PULL HANDLES AND HINGES, UM, AND WILL NOT ALL BE WHITE. WE HAVE A LOT OF TWO CAR GARAGES, AND THE, THE WHITE GARAGE DOORS BECOME VERY STARK IN THE LANDSCAPE. SO THEY WILL ALSO BE A WARM, THE THE OVERALL SCHEME IS SORT OF A, A BARK GRAY, MUTED, WARM EARTH TONE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE ARCHITECTURE. THE GARAGE DOORS [01:25:01] THEMSELVES WILL ALSO BE IN THAT COLOR FAMILY, PRESUMABLY LIGHTER TO A DEGREE AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE EXHIBITS, BUT TRYING TO CUT DOWN ON SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT FITS IN A MORE RURAL AGRICULTURAL AREA. UM, THAT ALSO GOES FOR FENCES IF THERE ARE FENCES AROUND BASINS. UH, THEY ALSO ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN A WARM, MUTED EARTH TONE, EITHER THROUGH PRESSURE TREATED LUMBER, UH, OR THROUGH VINYL IN A SIMULATED WARM, MUTED EARTH TONE AS WELL. THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL THE UNITS FOR THE STORAGE OF PERSONAL ITEMS AT 250 CUBIC FEET PER MARKET RATE, UNIT 125 FEET PER AFFORDABLE UNIT. UH, THERE ARE ALSO REQUIREMENTS FOR DECKS AND PATIOS TO BE WITH ALL OF THE UNITS THAT HAVE A REAR DOOR OR ACCESS TO THEM. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE AFFORDABLE STACKED UNITS DO NOT HAVE DIRECT ACCESS THROUGH THE REAR TO THE OUTDOORS. SO EACH ONE OF THOSE AREAS WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE ITS OWN 14 BY 14 SITTING PAVILION WITH PICNIC TABLES, BENCHES, ROWS, ET CETERA. UM, ALSO ALL YARD FENCES THAT ARE INCLUDED AND PERMITTED WITH ANY OF THE HOUSING TYPES HAVE TO BE LIMITED TO ONE OR TWO COMPLIMENTARY STYLES THAT WILL BE DETERMINED AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN APPROVAL. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE IS, IS A SITUATION WHERE ONE RESIDENT HAS A BRIGHT WHITE SIX FOOT HIGH STOCKADE, THE NEXT UNIT HAS A, UM, PAINTED DARK GREEN FENCE. AND THEN YOU START TO HAVE THIS, UH, PATCHWORK OF FENCING, PARTICULARLY WHERE THERE, THERE ARE REVERSE FRONTAGE CONDITIONS WITH SOME OF THE BUILDINGS. SO TRYING TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF VARIATION WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT STYLES IN THERE, BUT HAVE SOME, UH, HAVE IT ALL BE VISUALLY HARMONIOUS WITH THE REST OF THE, UH, DESIGN OF THE SITES. AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BUFFER REQUIREMENT WE HAVE. UM, UNDER THE LANDSCAPE SECTION REQUIREMENTS, THERE'S AN OVERALL OBJECTIVE TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF NATIVE AND NATURALIZED VEGETATION FOR VISUAL PURPOSES. ALSO TO REDUCE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, UH, THROUGH UNNECESSARY FERTILIZER, UM, AND ALSO TO CREATE POTENTIAL HABITAT FOR FORAGING CRITTERS AS WELL. IN TERMS OF THE BUFFERS, WE HAVE A WRITTEN STANDARD IN THERE THAT FOR EVERY 100 LINEAR FEET OF BUFFER, THERE WILL BE A MINIMUM OF EIGHT, UH, EVERGREEN TREES AT A HEIGHT OF SIX TO EIGHT FEET. AND 25% OF THOSE HAVE TO BE EIGHT TO 10 FEET IN HEIGHT. UH, THERE WILL BE TWO SHADE TREES, A TWO AND A HALF INCH CALIPER, THREE ORNAMENTAL TREES, 25 SHRUBS, AND 15, UH, 25 EVERGREEN SHRUBS AND 15 DECIDUOUS SHRUBS. UH, SO WE DO HAVE THAT SORT OF LAYERED LANDSCAPE. A LOT OF THE EVERGREEN TREES SHADE OUT THERE, LOWER LIMBS, AND IN TIME YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE DIRECTLY UNDER, AND THE THING THAT YOU WERE PRIMARILY TRYING TO SCREEN BECOMES VISIBLE. SO HAVING A LAYERED LANDSCAPE BUFFER IN THERE THAT IS FACED WITH SOME EVERGREEN SHRUBS AS THEY MATURE AND SOME OF THOSE LOWER LIMBS THAT THE EVERGREENS DIE BACK, YOU HAVE A CONSTANT, UM, BUFFER THROUGHOUT THOSE AREAS. UM, ALSO RECOMMENDING THERE ARE A LOT OF AGRICULTURAL, UM, WETLANDS ON SOME OF THESE SITES THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO BE DEVELOPED. UM, SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN FALLOW. WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT THEY BE OVERSEDATED WITH NATIVE GRASS AND WILDFLOWER SPECIES AND ALSO SOME SAPLING AND TUBING PLANTINGS TO TRY TO CREATE SOME VALUABLE HABITAT THAT WILL ALSO HELP WITH WATER QUALITY, WITH A SHADE THE WATER. UM, IT HELPS FOR REDUCING, UH, NITROGEN LOADING WITHIN STREAMS. IT ALSO CAN REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE OF RUNOFF INTO THOSE STREAMS AND HELP THAT WE'VE HAD SUCCESS. DEP HAS ALWAYS BEEN FAVORABLE TO ALLOWING THAT TYPE OF RESTORATION TO HAVE HAPPEN, UM, IN THE NATURAL NATURAL COURSE OF THEIR, UH, PERMIT PROCESS. SO WE'VE INCLUDED THAT IN AS A REQUIREMENT AS WELL TO THE EXTENT THAT SAME IS PERMITTED BY N-J-D-E-P IN TERMS OF LIGHTING. UM, ALL OF THE LIGHTING THAT WILL BE USED FOR COMMON AREAS IS REQUIRED TO BE FULL CUTOFF OR DARK SKY COMPLIANT, WHERE THE LIGHT SOURCE ITSELF DOESN'T EMIT ANY LIGHT DIRECTLY SIDEWAYS OR ABOVE 90 DEGREES. SO THIS CREATES LESS SKYWARD GLARE, GREATER ABILITY TO STILL SEE STARS, LESS OFFSITE GLARE. THERE'S ALSO A LIMITATION THAT NO FOOT CANDLES, 0.0 FOOT CANDLES CAN LEAD THE SITE ONTO ANY ADJACENT RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, AGAIN, TO TRY TO MINIMIZE THOSE VISUAL IMPACTS. ALSO, THE CORRELATED COLOR TEMPERATURE OF ALL OF THOSE LIGHTS WILL BE 3000 DEGREES MAX. THAT IS MORE OF A WARMER, SOFTER, [01:30:01] IT IS NOT THAT BRIGHT BLUISH WHITE THAT YOU SEE IN SOME, UM, CAR HEADLIGHTS OR CITIZENS BANK PARK, WHICH IS PROBABLY 5,000 DEGREES KELVIN, OR OPERATING ROOMS, WHICH CAN BE 6,000 DEGREES. THAT WHICH IS A SUPER BRIGHT WHITE, THEY'RE A MORE RURAL AREA. IT'S APPROPRIATE TO HAVE 2,700 OR 3000. IT'S A MUCH SOFTER LIGHT, NO REDUCTION IN VISUAL ACUITY WITH THAT CHANGE IN COLOR, BUT IT HAS MORE OF A SUNSET TYPE HUE THAN IT DOES MIDDLE OF THE DAY. AND THEN THERE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS AT THE END OF EACH ONE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS. SO THAT IS, THAT IS MY BRIEF SUMMARY. I CAN GO INTO ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFICALLY ON ANY OF THE SITES. SURE. MR. TONER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, IF YOU SURE. ALL THAT. THAT WAS ONE BREATH. YEAH. . UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE PUBLIC, UM, AS MR. TAYLOR HAS MENTIONED BEFORE IN PUBLIC, SO I FEEL COMFORTABLE SAYING THIS, THAT MR. TAYLOR'S ALSO A RESIDENT OF THIS TOWN. UM, HE'S SERVED THIS TOWN, UM, NOT ONLY AS A PLANNER, BUT AS A, AS AN ADVOCATE RESIDENT FOR THE THINGS THAT WE ALL VALUE, UH, MR. HOFFMAN. SORRY, DID I, IS IT MR. HOFFMAN? YEAH. AS, AS HE HAD MENTIONED, UM, NO, NO ONE IS LOOKING TO HAVE THESE HOMES BUILT ON OUR FARMS. BUT I BELIEVE THROUGH THE WORK THAT MR. TAYLOR HAS DONE, I I PRE I THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ENERGY YOU PUT INTO IT. UM, WE HEAR ABOUT SOME OF IT. UM, THE REPORT WAS PHENOMENAL. UM, AND I, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO. OKAY. UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, AS WE HAD MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE MEETING, WE RESERVE THIS TIME NOW FOR A SPECIAL PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION DEDICATED TO SPECIFICALLY THESE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS. UM, AS I'M SURE MANY OF YOU WERE HERE TO DO, UM, I DO WANNA MAKE MENTION OF, IN ADDITION TO WHAT I WOULD CALL AESTHETIC OR PLANNING EFFORTS PUT FORTH BY MR. TAYLOR AND THE TEAM TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT TO THE CHARM OF MEDFORD. UM, THERE'S BEEN SEVERAL THINGS THAT I THINK DO BRING VALUE TO OUR, TO THE OTHER RESIDENTS, UM, OF WHICH APPROXIMATELY 10% OR MORE OF THE OVERALL NUMBER OF MARKET RATE UNITS FOR OF EXISTING OBLIGATION HAS BEEN REDUCED THROUGH THE EFFORTS PUT FORTH BY THIS COUNCIL AND OUR PROFESSIONALS. UM, WE, AS MR. TAYLOR MENTIONED, UH, DON'T QUOTE ME EXACTLY, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES OF LAND ADJACENT TO KIRBY'S MILL, UM, IS, WOULD BE PRESERVED. UM, SO THAT VISTA THAT WE ARE ALL USED TO SEEING OF HERS MILL WITH THE WOODED LOT THAT WILL, THAT WILL STAY INTACT. UM, UM, THESE ARE, THESE ARE VERY HARD, UM, CHALLENGES THAT WE MUST FACE, BUT WITH THE COURT MANDATED OBLIGATION THAT WE HAVE, I, I DO FEEL THAT, THAT THIS, THAT THESE THREE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS NOT ONLY SATISFY THAT OBLIGATION, BUT DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN TO PRESERVE THE TRAUMA. ME, UM, I DID WANT TO DO, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD AS FAR AS FURTHER BENEFIT TO THE TOWN IN REFERENCES TO THE TOWN? PROBABLY NOT. UM, I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE THAT COUNCILMAN COX AND I ARE DOING ARE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE FOR ROUND FOUR. AND ON TOP OF IT, WE WILL BE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR ROUND FIVE. WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIT TILL ROUND FIVE NUMBERS COME. WE'RE GONNA START LOOKING INTO THINGS. NOW. UM, WE WERE ON THE, BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH PROJECT FREEDOM, A FEW OTHER GROUPS. SO PLEASE KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW IS OF THE MOST IMPORTANCE, IT CAN'T BE THE ONLY THING WE LOOK AT BECAUSE THE NEXT ROUND IS COMING. IT'S ONLY 10 YEARS AWAY. AND IF THE COUNCIL MAYBE EIGHT YEARS AGO HAD CONSIDERED DOING MORE, WE MIGHT NOT BE AT THE NUMBERS WE'RE AT. SO PLEASE KNOW THAT THAT GROUP IS MEETING. AND AS I TOLD, UM, MARYANNE ON FACEBOOK, ODDLY ENOUGH, WE WILL START PUTTING THE INFORMATION FROM THAT SUBCOMMITTEE OUT ON FACEBOOK TOO, SO THAT PEOPLE, UM, CAN KNOW WHAT WE'VE REVIEWED, WHAT THOUGHTS HAVE BEEN GONE ON. AND THAT IS TWO COUNCIL FOLKS AND THREE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. SO, AT THIS TIME, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO OUR SPECIAL PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. I YOU WILL DEFINITELY GO FIRST. UM, I ASK THE SAME RULES, APPLY FIVE MINUTES, MR. HORNER, WOULD YOU KEEP THE TIME? AND COUNSEL WILL ALLOW AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE TO ALLOW THE SPEAKER TO GET THROUGH THEIR FINAL THOUGHTS. MA'AM? HI, MY NAME'S MARY JANE MICHAELS. I LIVE AT 2 81 CHURCH ROAD. [01:35:01] UM, I WAS HOPING THAT THERE WOULD BE ENGINEERED PLANS HERE BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED MOSTLY ABOUT THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE, UH, AND I APOLOGIZE, I'M KIND OF COMING LATE TO THIS. UH, SECOND ONE, THE GENTLEMAN SAID, UH, 30 YEARS AGO, I CAME BEFORE THE COUNCIL TO, UH, BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON MY HOU UH, ON MY PROPERTY. BUT WHAT I HAD TO DO BEFORE I COULD DO THAT WAS SEND NOTIFICATIONS TO ALL THE RESIDENTS. I WAS NOT NOTIFIED. UM, THIS IS A DOUBLE STANDARD. I LIVE 30 FEET FROM THIS PROPERTY AND I'M JUST FINDING OUT ABOUT IT. SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT HAVE THE DOUBLE STANDARDS. UM, I HAVE BEEN THERE THROUGH THE FLOOD OF 2004. I HAVE WATCHED THE WATER RUSH DOWN MY STREET. THERE ARE NO STORM WATER MANAGEMENT ANYTHING. THERE'S NOT AN INLET OR A PIPE TO CONTAIN STORM WATER ON CHURCH ROAD. ALL THAT WOODER YOURTOWN ROAD IS HERE. THE DAM AND KIRBY'S MILL IS HERE. THAT WATERER CAME DOWN LIKE A RIVER. IT, UH, THE FISH WERE DUMPING OVER THE DAM. THAT DAM. ARE WE PUTTING MONEY ASIDE TO RE FIX THIS DAM? UM, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF ALL THIS CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT GOING OVER THIS DAM WHEN THE, I THINK IT WAS AN, UH, ICE SKATING RINK WAS BOUGHT, BUILT ON, ORIGINALLY ON FOSTER TOWN ROAD. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS NOW, BUT THERE WAS A RESTRICTION FROM NO TRUCKS DRIVING ON CHURCH ROAD BECAUSE IT'S THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF CURBSIDE HAD TO BE PROTECTED. 'CAUSE IT'S A FEDERALLY, UH, HISTORIC SITE. SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TO STOP ALL THIS TRAFFIC FROM AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT FROM DAMAGING BOTH THE DAM AND KIRBY'S MILL'S FOUNDATION? IT WAS DETERMINED BACK THEN THAT BUILDING, THAT ONE BUILDING WAS GOING TO DAMAGE THAT HISTORICAL BUILDING. AND THERE WAS A, UH, A STRICT ORDINANCE PUT IN PLACE THAT NOBODY COULD ENTER FOSTER TOWN ROAD FROM CHURCH ROAD. SO NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TRAFFIC COMING, YOU KNOW, HEAVY EQUIPMENT OVER OUR DAM, WHICH FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS HAVING SOME STRUCTURAL ISSUES OF ITS OWN AND NEXT TO A HISTORICAL SITE THAT IT WAS ALREADY DEEMED TO BE THAT WAS GONNA GET DAMAGED FROM HEAVY EQUIPMENT THAT'S ON RECORD SOMEWHERE. SO I DON'T WANNA BE UNDERWATER. I DON'T WANNA FLOOD AGAIN. MY HOUSE WAS BUILT ON A THOUSAND YEAR FLOODPLAIN AND I HAD THREE FEET OF WATER INSIDE MY HOUSE. MY NEIGHBORS WERE RESCUED OFF THEIR ROOF BECAUSE THEIR HOUSES WERE UNDERWATER. NOW WHAT IS THIS GOING TO DO TO BE IN MY NEIGHBORS? I LIVE ON A LAKE. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I, I'M AT A THOUSAND YEARS I WANTED TO, I I DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN IN FOR ANOTHER THOUSAND YEARS. UM, I SAW IT ONCE. I DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT AGAIN. AND I WAS HOPING THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE SOME STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PLANS HERE. THAT'S WHY I CAME. 'CAUSE I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE DONE FOR ALL THIS IMPER IMPERVIOUS SURFACE RUNOFF YOU CAN ANSWER. SO, UM, SO I, I CAN ANSWER A, A COUPLE PARTS OF THAT. UH, SO THE FIRST IS FOR A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN LIKE THIS. THERE IS NO PROPOSAL. THERE ARE NO ENGINEERING PLANS YET, RIGHT? THERE IS AN ENGINEERED LAYOUT PLAN WHEN I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE PROJECT PROJECTS WILL HAVE TO COME BEFORE THE PLANNING BOARD, THERE WILL WILL BE PUBLIC NOTICE SENT OUT TO ALL OWNERS OF PROPERTY WITHIN 200 FEET OF THAT PROPERTY. SO ALL THAT WOULD BE NICE. ALL THOSE OWNERS WILL HAVE THAT. AND WHEN THAT APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED, THERE WILL BE FULL STORM WATER MANAGEMENT DESIGNS AND CALCULATIONS. UM, THAT WILL BE REVIEWED BY MR. NOEL'S OFFICE FOR STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THE NEW JERSEY DEP REGULATIONS. UH, THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS. I WILL SAY NEW JERSEY HAS JUST HAS ONE OF THE MOST STRINGENT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, UM, REQUIREMENTS IN THE NATION. AND THEY'VE JUST DRAMATICALLY INCREASED THEIR RAINFALL PROJECTIONS OUT TO YEAR 2100 I BELIEVE CHRIS. YES. UM, SO THE INTENT OF THAT IS THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY INCREASE IN RUNOFF [01:40:01] ONTO ADJACENT PROPERTIES, WHICH IS WHY WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS MORE DETENTION BASINS ON THESE SITES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE N-J-D-E-P REGULATIONS. THEY'LL BE REVIEWED BY MR. NOEL'S OFFICE AND ALSO AS PART OF THEIR N-J-D-E-P PERMITTING, THEY WILL BE REVIEWED BY DEP AS WELL. ALRIGHT. AND AND WHAT ABOUT THE DAN AND THE COUNTY ENGINEER'S OFFICE? WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT. IF THERE ARE ANY RESTRICTIONS, THE APPLICANTS WILL HAVE TO, IN THE COURSE OF THEIR, THEIR SITE PLAN APPROVAL, UM, PROVIDE TRAFFIC STUDIES AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING TESTIMONY AND SEE WILL DAN SAFETY BE BROUGHT IN WITH, TO GET THEIR OPINION. THAT'S SOMETHING, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL MAKE A NOTE OF AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THE TOWNSHIP ENGINEER'S OFFICE. THERE'S NO TRAFFIC THAT GOES UNDER THE DAM DAM SEPARATE FROM THE ROAD. OH, OKAY. SO THE GOING OVER THE DAMAGE TO THE ROAD OVER THE BRIDGE, IT'S COUNTY BRIDGE. IT'S COUNTY ROADS, COUNTY BRIDGE. THE DAMAGE DOWNSTREAM OF THE BRIDGE. YES, I KNOW. IT'S RIGHT THERE. YES, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE. I KNOW, I KNOW. YES, YOU AND I WATCHED THE FISH GOING OVER THE ROAD. UM, THEN I WORRY ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE ROAD THAT IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE DAM WITHIN. THOSE ARE ALL SITE VAN ISSUES. SO SHOW UP WILL BE I WILL DO. AND AGAIN, UH, I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT KIRBYS MILL. UM, IT'S A HISTORICAL SITE. IF IT WAS DEEMED THAT IT WAS, UH, GONNA BE DAMAGED STRUCTURALLY BY THAT ONE LITTLE BUILDING THAT WAS GOING IN, UH, OBVIOUSLY WASN'T A CONCERN AT ONE TIME. MAYBE WE NEED TO DO ANOTHER EVALUATION OF THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF, OF THAT FOUNDATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE HAVE ONE HAND IN THE BACK. UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UH, JUSTIN HARDY, UH, CHRISTOPHER MILL ROAD. UH, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS, UH, TO PRESERVE THE CHARM OF THE TOWN. ALL THE DETAIL THAT'S GONE INTO EVERYTHING. AND I DO WANNA APOLOGIZE UPFRONT IF ANYTHING THAT I DISCUSSED IS ALREADY IN MOTION AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT. UH, RAISING THREE KIDS HERE KEEPS 'EM PRETTY BUSY. UM, I GREW UP MEDFORD LAKES, UH, IN SURROUNDING TOWN. BOUNCED AROUND THE MARINE CORPS FOR A WHILE AND THEN IT WAS THE OBVIOUS CHOICE, UH, TO COME BACK AND RAISE OUR GROWING FAMILY HERE. UH, BOUGHT OUR, UH, OUR HOME IN 2020. UNFORTUNATELY, SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE LOW INCOME HOUSING OR DEVELOPMENT OR WHATEVER, UH, WAS PLACED ON MILL STREET. UH, WE HAD, UH, THE COVID CONSIDERATIONS FOR THESE MEETINGS AT THAT TIME. SO A LITTLE WEIRD, BUT RAISED MY CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC AND JUST OVERALL INFRASTRUCTURE. UM, WANTED MY KIDS TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY SIMILAR THINGS THAT I DID GROWING UP IN THIS AREA. UH, BEING ABLE TO BIKE TO DOWNTOWN MEDFORD OR JUST SAFELY BIKE AROUND THE TOWN. UH, AND I WAS TOLD THEN NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. UH, AND WHILE I DON'T HAVE ANY STUDIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF ME, UM, I HAVE A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE TO WHAT EVERYONE HAS MENTIONED HERE, UH, THAT IT CAN TAKE LIKE NUMEROUS MINUTES AND IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS COMING OUTTA AL TO EITHER GO INTO HIM LINE, UH, OR ONTO TO TAUTING BECAUSE OF HOW CRAZY THE TRAFFIC HAS GOTTEN. UH, SO THIS BRINGS ME TO THESE KNOW, THESE NEW LOW INCOME HOUSING UNITS THAT I'VE BEEN LOOSELY FOLLOWING. SO AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE IF ANYTHING IS REDUNDANT. UM, AND MY QUESTIONS ARE, UH, IS THERE A SIMULTANEOUS TIMELINE, MILESTONES AND OVERALL PLAN DOWNWARD TO US RESIDENTS THAT ADDRESS THE THINGS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP HERE, UM, IN RELATION TO INFRASTRUCTURE SCHOOLING THAT IS TREATED WITH THE SAME URGENCY AS THE UPWARD STATE REQUIREMENTS? I CONTINUE TO HEAR ABOUT THE UPWARD PRESSURE, TO WHICH I SOMEWHAT UNDERSTAND, UH, BUT NOT REALLY FEELING THE SAME SORT OF URGENCY TO THESE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP. UH, WHILE I DO SINCERELY, I REALLY DO. I'M NOT BEING FUNNY, APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION TOWARDS THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT PLANS, LAND RECOMMENDATIONS, HOW TALL THE APARTMENTS ARE GONNA BE, WHAT COLOR THE GARAGE DOORS ARE. I CARE ALL ABOUT THAT STUFF. UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE THE GREATER PRIORITY SHOULD BE ON HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS FROM A SUSTAINED DAY-TO-DAY PERSPECTIVE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS. SO IF WE MANDATED, UH, MODELING FOR THE ANTICIPATED NUMBER OF RESIDENTS ACROSS THE POTENTIAL OPTIONS BEING EXPLORED, UH, ESTIMATED NUMBER OF NEW RESIDENTS, NEW STUDENTS VEHICLES IMPACT THE TAXES, STRESS TO INFRASTRUCTURE, ET CETERA. UH, PUTTING IT PLAINLY, DESIGNING A REDEVELOPMENT AREA, IN MY OPINION, IS A FRACTION OF THE OVERALL PROBLEM NEEDING TO BE SOLVED HERE AND ADDRESSED. UH, AND WHILE I'M 100% [01:45:01] AGAINST THIS MANDATE, BUT IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE CONVERSATION, I THINK WHAT'S SUSTAINED LIFE IN MEDFORD LOOKS LIKE IF IT WERE TO OCCUR SHOULD BE THE MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION. AND MY LAST POINT, WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR, MY TAXES ARE GONNA GO UP ANYWAY. MIGHT BE WORTH A POLL. RAISE 'EM AND USE THE MONEY TO FIGHT THIS. FAIRLY CONFIDENT THE RESIDENTS WOULD DO IT TOO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU MR. MR. HARDY. UM, WE WOULD LIKE, UH, WE'RE YOU, THAT WOULD BE, WE'RE GONNA ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. OH, COOL. COOL. YOUR QUESTIONS. AND, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MOVING BACK TO MEDFORD AND RAISING YOUR CHILDREN HERE. THANK YOU. UM, TO ANSWER ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS, SO ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS, 'CAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THE COUNCIL HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT EARLY ON, AND AGAIN, WITH AN UNFUNDED MANDATE THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE REQUIRED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, THAT THERE BE A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS THAT EXAMINES THE FUTURE, MUNICIPAL COSTS EXPECTED TO RESULT FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AS OUT OUTLINED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. SO THAT ACTUALLY WILL CALCULATE THE POPULATION, THE SCHOOL AGE POPULATIONS, LOOK AT WHAT THOSE IMPACTS WILL BE FROM A TIMING STANDPOINT THROUGH THE COMMUNITY. UM, AND A COMPARISON OF THE REVENUE, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND THE IMPACTS TO MUNICIPAL SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE LIKE. SO THAT IS IN PROGRESS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTED, UH, TO THE TOWNSHIP BEFORE THE APPLICATION IS MADE TO THE PLANNING BOARD. MM-HMM . SO THE TOWNSHIP CAN REALLY START TO PLAN THE BEST IT CAN, UM, TO TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE YEAH. UH, AS POSSIBLE. AWESOME. THANK YOU. YEAH, I KNOW NO SIMPLE MARINE HERE, BUT UH, THINGS ARE A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR ME IF I LIKE THAT STARTS TO MAKE MORE SENSE TO ME WHEN I UNDERSTAND THE OTHER IMPACTS. AND WHILE I GET, LIKE, WE CAN'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE, OR EVEN IF THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA GET PASSED, THERE COULD BE DIFFERENT ESTIMATES AND MODELS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT AS A TOWN AND ASSESS THE IMPACTS FOR. SO THANK YEAH. AND ALL OF THOSE ESTIMATES WILL BASE BE BASED ON THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS THAT ARE PERMITTED FOR EACH ONE OF THESE SITES. THAT NUMBER COULD DROP DOWN AT SOME OF THEM BASED ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS OR OTHER ENGINEERING CONCERNS. BUT THAT WILL BE BASED ON THOSE MAXIMUM UNIT NUMBERS OF MARKET RATE UNITS AND THE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT WERE IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN. AND THEN AGAIN, REFLECTED IN EACH ONE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS. AWESOME. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. UM, AND IF I MAY, MR. TAYLOR, UM, WE HAD, WE WERE IN ALMOST CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. 'CAUSE THIS IS PROBABLY THE, THEY'LL BEAR THE BIGGEST WEIGHT OF THIS. UM, AND I, I KNOW I'M GONNA SCREW IT UP, BUT THERE'S A RUTGERS CALCULATION FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE GENERATED FROM A PARTICULAR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. UM, BASED OFF THE CONDITIONS OF THOSE, OF THAT RUTGERS NUMBER. WE KNOW THAT THOSE NUMBERS WERE, WERE WAY OFF FOR THE THIRD ROUND. SO WE ACTUALLY HAD ASKED MR. TAYLOR TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD BASED OFF EXISTING DEVELOPMENTS THAT WERE BUILT THAT OF LAKE STRUCTURE, THAT THE SCHOOL IS PREPARED FOR THE ACT, A MORE ACCURATE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WILL COME IN. WE BOTH HAVE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL, UH, SO DOES MS. COUNCILWOMAN MILK. UM, AND WE UNDERSTAND GREATLY HOW, HOW IMPACTED OUR SCHOOLS WERE. AND I JUST DO WANT, DO RECOGNIZE COUNCILWOMAN SIN WERE FOR BEING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR 30 YEARS. SHE DEALT WITH THIS, UM, FIRSTHAND. UM, SO WE UNDERSTAND GREATLY THE IMPACT THAT THIS WILL HAVE ON OUR SCHOOLS. AND WE WANT TO DO THE BEST WE CAN TO HELP THE SCHOOLS IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. AWESOME. YEAH. THANK YOU. AS THE MOM OF A MARINE, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU. YOU GUYS ARE NEVER SIMPLE. SIMPLIFY, NEVER . THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. TOM LYONS, 22 MELVILLE COURT. EXCUSE ME. UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN FOR RICK'S AUTO BODY HAD 300 FOOT SETBACKS FROM THE BROOKSIDE DEVELOPMENT, UM, HAD ABOVE GROUND FIRMS. THEY DON'T APPEAR IN THE CURRENT, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, I'M NOT AN ARCHITECT. THEY DON'T APPEAR, APPEAR IN THE CURRENT MAP. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT PLEASE? AND YEAH, WE, WE CAN. UM, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROCESS, THAT WAS ONE OF OUR FIRST DIRECTIVES IS WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO MEET THE NUMBERS THAT WERE SET FORTH IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND THE DIRECTIVES EVERYWHERE WERE MINIMUM 50 FOOT BUFFER AND ENHANCED BUFFER OF A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET MEET TWO TO 300 FEET FROM THE EXISTING BROOKSIDE RESIDENCE IN THAT AREA. UM, IN THE INTERIM, THE DEP UH, HAS IDENTIFIED THAT THE ATLANTIC STURGEON AND THE SHORT NOSE STURGEON ARE ENDANGERED AND THE RIPARIAN ZONE BUFFERS ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF THOSE WATERS, UM, THAT FLOW INTO THE OCCUS CREEK OR THE DELAWARE RIVER NOW HAVE GREATLY ENHANCED, UM, BUFFERS [01:50:01] FROM THOSE WATERWAYS TO PROTECT IT. WHAT ENDED UP HAVING TO HAPPEN IS TO ACHIEVE THE SAME UNIT YIELD TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND THE CONSENT ORDER FROM THE COURT. THOSE, THERE'S A LITTLE SWALE THAT RUNS THROUGH, IT'S A LITTLE FARM DITCH THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THAT SAME BUFFER. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TWO PLANS, THE BUFFER INCREASED THREEFOLD ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT. SO INSTEAD OF THERE BEING A MUCH LARGER BUFFER ADJACENT TO THE BROOKSIDE RESIDENCE, THERE IS GONNA BE A VERY WIDE, I FORGET THE DISTANCE, 150 FEET DIRECTIONS, THREE, 300. IT'S 150 FEET IN EACH SIDE. RIGHT, I SAW THAT. SO WE NOW HAVE A 300 FOOT BUFFER AROUND THE WEAPONS ALONG THAT FARM DITCH THAT RUNS THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE SITE, WHICH, WHICH HAD TO BE ACCOMMODATED FROM THAT. THERE IS STILL GONNA BE A BURNED 50 FOOT WIDE BUFFER WITH THAT ENHANCED BUFFER WITH A LAYERED EVERGREENS ALONG THAT PROPERTY LINE. AND THOSE WERE ALL . WILL THAT BE, UH, CROSSED BY THAT WETLANDS TOO? THAT WETLANDS AREA THERE IN BETWEEN? SO DEP WILL GENERALLY NOT PERMIT THE FILLING FOR THE CREATION OF BERMS WITHIN WETLANDS? NO, JUST PAST IT. THERE'S A WETLANDS AREA AND THEN THERE'S A, THERE'S A 50 FOOT SPACE. IF I COULD SHOW YOU THIS MATT SHARE RIGHT HERE. FIVE 50. YEAH. SO ANY, AND IT'S WRITTEN IN ANY OF THE AREAS WHERE THERE ARE NOT, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL RESTRICTIONS, THERE WILL BE THE FOUR, FOUR TO SIX FOOT HIGH, UH, BERM WITH PLANTINGS THROUGH THAT. OKAY. DEP UM, GENERALLY WILL NOT PERMIT FILLING WITHIN THE WETLANDS OR TRANSITION AREAS. AND IN THOSE AREAS, THERE WILL BE ENHANCED EVERGREEN PLANTINGS. DEB HAS, UM, ESPECIALLY FOR DISTURBED AGRICULTURAL WETLANDS, WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THEM PERMITTING, UH, THE PLANTING OF NATIVE EVERGREEN TREES, UH, FOR THE PURPOSES OF RESTORATION. OKAY. SO THEY MIGHT PLANT AREAS, BUT I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, IS LIKE, SO WHY CAN'T YOU, THIS, THIS DEVELOPMENT IS REALLY CROWDED. I MEAN, THERE'S OTHER DEVELOPMENTS YOU'RE BUILDING TOO. YOU'RE, YOU'RE PILING A LOT. THERE'S 15 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PONDS ON THIS DEVELOPMENT. I MEAN, THAT'S A LOT OF MOSQUITOES. UM, YOU'RE GONNA, THAT YOU'RE REALLY DENSELY PACKING THIS IN. NOW YOU'VE TAKEN A BIG SWATH OF IT, A FOOTBALL FIELD BASICALLY OUT THE MIDDLE OF WIDE 300 FEET. YOU DO, DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE DENSITY DOWN HERE? WELL, AS, AS I, AS I MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT, THE, THE DIFFICULT PART WITH THAT IS WE HAVE AN ADOPTED HOUSING ELEMENT IN FAIR SHARE PLAN AND A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND A CONSENT ORDER FROM THE COURT THAT SAYS ON THIS SITE WE'LL PROVIDE 48 AFFORDABLE RENTAL UNITS AND A TOTAL OF 287 UNITS. BUT WE DON'T, BUT, BUT DO YOU REALLY NEED TO ADD 287 TO GET 40? BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A FUNCTION. WHAT'S 42? YOU SAID 47, 47 TIMES FOUR IS LESS THAN 200. UM, SO THE ANSWER IS ALL OF THE CALCULATIONS AND THE BONUS CREDITS WERE SET FORTH IN THE, THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN AND AGAIN, REFLECTED IN THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND THE CONSENT ORDER. SO THE, THE PHASE WE'RE AT NOW IS THE, THE IMPLEMENTATION TO CARRY THOSE NUMBERS THROUGH. AND I DON'T KNOW, I WOULD DEFER TO MR. MCGUFFIN, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND REVISIT TOTAL YIELDS. AND JUST, IF I COUNT ONE LAST THING, THAT WHOLE BUFFER ADJACENT TO THERE, IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THERE ARE ANY WETLANDS OR TRANSITION AREAS ALONG THAT ENTIRE LENGTH. SO I BELIEVE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONTINUOUS BERM, UM, IN THOSE CONCEPT PLANS. IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT LITTLE SORT OF FIGURE EIGHTS, THAT WAS THE ENGINEER'S SORT OF GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF WHAT THE BERMS WOULD LOOK LIKE. OKAY. SO THERE AREN'T ACTUALLY WETLANDS. SO YOU WILL SEE THAT, THAT BERM CROSS SECTION, UH, FROM THE BOARD. SO THE ONE LAST THING WHERE I JUST FEEL A LITTLE BIT MISLED IS I'VE BEEN TO THESE MEETINGS BEFORE, IS THAT THE THESIS WAS THAT WE APPROVED THAT THESE AREAS NEED TO BE, UM, DECLARED NEEDING OF RENOVATION MULTIPLE TIMES. RIGHT. AND HONESTLY, THIS, THIS IS NOT AN AREA IN NEED OF RENOVATION. IT'S A BUNCH OF COWS IN THE UGLIEST THING ON IT, SOME SOLAR PANELS. UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE DID THAT SO WE CAN MAINTAIN SOME CONTROL. THAT WAS THE WHOLE THESIS THAT YOU LAID OUT, THAT MR. PRIME, WHO'S NO LONGER HERE LAID OUT, BUT THAT DOESN'T, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE CONTROL'S LOST IF WE'RE JUST GONNA, OKAY, THIS BIG SWATH OF OF LAND IS NOW UNUSABLE. AND NOW YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL, BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD CONTROL. SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE CAN CONTROL. WE WERE GIVEN A NUMBER BY THE STATE AND WE HAD TO MANDATE AND PROVIDE THOSE NUMBERS OF HOUSING [01:55:01] UNITS. WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER WHAT THOSE NUMBERS WERE. UM, WE'RE AT A POINT NOW WHERE, UH, THE DEVELOPERS HAD TO REDESIGN THEIR SITE. IT CAME AS MUCH OF A SURPRISE AND AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION FOR ALL OF US WHEN THAT SWATH THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SITE, WHICH IS REALLY FARM FIELD NOW, HAD TO CHANGE INTO AN OVER 300 FOOT WIDE UNDEVELOPABLE AREA. ALONG ALONG THAT FRONTAGE, WE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY ABILITY TO GO BACK AND REOPEN THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS TO CHANGE THE NUMBERS FOR THE DENSITY. AND WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY ABILITY TO USURP DEPS AUTHORITY. DO YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ADD BUFFER SPACE? CAN YOU MAKE THESE 50 FOOT BUFFER 75 OR A HUNDRED? DO YOU HAVE ANY AUTHORITY? CAN YOU DO THAT IN ZONING? SO WE, WE HAVE TRIED TO MAXIMIZE THOSE AND THE BUILDINGS HAVE EVEN BEEN SET BACK. SO THE, THE BUFFER THERE IS A STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BASIN THAT HAS JUST PASSED THE 50 FOOT BUFFER LINE. MOST OF THOSE UNITS ACTUALLY SIT BACK 75 FEET OR SO BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN PUSHING TO MAXIMIZE THAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. UM, I WILL SAY FOR THOSE THREE BUILDINGS THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE BROOKSIDE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENTS, AND I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, UM, THERE'S ALSO A LIMITATION THAT THE TOP OF THE FOUNDATION FOR THOSE BUILDINGS CAN BE NO HIGHER THAN 24 INCHES ABOVE GRADE TO TRY TO KEEP THE PROFILE OF THOSE UNITS AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. THAT GOES FOR THOSE THREE UNITS CLOSEST TO THE BROOKSIDE AND ALSO FOR THE TWO UNITS THAT ARE CLOSEST UP TO THE INTERSECTION OF CHURCH AND ARIS TOWN, WHERE THERE ARE TWO UNITS THAT ARE REVERSE FRONTAGE UP BY THE POINT. UM, SO THOSE BUILDINGS, WE, WE DID EVERYTHING TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THOSE BUILDING SETBACKS, MAXIMIZE THAT BUFFER AREA WITHOUT VIOLATING THE TERMS OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. OKAY. BUT, BUT ESSENTIALLY THERE WILL BE SOME RAISED BERMS ACROSS THAT WHOLE, THE WHOLE FLANK, THAT WHOLE, THE WHOLE SOUTHERN FLANK ESSENTIALLY. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. IF I COULD, UM, TO AMEND THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IS NOT ONLY IMP VIOLATE THE REQUIREMENTS DEADLINE. UM, UNDERSTAND, SINCE A NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT RULING SINCE 1975, THE STATE COURTS HAVE NOT ACCEPTED ANY CHALLENGE TO THIS PLAN. THEY REJECTED EVERY SINGLE ONE. AN EFFORT WAS MADE BY A NUMBER OF, TO TAKE FEDERAL COURT. AND YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS, THIS PAST WEEK, UH, THE SUPREME COURT REJECTED US SUPREME COURT REJECTED ANY SUCH COUNT GOING THROUGH THE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURTS. THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL HAS ANNOUNCED SUPREME COURT HAS REJECTED ANY CLAIM. SO THERE IS NO COURT RELIEF WE CAN OBTAIN FROM THE STATE OBLIGATION. IT'S ALREADY BEEN DECIDED AGAINST US REPEATEDLY. AND BASED ON THE LEGISLATURE'S EFFORTS, UH, AND THE GOVERNOR'S SIGNATURE, UM, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING WITH THIS AND MANY OTHER THINGS. I UNDERSTAND THAT I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME. I JUST DON'T WANT, I WOULD SAY IS THAT I FEEL LIKE THE SITE IS NO LONGER WITH THIS BIG SWATH OF TAKEN OUT OF IT. THE SITE HAS BECOME LESS WELL USABLE FOR THIS CRAZY TOWNHOUSE DEVELOPMENT. I MEAN, SHOULDN'T YOU SPREAD THESE TOWNHOUSES AROUND, PUT SOME TO SOME SINGLE FAMILY? THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK SOME, I THINK YOU SHOULD REDESIGN THE SITE OVERALL ENTIRELY AND MAYBE REASSIGN SOME OF THIS, THIS HOUSING IN DIFFERENT PLACES. UM, DEVELOPERS SHOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, DICTATE EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN MEDFORD. UM, AND THE COURT, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T BEAT THE STATE, BUT WE CONFLICT THE DEVELOPER A LITTLE BIT. AND I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT. THANK YOU, SIR. I WANNA BE FAIR TO THE FOLKS THAT HAVE ALREADY RAISED THEIR HAND. I, I DID SEE YOUR HAND. AND MA'AM, I DID SEE YOUR HAND. UM, MR. CAR, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP EARLIER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK BRIAN CAR TWO 16 CHURCH ROAD FIRST BEFORE I START YELLING, IS COUNCIL INTERESTED IN COMING OUT TO THE FARM AND SEEING THIS CAT SANCTUARY? IT'S REALLY COOL WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'VE SAVED A BUNCH OF CATS THAT TIME. BRIAN, IF I BRING MY DAUGHTER, I'LL, I'LL OWN THE SANCTUARY. SHE'LL WANT ALL THE CATS. DUDE, I CAN'T BREAK. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? I GOT IT AT THE FARM. I, THAT'S WHAT I'M AFRAID OF. COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER COMING OUT, SEEING WHAT WE'RE DOING OVER THERE. WE REALLY ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. UM, ALL RIGHT, NOW I'M GONNA START YELLING, OKAY. THE SIDEWALK. MR. TAYLOR, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, GOING DOWN CHURCH ROAD. I GOT CONCERNS ABOUT THAT. I'M AT THE 200 BLOCK. ARE WE GOING TO BE RUNNING SIDEWALKS ALL OVER THE PLACE? SO THIS IS THE SIZE OF KINGS GRANT, BY THE WAY. WHAT'S COMING? ONE SHOT. KING'S GRANT'S COMING. KINGS. WHAT ABOUT THE SIDEWALKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT? I DON'T WANNA BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. I KIND OF HATE PEOPLE. ARE WE REALLY GONNA HAVE SIDEWALKS EVERYWHERE WHERE [02:00:01] NOW PEOPLE ARE WALKING PAST OUR HOUSES ON SAY THE COUNTY ROAD 5 41 AND LIKE I SAID, I'M AT TWO 16 CHURCH ROAD. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU GUYS WOULD DO A SIDEWALK ALONG THERE UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF OUR LAND OFF THE FRONT. IS THAT AN ANSWER I COULD GET? WELL, YEAH, I, I CAN ANSWER IT. UM, SO THE ANSWER IS THE, THE ORDINANCE CURRENTLY, SO THE RSIS REQUIRES SIDEWALKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ALL NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP ORDINANCE REQUIRES SIDEWALKS ALONG SITE FRONTAGES. AS PROJECTS ARE DEVELOPED, UH, THE BOARD GENERALLY LOOKS AT THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME WAIVER GRANTED ON PLANNING BOARD APPLICATIONS OVER TIME. SO WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN AT A CERTAIN LOCATION OVER TIME. BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE, THE STUDIES BEAR IT OUT WHERE THERE ARE SIDEWALKS, LESS PEOPLE GET KILLED WALKING ON THE SHOULDER OF A ROADWAY. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS, GENERALLY WITHIN EXISTING RIGHT OF WAYS, WHEN PROJECTS COME IN TO GET DEVELOPED, THE BOARDS EVALUATE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF SIDEWALKS IN THOSE SPECIFIC LOCATIONS. OKAY. SO SIDEWALKS ARE COMING. BRIAN, CAN I I CAN I TRANS I MEAN, AND I THINK IT'S CRAZY. DO WHAT YOU GUYS DID, THE WILLOWS MAN. DROP IT OUT OF THE SKY LIKE A PARACHUTE AND CLOSE IT OFF FROM THE ENTRANCE BECAUSE RIGHT. THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS AT THE WILLOWS. THERE'S, THERE'S NOTHING, NO OFFENSE TO THE PEOPLE COMING. YOU'RE NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA IMPOSE SIDEWALKS ON ON CURRENT PARCELS? NO, ABSOLUTELY. BUT WHEN THERE'S, BY ORDINANCE, WHEN WE BUILD A NEW COMMUNITY, WHICH WE'RE NOT LOOKING, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED TO DO THIS BESIDES THROUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING. OH, THE ORDINANCE STATES THAT WE HAVE TO ADD THE SIDEWALKS IN. SO WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE GONNA COME TO, TO YOUR HOUSE AND PUT A SIDEWALK. RIGHT. 'CAUSE THERE'S LIKE AN EXIT ON CHURCH ROAD, RIGHT. PROBABLY RIGHT AROUND THAT INTERSECTION. MAYBE WELCOME STATION WHERE THE RAILROAD TRACKS IS. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THIS WHEN WE'RE DONE. BUT BY THE WAY, SO THE RAIL TRAIL COMES OUT, UM, FURTHER DOWN AND THEN THERE IS ACTUALLY A, A ROAD PROPOSED THAT WILL CONNECT INTO THERE AS WELL. SO THERE'LL BE SIDEWALK CONNECTIVITY. IS THAT THE ONLY ENTRANCE OF CHURCH ROAD THERE? YES. AND THEN FOSTER TOWN AND 5 41. YEAH, SO THERE IS, UM, TO THE TINGER STONEBRIDGE SITE, THERE IS ONE ENTRANCE DRIVE OFF OF, UH, CHURCH ROAD AND TWO OFF OF 5 41 A NORTHERN ONE THAT ACCESSES THE SENIOR TWIN COMPONENT. AND THAT'S JUST PAST THE LITTLE CULVERT. THERE'S A LITTLE WETLAND THAT GOES THROUGH THERE. THERE'S A HEADROW OF WOODS. UH, YOU'RE COMING OUT PROBABLY BY THE CHURCH RIGHT ACROSS FROM A FAC. THERE'S KIND OF TWO ENTRANCES. ONE A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH OF THE CHURCH AND ONE A LITTLE BIT SOUTH. BOTH ON EACH SIDE OF THE FIELD BASICALLY. YEAH. SOMETHING IN THAT AREA. YEP. OKAY. AND IS HORTON THE BUILDER FOR EVERYTHING? LIKE IS IT ONE BUILDER THAT'S GETTING ALL THREE PROJECTS? THEY ARE THE PROSPECTIVE REDEVELOPER AND CONTRACT PURCHASER. THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR THEM, MAN. I WOULD PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO HELP WITH THE SCHOOLS, THE PUBLIC WORKS. I WOULD, YOU GUYS, WE HEAR THAT. HEY, WE WILL LOSE CONTROL OF THE PROJECT IF WE DON'T MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENTS. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND I KNOW THE NUMBERS I, I WAS INVOLVED IN THAT. RICK'S IS, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER ON THAT PROPERTY. IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS. AND I DO BELIEVE NOTHING'S GONNA CHANGE THIS UNLESS WE HAD SOME GIANT RECESSION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT'S COMING. SO LET'S JUST LEAN INTO IT AT THIS POINT AND TRY TO SORT OUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S BEST. AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I MEAN, I WAS JUST LOOKING IT UP. IT IS THE SIZE OF KING'S GRANT. IT'S GETTING DROPPED OFF. I WISH IT WOULD'VE BEEN SPREAD OUT. I DON'T KNOW WHY. SAMOS, WHERE THAT SUPER WAWA THAT MAKES SENSE. AND IT WOULD'VE HAD VERY LITTLE EFFECT ON SAY THE KIRBY'S MILL AREA. I'VE BEEN DRIVING BY CHALLENGER'S PROPERTY FOREVER. I KNEW, I I KNEW THIS WAS COMING. IT'S JUST THIS IS A LOT, MAN. I HOW, HOW SUCH A LITTLE, RIGHT. AND, AND I'M SORRY YOU, YOU HAVE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED HERE, BRIAN. YEAH. BUT WE DID ORIGINALLY HAVE A THIRD, OR EVEN A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A THIRD OF THIS PROJECT ON 70, RIGHT? ON 70 BY ON LAFFERTY. SO, UM, THAT LAST MINUTE CHALLENGE, HOW COME THEY COULDN'T, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHY THEY COULDN'T GET THAT DEAL DONE? ARE WE, WHAT'S THE, IT IT, THERE WERE, THERE WAS AN ISSUE, UH, BETWEEN THE LANDOWNERS AND THE CONTRACT PURCHASERS THAT, UM, COULD NOT BE RESOLVED AND THE TOWNSHIP HAD TO PROVIDE TO FAIR SHARE THAT THE SITES WERE AVAILABLE. AND BECAUSE THOSE PARTIES COULDN'T COME, UM, TO TERMS ON THAT THE TOWN COULD NO LONGER COUNT, TESTIFY COUNT IN OUR NUMBER THAT IT WAS. WELL, I KEEP HEARING THAT EVERY TOWN'S DOING THIS. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY TOWN IN THE COUNTY THAT'S GOT 3000 NEW RESIDENTS COMING. THERE'S NOBODY IN BRO COUNTY, RIGHT. THAT'S GOING THROUGH THIS. I KNOW MORRISTOWN GOT CLIPPED, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE THEY GOT AHEAD OF IT. LET'S [02:05:01] JUST FACE IT. THE OLD GUARD HERE, THIS IS A REAL SETUP. RAN IT RIGHT DOWN TO THE FOURTH QUARTER. WE'RE OUTTA TIME NOW. WE'RE OUTTA SPACE. THE ONE LAND FALLS APART. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE DIDN'T GO TO SAMOS, BUT WE WENT TO RICK. I KNOW RICK, I LIKE THE GUY. HE WANTS TO TAKE OFF WITH A BUNCH OF CASH. I MEAN THAT'S, THIS IS AMERICA. THIS IS WHAT SOME PEOPLE COULD DO. I DON'T TOTALLY AGREE WITH IT. AND I THINK IT SUCKS FOR THE REST OF US BECAUSE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. YOU KNOW, ALREADY CURRENTLY AT INGERS AND EARLS, IT'S REALLY GETTING PACKED IN AT ONE SPOT, ONE SWIPE NORTH SIDE TO ME. SEEMS, SEEMS SIGNIFICANTLY GONE. I DON'T, I DON'T, I MEAN, I KNOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ROUND 10, BUT WHAT, WHAT'S LEFT FOR ROUND 10? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? FIVE. AND I CAN RESPECT THAT DEPUTY MAYOR THAT WE'RE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING A LICK IN HERE WITH THE FOURTH ROUND. WE REALLY ARE. BUT I DO THINK YOU SHOULD PUT PRESSURE, IF THIS BUILDER IS GETTING ALL THESE TRACKS AT ONCE, IT'S GOTTA BE, I'VE HEARD FIVE, $600 MILLION. HE COULD HELP US BUILD A SCHOOL. YOU'RE GOING TO NEED IT, I THINK IMMEDIATELY. RIGHT? PRETTY MUCH RIGHT OFF THE BAT. WE'RE GONNA NEED A SCHOOL. SQUEEZE THE BUILDER. MAN. WE USED TO DO IT IN THE, IN THE PAST WHERE YOU WOULD SEE, LOOK, WE'LL MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU. WE'LL PUSH IT THROUGH. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS WORKS WITH THIS. I, I, I, I KNOW I HEAR THAT THEY'RE PROTECTED, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S WAYS TO MAKE THIS BUILDER GIVE THEM SOMETHING AND GET SOMETHING BACK FOR IT. OTHERWISE WE'RE ALL HERE HOLDING THE BAG. ALRIGHT. COME SEE THE CATS GUYS. MAN, I GOTTA TELL YOU, IT'S A GOOD THING WE GOT GOING ON. I'M ALLERGIC TO, THAT'S THE BEST THING I'VE HAD. IT'S GOING FOR A WHILE. ALL RIGHT. THANKS GUYS. THANK YOU SIR. MR. S THAT IS ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT, UH, WE DISCUSSED AT THE LAST SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING. ALSO AS BASICALLY KIND OF TALKING TO THE, WITH THE RESIDENTS ABOUT THE WISHLIST THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GO FOR THE DEVELOP PERSPECTIVE DEVELOPER BEFORE. YEAH. I THINK YOU NEED TO BEEF UP PUBLIC WORKS. THEY NEED MORE SUPPORT. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WITH THIS COMING, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GROW ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND, UM, AND, AND SEE IF WE CAN'T GET SOMETHING WITH THE SCHOOLS. 'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET HIT A COUPLE THOUSAND DOLLARS TAX INCREASE, ONE SHOT COMING AND, AND THAT'S AT LEAST GET THAT BUILDER. THAT'S WHERE THE, THE FISCAL IMPACT STUDY THAT MR. TAYLOR HAS REFERENCED IS REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO LOOK AT. UH, ONCE THAT, ONCE THAT , WE'RE GONNA KNOW THE NUMBERS AHEAD. YES, EXACTLY. YEAH. IT STILL DOESN'T CHANGE IT THOUGH. IT'S COMMON, BUT AT LEAST WE'LL KNOW. YEAH. ALRIGHT, THANKS. THANK YOU. CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? HOW DOES IT WORK WITH HORTON'S? HOW DID, HOW, HOW IS IT DECIDED THAT THAT'S THE BUILDER AND I, I DON'T, SO I WOULD GO UNDER, I I WOULD DEFER TO COUNCIL OR MAYOR ON THE SURE. ON THE SELECTION. YEAH. I DON'T, I WASN'T HERE. OH, I'M SORRY. THERE YOU OKAY. I'LL GIVE, I'LL GIVE HIM A SHOT. . YEAH. UM, I THINK PROBABLY, YEAH. SO, UM, WELL, I THINK THEY'D LIKE TO KNOW TOO. YEAH, DEFINITELY. AND, AND, AND I THINK THE, THE CRUX OF IT, AS MR. KANE'S MENTIONED, IS THESE ARE NEGOTIATIONS AND, AND, AND I'LL SAY DEALINGS, UM, BETWEEN A PRIVATE LANDOWNER YES. THE GENTLEMAN THAT OWNS RICK'S AUTO BODY MM-HMM . PER SE. AND A CONTRACT PURCHASER, WHICH HAPPENS TO ALSO BE A DEVELOPER. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THERE WAS AN IMAGINARY PIECE OF LAND THAT, UM, WAS USED TO BE A FARM THAT LANDOWNER CAN SELL IT TO WHOEVER THEY RUN TO, RIGHT. IF THEY, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WOULD ALL HOPE THAT THEY WOULD SELL IT TO ANOTHER FARMER, LET'S SAY. YEAH. UM, OR WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO PRESERVE THOSE LANDS. UM, BUT ONE OF THE MECHANISMS THEY CAN USE TO FINANCIALLY BENEFIT FROM THAT LAND IS TO SELL IT TO A CONTRACT PURCHASER IN HOPES THAT THAT PARCEL BECOMES USED FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO THIS, AND I DON'T WANT, I DON'T KNOW THE DATES OF ANY OF THESE THINGS, BUT THE PROPERTY OWNER CAN SELL IT TO WHERE THEY CAN SELL IT TO AN, THEY CAN SELL IT TO ANOTHER US HOME. THEY CAN SELL IT TO WHOEVER THEY PREFER, UH, THEIR CHOICE. AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE OWNERS OF THESE PROPERTIES, WHOEVER THEY MAY BE. AND THEY'RE ALWAYS, AND IN THIS CASE, I BELIEVE GORDON, WHATEVER, MAY HAVE, UH, GONE AHEAD AND MAY HAVE PURCHASED THESE PROPERTIES AT A BETTER PRICE. THEY MAY HAVE OFFERED MORE MONEY THAN SOME OF THE OTHER DEVELOPERS. UM, AND IT'S, THERE'S LITTLE ATTACH CAN DO. WE'RE NOT CONDEMNING ANY PROPERTY. ALL WE ARE DOING IS DESIGNATING THEM SUPPORT HOUSING AND DEVELOPING A REDEVELOP PLAN. AND WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHOEVER THE PROPERTY OWNER SELECTS IS THERE, UH, TO SELL. AND THEY ALL PICK THE SAME ONE. I WOULD IMAGINE THERE SENSE REASONS FOR THAT. I ASSUME THAT WAS BASED ON THE OFFERS THAT WERE MADE BY THE, UH, DEVELOPER, BUT WE HAVE NO IDEA AND WE REALLY CAN'T CONTROL THAT. OKAY. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. YEAH. THESE, THESE PARCELS WERE BROUGHT TO US. THAT'S CORRECT. WE, WE DIDN'T SEEK THEM OUT OR THE BUILDERS. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE'VE REQUESTED A COPY OR VERIFICATION OF, OF CONTRACT OF SALE BETWEEN THE LAND OWNERS AS WELL AS HORTON. UH, BECAUSE THE TOWNSHIP COUNCIL HAS NOT UNDERTAKEN ANY TYPE OF RFP OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN TERMS OF SELECTING A REDEVELOPER. UH, BUT THAT'S WHY THAT, UH, CONFIRMATION OR CONTRACT COPY HAS BEEN REQUESTED. YEAH. AND I BELIEVE, UH, AND RECEIPT. THANK YOU. RIGHT. YEAH. HAVE WE, OR DO YOU FEEL THAT WE'RE IN RECEIPT OF CONFIRMATION? I, I BELIEVE SO. I, I BELIEVE WE DID RECEIVE SOMETHING FROM, UM, UH, A NOTARIZED UH, VERIFICATION FROM, FROM LEGAL COUNSEL FROM HORTON ABOUT THE, [02:10:01] ABOUT THAT. YES. THANK YOU. CAN I TAKE A PICTURE OF THAT REAL QUICK? YOU CAN GET, YOU CAN TAKE IT HOME WHEN WE'RE DONE. BRIAN . I DON'T SEE THIS BACK HERE. DUNNO WHERE MOTOR CAME FROM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT. JESSICA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? AND MA'AM YOU'LL BE NEXT. I KEEP SAYING WE NEED SLIDES, BRIAN. I THINK THEY WILL. WE'VE SENT A COPY OF THAT, UH, TO THE TOWNSHIP THIS AFTERNOON DIGITALLY. SO I THINK THAT AND THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS WILL LIKELY BE UPLOADED TO THE TOWNS. OKAY. WHAT, WHAT'S IN THE BINDERS THERE? WEBSITE. THAT'S THE ACTUAL REDEVELOPMENT PLANS THEMSELVES EACH. SO EACH ONE OF THOSE IS FOR EACH OF THE THREE SITES. GOT IT. I'D LOVE TO SEE ONE OF THAT, BUT I'M SURE I CAN'T. THANK YOU JESSICA KY FOR OUR FIVE BUTLER COURT. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST RECOMMENDED BEFORE THE NEXT 12TH MEETING, IS THERE A POSSIBLE WAY WE COULD GET A SCREEN SO THAT WE CAN SEE MR. TAYLOR'S LIKE BEAUTIFUL EXHIBIT? 'CAUSE I KNOW MANY PEOPLE HERE PROBABLY CAN'T SEE IT. SO IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN PROJECT IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR THE MEETING? I KNOW AT PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS SOMETIMES WE HAVE SCREENS PROJECTIONS. YEAH. I THINK WE SHOULD USE PROJECT THEM MORE. IT WORKS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, RIGHT? I THINK SO. THEY CAN SEE THAT, UM, IT WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE BENEFICIAL TO THEM. SURE. UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I KNOW I HAD BEEN ASKING FOR WAS THE SITE SUITABILITY THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SUBMITTED BY FEBRUARY 1ST. I KNOW I HAD ASKED PREVIOUSLY, MR. PRIME, I ASKED MR. HORNICK AT A MEETING, I SUBMITTED AN REQUEST AND WE WERE TOLD THE DEVELOPER'S WORKING ON IT. WE HAVEN'T BEEN PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION. THE FOUR REPORTS ARE NOW ON OUR WEBSITE. AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THEM, THREE OF THE FOUR HAVE A SEPTEMBER DATE, YET NOBODY IN THE TOWN WAS AWARE THAT THIS REPORT WAS DONE. THAT'S A LITTLE CONCERNING THAT EVERYBODY'S POINTING TO SOMEBODY ELSE. AND FINALLY MR. NOLA BELIEVE ASKED FOR IT AND WE GOT IT LAST WEEK. BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER COMMUNICATION ABOUT ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS DUE IN OUR MEDIATION AGREEMENT. UM, ANOTHER THING IS THE 150 FOOT BUFFER, THAT'S NOTHING NEW SINCE JUNE. WE'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS FROM THE BEGINNING, IT'S, IT, IT'S NOT A NEW SPECIES THAT WAS FOUND. IT WAS 150 FOOT. THE DEVELOPER'S CONCEPT SHOWED 50 FOOT. IT WAS MISLEADING. WE ALL JUMPED BEAUTIFUL BUFFERS. NOW THEY'RE SHRUNK. IT'S A PROBLEM. UM, REGARDING THE AFFORDABLE PLAN, I'M ASSUMING THESE 98, 10% REDUCTIONS CAME FROM THE FLYING W, WHICH WAS AROUND THREE PROJECT. AND I'M ASSUMING WE JUST AMENDED OUR PLAN AND THAT FLYING W WAS IN IT. SO I'M ASSUMING IF WE HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS, AGAIN, WE CAN AMEND OUR PLAN AGAIN. SO WE'RE NOT JUST STUCK WITH THIS MARCH 15TH. WE ARE NOT STUCK. WE DO HAVE OPTIONS TO AMEND IN THE FUTURE. AMEND CORRECT. HAVE TO BE ADOPTED. RIGHT. THE, IN THE INITIAL WE HAVE TO ADOPT, GET OUR IMMUNITY, BUT IF THINGS COME UP, WE CAN PIVOT. AND I'M SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO, WE'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE TIME YOU NEED, BUT WE HAVE NOT FOR THE RECORD YET, UH, PURSUED, AMENDING THE ROUND THREE FLYING W PLAN AS OF YET. BUT THAT IS, I'M SURE IT'S COMING. IT'S ON THE TABLE. YEAH. SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, IT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET, SO. RIGHT. BUT THIS WAS AROUND THREE PROJECTS. SO OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE AMENDING IT, IT'S A POSSIBILITY TO AMEND THESE PLANS. YES. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, I HAD A QUESTION. I KNOW MR. NOLL WAS ON SITE TO DO THE TEST PITS RECENTLY AT RISK AUTO. AND I KNOW THE DEVELOPER HAS NOT SUBMITTED THEIR WETLANDS LOI MAP YET. SO THERE'S NOT A DELINEATED WETLANDS NECESSARILY RIGHT NOW. THERE IS THE GEO WEB LAYER AT THE MOMENT, WHICH WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT'S THE WETLANDS, THAT'S WHAT THEY SET IT. UM, WAS THERE A MAP PROVIDED FOR THESE TEST PITS AND WERE ANY OF THEM LOCATED IN THAT LAYER? AND IF SO, WAS A GP 12 OBTAINED BEFORE WE DID THE TEST PITS ON SITE? I HAVE NOT, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED THE REPORT FROM THE TEST PITS YET, SO I NO, BUT THE LOCATION WE WERE OUT THERE PHYSICALLY THERE. I KNOW WHERE THE LOCATION IS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A LOCATION BACK YET BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A TEST FIT REPORT ESTIMATE, SO I'M ASSUMING NO. SO WE DIDN'T VERIFY THAT WE WEREN'T DOING TEST FITS IN A WETLANDS AREA WITHOUT GETTING GP 12. YOU HAVE TO TALK TO DR. HORSE ABOUT THAT. UM, I HAVE NO INDICATION THAT THERE WERE THE WETLANDS AREA, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE, UH, GROUNDWATER WAS EIGHT 10 FEET FROM GROUND LEVEL. I DOUBT THAT THAT THAT IS OKAY. WE JUST DON'T KNOW FOR SURE. UM, UM, WELL IT'S NOT A DELINEATED WETLAND, RIGHT? NOT YET, BUT SO UNTIL IT'S DELINEATED YOU, IT'S AGRICULTURAL FIELD. WE'RE ABOUT TO GO OUT THERE AND DO WORK IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD AND WHEN IT GETS DELINEATED, BECAUSE THERE'S 24 INCHES OF SNOW ONCE THE SNOW REMOVES. [02:15:02] RIGHT. BUT A GP P 12 IS TO DO TEST PITS IN A WETLANDS AREA. THAT'S THE EXACT DEFINITION OF WHAT A GP 12 IS. WETLAND HASN'T BEEN DELINEATED. IT HASN'T BEEN DELINEATED YET. SO YOU'RE JUST DOING GEO HAS, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A DELINEATED WEAPON. HAVE YOU GONE OUT THERE AND THERE A WEAPON? THE ELIMINATION ON THE PROPERTY? I DIDN'T, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN. I MEAN, THE GP P 12 IS SOMETHING EASY IN THE PORTAL TO SUBMIT FOR. IT'S NOT EASY. YOU HAVE, YOU DON'T HAVE A WEAPON, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW YOU HAVE A WELL, IF MAY I, I, BUT OKAY. WE'RE, I WAS GONNA SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA GET INTO THIS YET. OKAY. UM, SO I KNOW ALSO WITH THE 98 REDUCTION OF THE FLYING W WAS BECAUSE THERE WERE DP CONSTRAINTS. SO OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A LITTLE OVER AMBITIOUS ON THE INITIAL CONCEPT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GONNA BE THERE. DO WE REALLY THINK THAT THESE THREE PLANS ARE NOT OVER AMBITIOUS ON WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE IN THE SAME BOAT EITHER O OBVIOUSLY ASKING THEM TO SHRINK IT AGAIN. I MEAN, THERE'S GONNA BE OBJECTIONS. SO ARE WE REALLY DOING OUR HOMEWORK? AND I HOPE THAT'S WHAT OUR COMMITTEE IS LOOKING AT TO FIND REALISTIC SOLUTIONS WHEN WE ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO PIVOT. SO I HOPE, UM, AT LEAST WE CAN GET THE SCREEN FOR THE NEXT MEETING. UM, AND THAT SOME THINGS ARE LOOKED AT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER. THANK YOU. UH, CLAUDIA CARDELL, 13 CHAUCER, I'M IN BROOKSIDE. UM, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS AND WHEN THESE PLANS FIRST CAME OUT, WE TALKED ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT AS MR. LYON STATED THAT THIS IS THE WAY TO GO. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, UM, WE HAVE A LOT, WE WE CAN CONTROL IT BETTER. RIGHT. YOU STATED, YES, WE'RE GONNA PUT 300 FEET BUFFER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. AND AS HE STATED, NOW IT'S 50 FEET. OKAY. MANY RESIDENTS HAVE COME UP HERE AND SAID, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS SITE. BUT YET NOBODY LISTENED. OKAY. IT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED IN THIS MEETING, DON'T WORRY IF WE FIND THINGS WE CAN LOWER THIS NUMBER RIGHT NOW. I'M CONFUSED. FIRST, WHEN MR. LAWRENCE CAME UP, WE SAID NO. NOW WHEN JESSICA SAID YOU CAN AMEND THE PLAN, RIGHT, YOU CAN AMEND THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AFTER IT'S ADOPTED BY WORKERS, YOU CAN'T AMEND THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT BEFORE YOU'VE ADOPTED YOUR SETTLEMENT PLAN. SO THIS IS A, A SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT. LIKE SO IT'S A CONSENT ORDER EXECUTED BY A JUDGE AS TO A NUMBER OF UNITS THAT REQUIRED. AND THE PLAN ATTACH HAS TO MEET THAT NUMBER. THAT'S WHAT BEFORE THE COURT AT THE MOMENT AT ATTACH IS TRYING TO MEET THAT OBLIGATION BASED UPON UTILIZING THESE . RIGHT. AND IF, IF WE ADOPTED BY MARCH 15, WE HAVE PROTECTED OURSELVES FROM A ZONING CHALLENGE FROM EIGHT BELT AND OUR OBLIGATION IS THE 171 UNITS, CORRECT? CORRECT. THAT IS 171 PERSPECTIVE 48 ON THIS PROPERTY. CORRECT? RIGHT. UM, SO NOW WE ARE PUTTING 280 PLUS. SO YOU'RE SAYING WE CANNOT AMEND THE TWO 80. WE'VE STUCK AND SAID WE'RE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, IT'S GONNA BE 48. SO THAT'S SATISFIED. RIGHT. BUT WE DECIDED TO SQUEEZE IN ALL THESE THINGS TO GIVE THE 50 FOOT BUFFER AND TAKE AWAY THE 300 FOOT BUFFER. WHEN WE'VE BEEN TALKING IN HERE, AND IT'S BEEN SAID EVEN BY OUR OLD SOLICITOR, DON'T WORRY IF WE FIND SOMETHING, WE COULD SHRINK THAT MARKET RATE UNIT NUMBER TO KEEP THE AESTHETICS, TO KEEP THE BUFFERS. AND NOW WE'RE SAYING NO. SO I, I WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE CREATION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN. WE HAVE CONTROL OVER A LOT OF THINGS. THE NUMBERS AS MR. MCGUCKIN INDICATED THAT ARE IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND THE FAIR SHARE PLAN ARE PART OF THAT SETTLEMENT AND THE CONSENT ORDER, UM, THAT INCLUDES THE MARKET RATE UNITS AND, AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS AND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. SO ALL OF THE EARLIEST PLANS THAT WE SAW HAD A 50 FOOT BUFFER ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT DITCH. ESSENTIALLY, WHEN DID THAT CHANGE? BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT'S ON THE WEBSITE IS YOUR NEW ONE AND YOUR 350, 300 FOOT BUFFER AND WE'LL DISCUSS THE 300 FOOT BUFFER IN THESE MEETINGS UNDER UNDERSTOOD. AND AND OUR EARLIEST DIRECTION FROM MR. PRIME WHO WAS HANDLING THIS WAS THAT BUFFER NEEDS TO BE 200 TO 300 FEET THROUGH THERE. I KNOW A LARGE PROJECT THAT WE'RE WORKING ON FOR THE CITY OF TRENTON, UH, THE DAY THAT WE HAND DELIVERED OUR PERMITS WAS THE DAY THAT DEP ENACTED AND I THINK IT WAS LATE FALL OR EARLY WINTER. UM, THE INCREASED [02:20:01] RI RIPARIAN ZONES. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE OF THAT. UM, I, I THINK THE DEVELOPER WOULD'VE PREFERRED TO KEEP WITH THE FIRST PLAN. WE HAVE CONTROL OVER A LOT OF THINGS WITH RESPECT TO THE DESIGN. THE PROPORTION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER. THE COURT AND THE DEVELOPERS ALSO, ANY DEP ISSUES ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL. IF FOR SOME REASON WHEN THEY DO THEIR WETLANDS DELINEATION TO GET THEIR LETTER OF INTERPRETATION, IF THE WETLANDS ARE 10 TIMES WORSE THAN ANYBODY EXPECTED, WE WILL HAVE TO AMEND THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. THERE WILL LIKELY NEED TO BE A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF UNITS OUT THERE. WE ARE RELYING ON A PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN, WHICH IS BASED ON SOME PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS DONE BY THEIR ENGINEERING CONSULTANT BECAUSE WE HAD THIS DATE FORCED UPON US THAT BY MID-MARCH WE HAVE TO ADOPT THESE PLANS AND ALL OF THE TOWNS, WE'RE DOING THIS FOR WALL TOWNSHIP FOR A LOT MORE UNITS RIGHT NOW. AND WE'RE DOING IT BASED ON BEST GUESSES AND EVERYONE'S ESTIMATION OF WHERE THAT WETLANDS LINE IS. IN SOME AREAS, SOME THINGS MAY HAVE TO SHIFT. THIS LINE WAS PRESENTED BY, UH, THE DEVELOPER'S TEAM AND SAYING, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS ARE SAYING WE HAVE TO DO THIS. THEY WOULD'VE PREFERRED TO ACTUALLY GO WITH THE OLDER PLAN, UM, TO HAVE THE LARGER BUFFER TO THE BROOKSIDE RESIDENCE. SO I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE HAPPY ABOUT THIS CHANGE, BUT IT'S, IT'S PREDICATED BY WHAT DEP IS GONNA REQUIRE FOR THE RIP REPAIRING ZONE SETBACK FROM THAT DITCH. SO ONCE YOU SUBMIT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND LOWER THE MARKET RATE UNITS. IF WE FIND SOMETHING AND THEY CANNOT BUILD ON IT, IF THEY CAN'T GO BECAUSE OF THE DP RIGHTS OR ANYTHING ELSE, THEN THEY'LL NOT BE ABLE TO BILL A NUMBER OF UNITS AND WE'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS THE MAKING UP THOSE UNITS. NO, BECAUSE IN THE PLAN WE PUT THE 48 AFFORDABLE UNITS MUST BE BUILT REGARDLESS IF WE TAKE DOWN THE MARKET RATE UNITS. THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. SO THEN AGAIN, THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR THE OVERALL SETTLEMENT HAVE TO BE ACHIEVED. CORRECT. AND CANNOT GIVE THEM DVP REQUIREMENTS MEET THE OBLIGATION TO BUILD THE NUMBER OF UNITS THEY WANT. THEY WANT ARE THE 48 THAT WE NEED. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE. THEY WANT THE MARKET RATE UNITS OF COURSE. RIGHT. THEY ARE, AS MR. TAYLOR EXPRESSED EARLIER, THAT'S THE MAXIMUM NUMBER. IT COULD BE REDUCED BASED UPON ALL OF THOSE FACTS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS OR ANYTHING ELSE. MM-HMM . AND THOSE NUMBERS COULD BE REDUCED. THAT'S THE MAXIMUM NUMBER ALLOWED IN REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. AND THEY CAN'T GET IT BECAUSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS. THEY CAN'T GET IT. THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. IF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS WERE SO BIG THAT THE ONLY THING THAT COULD BE BUILT ON THIS SITE WAS 48 AFFORDABLE UNITS, WHICH IS WHAT THE ZONING WOULD STILL ALLOW. YES. THE DEVELOPER THEN WOULD REVISIT AND THE TOWN WOULD BE FORCED TO REVISIT 'CAUSE THEY WOULD APPEAL TO FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER. AND THIS SITE WOULD, WOULD NO LONGER BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR HOUSING ELEMENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE. IF THERE IS A SLIGHT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF UNITS BECAUSE OF SITE CONDITIONS, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT DESIGN, THOSE ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND THAT NUMBER CAN GO A BIT LOWER. BUT IF FOR SOME REASON SOMETHING EXTREME HAPPENS OUT THERE, WE ARE BACK INTO A MUCH LENGTHIER LEGAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROCESS WITH THE FAIR SHARE HOUSING CENTER, THE COURTS, THE COURT ADJUDICATOR AND OTHERS. MY SUGGESTION IS IT IMPACTS BROOKSIDE TREMENDOUSLY. PLUS WE SAW THE POOR YOUNG LADY CRYING IN HERE THAT BOUGHT HER HOUSE. WE NEED TO TALK TO THESE RESIDENTS AND SAY WHAT, WHAT WE WANT. IT'S NOT JUST WHAT MEDFORD WANTS, RIGHT. BUT HOW IT'S GONNA IMPACT US. RIGHT. THE TREES, THEY TAKE YEARS TO GROW. WE COULD IN THE WINTER TIME, YOU COULD SEE RIGHT. THROUGH ALL THE OTHER TREES THAT BLOCK THE FRONT OF NEW FREEDOM. RIGHT. SO TALK TO US, REACH OUT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION. RIGHT. I'LL GIVE YOU THE NAMES. A TON OF US ARE SITTING RIGHT HERE. RIGHT. AND IT'S GONNA IMPACT OUR DAILY LIVES OF WHAT WE SEE. RIGHT. AND TRAFFIC STUDIES, EVERYBODY'S GONNA CROSS NEW FREEDOM. ARE WE DOING TRAFFIC STUDIES ON NEW FREEDOM ROAD CROSSING FROM BROOK BRIGHT TO CHASE TO USE OUR OWN AMENITIES IS HORRIFIC. SOMETIMES 40 MILES AN HOUR. I CAN'T IMAGINE NOW A THOUSAND UNITS COMING. PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA WANNA GO DOWN CHURCH. THEY'RE GONNA RUN ACROSS NEW FREEDOM AND THAT'S GONNA IMPACT US AS WELL, IF I MAY. SURE MA'AM. MA'AM, HOLD ON. JUST SO YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN COX HAD SAID IT WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SUBCOMMITTEE, [02:25:01] ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IMPORTANT TO US IS TO START FINDING OUT WHAT THE HOMES AROUND THESE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS, UM, WISH FOR, WANT, HOPE, UM, OTHER THAN THEM NOT TO BE BUILT. BUT WE DO WANNA FIND OUT WHAT IT IS YOU GUYS NEED. WE'VE ONLY JUST HAD OUR FIRST MEETING, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S NOT OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY. IT'S PROBABLY LIKE OUR NUMBER TWO, UM, PRIORITIES. SO YES, WE WILL BE REACHING OUT. UM, I'VE GONE TO SOME OF KIM'S MEETING AND I'VE MET SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS ON THE LEFT AND HAVE HEARD THEM. AND THERE'S, IF I HAD A MAGIC WAND, I'D WAVE IT, BUT I DON'T. UM, SO I WILL BE THERE. I KNOW RAY WILL BE THERE FINDING OUT WHAT IT IS THAT CAN HELP YOUR AREAS. YOU KNOW, WE HEARD YOU FROM SOME OF THEM, AND THE BUILDER DID AGREE TO LOWER HOUSES ON THE FIRST ONES THAT YOU WOULD SEE. I, I WISH YOU HAD THE 300 FOOT BURN. BUT AS A BARE MINIMUM, THEY WILL BE LOWER THE EVERGREEN SO THAT IN THE WINTER IT'S NOT QUITE. SO SEE-THROUGH THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDER RATION BASED ON THE THINGS THAT I HEARD, UM, FROM KIM'S MEETINGS. AND I'M SURE THEY HAVE A BETTER NAME THAN KIM'S MEETINGS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I CALL THEM. UM, SO WE, WE ARE LISTENING AND PLEASE EMAIL ME IF YOUR GROUP HAS A COMMITTEE AND THEY'RE TALKING WITH THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WOULD HELP THEM SEND ME AN EMAIL. HOW MUCH CAN YOU CONTROL? I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW MUCH CAN WE CONTROL WHAT, SO YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA LISTEN TO PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY NEED. WHAT, WHAT CONTROL DO YOU HAVE? WE HAVE, WELL, HEARING ABOUT SEEING THROUGH, WE TALKED ABOUT EVERGREEN TREES. YEAH. I MEAN, NO, THERE'S NO MAGIC WAND, BUT IF THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN DO, WE COULD DO IT. WE COULD TALK TO THE YEAH. BETWEEN THE BUILDER, BETWEEN US, BETWEEN JUST HEARING, BEING ABLE TO HELP. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THINGS TO HELP THE AREAS THAT ARE SURROUNDING THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. UM, AND, AND MARY, WE, UH, CERTAIN MARY WILL BE SECOND, SIR, YOU'LL BE NEXT. BUT I DID WANT CLAUDIA, IF I MAY. OKAY. UM, THE 300 FOOT BUFFER WAS A VERY IMPORTANT NUMBER FOR US. UM, AND WE UNDER, AND I HOPE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THAT WAS THE DENSITY COULD NOT BE CHANGED BECAUSE THERE STILL WAS ENOUGH BILLABLE LAND CURRENTLY TO PUT ALL THOSE UNITS IN. THEY JUST SHIFTED THE PLAN. UM, I, AND I SURE IF YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT FROM THE, THE CORNER OF BROOKSIDE IS A RECREATIONAL PARK. YEP. AND YEP. AND THERE'S AND, AND JUST TO THE TWO ADJOINING RESIDENTIAL PARCELS OF THAT PARK, UM, I BELIEVE THE DELINEATIONS NOW ARE ONE 70 AND ONE 90, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, FROM THE, THE CLOSEST, THE CLOSEST CORNER RESIDENTIAL LOT. YEAH. THE, THE TO A BUILDING IS 170 FEET. YEAH. AROUND THE CORNER. AND THEN CLOSER DOWN TO MELVILLE TO THAT HOME THAT HAS A SWIMMING POOL. THE CLOSEST UNIT IS 196 FEET FROM THEIR BACK CORNER PROPERTY LINE. AND, AND EXTREME CONSIDERATION WAS PUT INTO THOSE, THE THREE BUILDINGS ADJACENT TO BROOKSIDE. AND WITH THAT SWALE THAT NOW RUNS THROUGH WITH ITS 300 FOOT BUFFER, UM, IT, IT ACTUALLY CREATES UPWARDS OF AN 800 FOOT VISTA FROM THE BACKYARDS OF, OF THE FELLOW NEIGHBORS OF, OF THAT PARK AS YOU GO NORTH. UM, THESE AREN'T, THESE AREN'T GREAT THINGS. I'M NOT SAYING THIS FOR, FOR, UH, ANY FANFARE. I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT UNDER THE CURRENT CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE ALL PUT IN, UM, AND, AND THE MAP AS IT LAYS OUT, UH, I FEEL THAT THIS IS THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO SATISFY OUR OBLIGATIONS BY MARCH 15TH. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IF WETLANDS COMES IN WITH EVEN, EVEN FURTHER FURTHER RESTRICTIONS, THAT'S WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND AMEND POTENTIALLY. AND I THINK THEN JUST REAL 'CAUSE OF THAT. YEAH, SURE. I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION, RIGHT? BECAUSE NONE OF US ARE EXPERTS IN THIS. YEAH. BUT IN THE LAST THREE MEETINGS, IT WAS DRILLED TO US. REDEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT. WE'RE GONNA GET THE 300 FOOT BUFFER. THAT'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A REDEVELOPMENT. YOU REZONED IT, WE LOST A 300 FOOT BUFFER. SO THAT'S THE MISTRUST AND THE MIS. SO IF ANY INFORMATION THAT THAT GETS OUT THERE, RIGHT? IF, IF ANY OF THAT COMMENT CAME FROM ME, WE ARE ABLE TO CONTROL A NUMBER OF THINGS BETTER THROUGH REDEVELOPMENT THEN JUST THROUGH A STANDARD BLACK AND WHITE ZONING DOCUMENT. UM, WE CANNOT CONTROL THE NUMBER OF UNITS OUT HERE BECAUSE OF THE COURT MANDATE AND 'CAUSE OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS AND THE CONSENT ORDER AND WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT DEP MAY DO. THOSE ARE TWO OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL. BUT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE SHOWN IN THE PLAN, THE AMENITY AREAS, [02:30:01] THE DESIGN AND THE COMP, THE COMPOSITION OF THE BUFFERS AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO ON THE TOWN'S WEBSITE AND LOOK AT THE REDEVELOPMENT PLANS, COMPARE THEM WITH OTHER TOWN'S REDEVELOPMENT PLANS OR WRITTEN ZONING. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT. I CHOSE BEDFORD FOR A REASON, OTHERWISE I WOULD'VE BEEN IN MALOR. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I WAS, I WAS INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTED WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT THAT DITCH HAD TO HAVE A 300 FOOT WIDE. BUT THAT WASN'T ANYTHING NEW. IT WAS TALKED ABOUT IT, RESIDENTS BROUGHT IT UP THAT, AND THAT WAS NOT WHERE DISTRUST COMES. AND THAT'S WHERE THE FRUSTRATION COMES. 'CAUSE WE COME HERE, WE TALK ABOUT IT, WE, WE, WE SAY DON'T DO IT, YOU DO IT ANYWAY AND THEN WE LOSE. RIGHT. SO THE FIRST SEVERAL PLANS THAT I HAD SEEN, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU SAW A PLAN THAT HAD A 300 FOR BUFFER, ALL THE PLANS THAT WE HERE, YOU WANT IT, WE SAW THROUGH, I'M SORRY, A 300 FOOT BUFFER TO THE DITCH, IT'S TO BROOKSIDE. NO, NO, NO. I I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF THE PLANS HAD A 300 FOOT BUFFER HERE BECAUSE THERE WAS A 50 FOOT BUFFER ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS DITCH. DEPI GET IT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WHERE DISTRUST COMES, RIGHT? AND THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND, AND THAT'S JUST FRUSTRATING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE COME HERE, WE SPEND OUR TIME, WE ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND THEN WE TURN AROUND AND MAYBE YOU, YOU, YOU SAY YOU WEREN'T INVOLVED. I'M NOT SAYING IT WAS YOU, IT'S THIS WHOLE PROCESS. WELL, BUT, BUT I WILL SAY, AND, AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO SOUND LIKE IT'S MISTRUST OR MISUNDERSTANDING, IT'S MISTRUST FROM US TO, TO THIS PROCESS. OKAY? BUT I WILL SAY THIS, NOW, THIS PLAN IS WHAT WE EXPECT AND HOPE WILL BE BUILT. UNFORTUNATE, NONE OF US. I HOPE IT'S NOT WELL. SO THAT NOTWITHSTANDING, BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS IF DEP COMES BACK AND THERE ARE ADDITIONAL CHANGES, THE PLAN MAY HAVE TO BE CHANGED. THE TOWN HAS THAT ABILITY. GOOD, BAD OR INDIFFERENT. ALL OF THIS IS AN EVOLVING PROCESS. WE ARE WORKING, WE HAVE BEEN CHARGED BY COUNSEL TO MAKE THIS THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE FOR THE COMMUNITY, GIVEN THE OUTSIDE INFLUENCES. IF THE COUNTY REQUIRES, IF THE COUNTY SAYS, NO, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO PUT SIDEWALKS IN OUR RIGHT OF WAY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. WE CAN'T CONTROL OUTSIDE AGENCIES LIKE DEP OR THE COUNTY. WE CAN CONTROL WHAT THESE UNITS LOOK LIKE. WE CAN CONTROL THE LANDSCAPING ON SITE. BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO EVOLVE THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND I CAN TELL YOU WE ARE TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. AND I KNOW THAT COUNCIL IS TRYING TO DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN FOR THE CARDS THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN DEALT. AND I KNOW THAT DOESN'T REALLY HELP MUCH, BUT I HOPE, I HOPE IT WASN'T MISUNDERSTANDING OR ANYTHING THAT I SAID WAS MISLEADING BEFORE, BECAUSE ALL THE PLANS THAT I SHOWED, AND I, WE WERE WRITING THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN SHOWING A 300 FOOT BUFFER TO BROOKSIDE WITH A VERY NARROW WETLAND BUFFER THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE SITE. AND THEN WE WERE ADVISED BY THE DEVELOPER TEAM THAT ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS AGREE THAT REPAIRING ZONE BUFFER HAS TO BE 300 FEET WIDE. AND TO NOT VIOLATE THE UNIT COUNT, THAT RESIDENTIAL BUFFER HAD TO BE REDUCED. SO IF THAT WAS MISUNDERSTANDING OR MISGUIDED ON MY PART, I APOLOGIZE. YEAH. AND, AND I WILL SAY, AND, AND I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND, LIKE WE'RE YOUR NEIGHBORS, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANT THIS TO AFFECT YOU. WE DON'T HAVE TO SEE IT EVERY DAY. YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE IT. I AGREE WITH YOU. WE DON'T LIVE THERE. RIGHT. BUT WE DO LIVE IN PARTS OF TOWNS THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY DEVELOPMENT. SO I, I DON'T, I I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT YOUR DIRECT NEIGHBORS, OUR HOMES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS. OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THIS. UM, CLEARLY YOU'RE BEARING THE BURDEN OF THAT. AND I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR THAT. UM, TO MR. TAYLOR'S POINT, WHEN THE RICK SITE WAS, I HOPE I'M USING THE RIGHT WORDS, AMENDED IN JUNE, MID-JUNE FROM THE SITE TO THE RICK SITE, THERE WAS A VERY SHORT WINDOW OF TIME ALREADY UNDER MASSIVE CONSTRAINTS. AND THE HOPE WAS TO HAVE THAT 300 FOOT BUFFER. AND WITH KNOWING THAT THE RIPARIAN ZONE WAS 50 FEET AT THE TIME, WE ARE, WE ARE DEALING WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE SITUATION THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW. UM, WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO POSITION, AND I'M SORRY SIR, IS IT THREE PROPERTIES? THE PURPLE, THE THREE BUILDINGS? YEAH, THE THREE BUILDINGS CLOSEST TO BROOKSIDE WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF ELEVATION, THE MOST AESTHETICS, THE BIGGEST BUFFERING. AND IF I DIDN'T SAY ELEVATIONS, I, I MEANT TO SAY, BUT, UM, WE ARE TERRIBLY SORRY THAT THIS IS HAPPENING. UM, BUT UNDER REDEVELOPMENT WE HAVE THESE CAPACITIES TO MAKE [02:35:02] A HORRIBLE SITUATION FOR YOU. AS GOOD AS IT PROBABLY COULD BE. AND I'M SORRY FOR THAT. BUT MAYBE TO HER POINT, WE NEED TO BE MORE CLEAR GOING FORWARD OF WHAT IS A HOPE AND WHAT IS A GUARANTEE. BECAUSE IT SEEMS YOU HEARD GUARANTEE. AND IF THAT WAS THE CASE, THEN YOU WERE MISLED. SO MAYBE GOING FORWARD WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE CLEAR THAT THIS IS OUR GOAL. WE HOPE TO HAVE 300 FOOT BUFFERS AND THEY WILL HAPPEN AS LONG AS, AND IF WE PUT MORE OF THOSE WORDS IN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S JUST MAKING THINGS MORE CLEAR BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO HAVE IT, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO THINK YOU DON'T, AND THEN COME DOWN HERE. OKAY. APPRECIATE VERY FAIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THAT. UM, THIS GENTLEMAN WAS NEXT AND THEN MARY LUCAS, AND THEN MA'AM I SAW YOUR HAND AND THEN SIR WILL COME TO YOU. AND DID YOU WANT TO GO ? IT DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU'S UP. OKAY, SIR. YEAH, YOU'RE DEFINITELY NEXT. HI, JOHN MCGEE, 20 CHARLES LANE. UM, I'VE LIVED, UH, 30 SOMETHING YEARS BOND BROOKSIDE IN NINE THREE. SO I'VE SEEN, UM, THE VARIOUS ITERATIONS OF THINGS THAT HAVE GONE ON. UM, I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THE MARKET RATE ISSUES. JUST, UM, THE, THE THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT'S, THAT'S FIXED, BUT YOU, IS THE RATIO OF MARKET RATE TO AFFORDABLE RATE, IS THAT IN THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DECREE THAT'S COME DOWN OR IS THAT A NUMBER THAT'S MADE UP? NOT MADE UP, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, FACTORED INTO, BECAUSE WE WON'T GET A DEVELOPER TO COME IN UNLESS THEY CAN BUILD A CERTAIN NUMBER. SO ALL OF THOSE CALCULATIONS OF THE MARKET RATE UNITS AND THE AFFORDABLE UNITS WERE SET FORTH IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN, UH, JUNE AND AMENDED IN DECEMBER OF 2025. SO ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS, THE MAXIMUM NUMBERS PER SITE AND THE NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS ON EACH SITE, WERE ALL APPROVED LAST YEAR AS PART OF THAT PLAN. AND THOSE ARE, THOSE NUMBERS REMAIN IDENTICAL WITH ONE EXCEPTION. UM, THE KIRBY'S MILL STALL SITE HAD 2 0 1 TOTAL THAT HAS BEEN REDUCED BY THREE BECAUSE THOSE THREE SINGLE FAMILY LOTS THAT FRONT ON CHURCH RIGHT NEAR KIRBY'S MILL HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED AND WILL BE PRESERVED. OKAY. UM, SO THEN IF YOU WERE TO KEEP THE SAME NUMBER ON, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RICK TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE'RE OUTSIDE PEOPLE. UM, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE THE SAME NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE UNITS, BUT SAY I'M GOING FROM 239 MARKET UNITS TO 200 MARKET UNITS, WOULD YOU BE IN VIOLATION? WOULD THE TOWN BE IN VIOLATION? I WILL DEFER TO COUNSEL ON THAT ONE TOO SOON. SET. UM, IT'LL DEPEND ON, UM, THE UNITS ELSEWHERE. IT'LL DEPEND ON COULD NEGOTIATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER WELL GO FORWARD, UM, AS MR. TAYLOR ALSO, UM, FAIR SHARE, WE'LL HAVE AN ARGUMENT TO BE MADE. THEY WANT US TO BUILD MORE MARKET RATE UNITS. THEY WANT THE DEVELOPER TO SUCCESSFULLY BUILD AFFORDABLE UNITS. THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT. AND TO DO THAT THEY WILL ARGUE THAT IF YOU CAN'T REDUCE THAT MANY BECOME AN EFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PRODUCT, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE GONNA, THAT DOESN'T MEAN, AND I THINK WHATEVER WE SPOKE TO YOU BRIEFLY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A SLIGHT REDUCTION IS NOT GONNA REACH THAT LEVEL, UM, BASED ON THE OVERALL PLAN OF THE SHIP AND HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING IT. UM, BUT 30 OR 40 UNITS, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT COULD BE A PROBLEM. UM, AND WE'LL HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT AS WE GO. YEAH. OKAY. UM, SO I THINK YOU HIT ON THE UH, POINT THAT I WAS MOST INTERESTED IN JUST A MOMENT AGO WHEN YOU SAID, 'CAUSE THE LAFFERTY DEAL WENT SOUTH, WE HAD TO PIVOT TO THIS RICK'S AUTO BODY SITE LATE. YES SIR. AND I THINK IF WE HADN'T PIVOTED TO IT LATE, TELL ME IF I'M WRONG, IF WE HADN'T PIVOTED TO IT LATE AND WE HAD ANOTHER YEAR AND WE FOUND OUT EVERYTHING WE KNOW NOW, WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T PICK THIS SITE WITH THE WAY WE'RE SHOEHORNING UNITS IN. IT'S NOT A GOOD RIGHT. IT'S NOT REALLY IT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT WAS NOT OUR FIRST SITE. IT WAS NOT OUR FIRST SITE. EXACTLY. YEAH. AND, AND I THINK KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW NOW, WE IT, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD PICK THAT SITE. UM, AND THEN I HAVE SORT OF A, A, A TECHNICAL QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW, I KNOW RICK SOME BECAUSE I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 30 YEARS AND EVERY TIME HE'S OUT DOING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, I BACK RIGHT UP TO HIS COWS AND I LIKE IT. I LIKE THE COWS AND I, I LIKE RICK, EVERY TIME HE'S OUT THERE DOING SOMETHING, I GO OUT AND TALK TO HIM, DO STUFF. UM, I'VE WORKED FOR ENGINEERS WHO WORK FOR DEVELOPERS ALL THE TIME, AND FARMERS ARE THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE BUSINESS. THEY KNOW, THEY KNOW. DON'T, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T FOOL THEM. AND SO I KNOW THAT ON [02:40:01] THAT PROPERTY, BECAUSE IT'S A FARM, YOU CAN DO THINGS ON A FARM PROPERTY THAT YOU CAN'T DO ON A PROPERTY OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO LAND USE AND UH, WETLANDS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO ARE AC ARE CONDITIONS THAT EXIST OR IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE MADE TO A PROPERTY WHEN IT IS A FARM, DO THEY, NOR TO THE FUTURE PROPERTY OWNER, LIKE YOU CAN, YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS. UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE ALONG THAT BUFFER, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY A 50 FOOT BUFFER, NOW IT'S 150 FOOT BUFFER ON EITHER SIDE. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, FILLING THAT'S TAKEN PLACE THERE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. PROBABLY A COUPLE THOUSAND YARDS MATERIAL BROUGHT IN ALONG THOSE AREAS. UM, AS RICK WAS EXTENDING HIS FENCE FOR THE LIVESTOCK, WHICH GOOD FOR HIM. UM, BUT DOES THAT NOW FACTOR INTO, IS THAT, IS FILLING IN SOME OF THAT WETLAND AND FILLING IN SOME OF THAT EXISTING WETLAND BUFFER NOW MADE THE BOUNDARIES OF THE WETLAND SMALLER THAN THEY OTHERWISE WOULD'VE BEEN IF IT WEREN'T A FARM, SO THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN OUT FURTHER AND THE 150 FEET WOULD'VE BEEN OUT FARTHER? I DON'T, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD. YEAH, YEAH. UM, THE OTHER QUESTION IS, I KNOW THEY WERE DOING PERK TESTS WITH TEST BITS OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, BUT THE, THE FIELD BEHIND US IS HISTORICALLY A WETLAND WHERE WHERE'S RIGHT, RIGHT BEHIND BROOKSIDE, IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT ALL THE OLD AERIALS AND THERE'S A FIELD DRAIN IN THERE NOW. AND THAT'S MOSTLY WHEN I DEAL WITH RICK BECAUSE HE'S ALWAYS OUT THERE WORKING ON HIS FIELD DRAIN. SO THAT FIELD DRAIN'S GOTTA COME OUT, RIGHT. I MEAN THAT'S, YES, YOU CAN'T, AND THEN IF THAT COMES OUT, THAT WOULD REVERT, THAT NATURALLY WOULD REVERT TO A WETLAND BECAUSE IT'S ONLY DRAINED. I MEAN IT'S WET. THAT'S WHY HE'S ALWAYS WORKING. I MEAN, I KNOW 'CAUSE I I LIVE THERE. HE'S ALWAYS WORKING ON THE FIELD DRAIN BECAUSE IT'S FAILING AND IT'S, AND THE WHOLE SITE'S GOT STANDING WATER ON IT. UM, SO I THINK THOSE ARE OTHER FACTORS THAT WHEN WE, WHEN THE, YOU KNOW, IF THIS, I KNOW THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS GONNA GET SUBMITTED, THERE'S NO WAY AROUND THAT. BUT WHEN IT GETS TO ENGINEERING AND THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. IF, IF IT'S DETERMINED THAT THAT'S WETLAND AS WELL, THEN YOU KNOW, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO AMEND TO PRODUCE THE UNITS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT, AT THAT POINT, YOU CAN'T PUT 'EM ANY CLOSER TO US THAN NORMALLY ARE, WILL MAKE THAT DECISION ON EXACTLY WHERE THE WETLANDS AND THE BUFFERS ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE. NOT THAT THAT REALLY IS RIGHT. BUT I MEAN, I THINK TOTALLY THEIR JURISDICTION. RIGHT. BUT DOES THAT HAVE TO BE FACTORED IN THAT WHEN THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HISTORIC WETLANDS WILL, WILL, WILL, WOULD OTHER THAN DEVELOPMENT, NATURALLY RESTORE WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU PULL THAT FIELD DRAIN, THAT'S, THAT AREA WOULD BE THE DEP ABOUT EVALUATE ALL THAT? YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, JUST GONNA CHECK MY NOTES. SORRY. SURE. YEAH. I JUST WANNA THANK ALL THE COUNCIL AND ALL THE PROFESSIONALS FOR SERVING. UM, I KNOW YOU GET TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE LIKE US ALL THE TIME COMPLAINING ABOUT THINGS. UM, I'VE SAT ON YOUR SIDE. I KNOW WHAT IT'S, WHAT IT'S LIKE. BUT UM, AND I HAVE NO PROBLEM. I MEAN, WE THINK WE SHOULD HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, IN, IN EVERY COMMUNITY, UM, TO SOME EXTENT. AND IF WE HAD PLANNED FOR IT BETTER IN THE PAST, WE'D BE IN A BETTER POSITION NOW. AND I HAVE NO GRIPES WITH RICK TRYING TO GET MONEY FOR HIS FAMILY. THAT'S ALL GOOD TOO. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE DEVELOPERS HAVE TO EAT IT, THE LITTLE, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE MUCH SYMPATHY FOR THAT. . THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU SIR. MAYOR, I HAVE A QUESTION. YES, SIR. MR. TAYLOR, I'M SORRY, I DO HAVE A QUESTION THOUGH. GO LOOKING BACK AT LISTEN TO EVERYONE AND JUST LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS AGAIN FOR RICK'S SITE. SO RICK'S SITE WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE 48 AFFORDABLE UNITS. CORRECT. SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS HAS THAT IT HAS BEEN FOR EACH AFFORDABLE UNIT, THE DEVELOPER IS PERMITTED TO BUILD FOR MARKET RATE. IS THAT MS AM I CORRECT IN THAT? SO OUR OFFICE, I, I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO MR. NOEL, HIS OFFICE TO PREPARE THE HOUSING ELEMENT. AND THAT'S WHERE ALL THE CALCULATIONS AND THE RATIOS, UH, WERE ESTABLISHED. MY CONCERN IS THAT WITH RICK'S, IT SEEMS THAT WE'RE FAR EXCEEDING THE 20% SET ASIDE FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS BEING AT 2 87. TO ME, FROM MY CALCULATIONS, THE 2 39 THAT YOU'VE REFERENCED IN HERE IS THE MARKET RATE SHOULD BE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS BECAUSE THE MARKET RATE SHOULD BE 192 MARKET RATE UNITS PLUS THE 48 AFFORDABLE UNITS FOR A [02:45:01] TOTAL OF 239 OR 240 TOTAL UNITS VERSUS WHAT'S IN YOUR PLAN. WHAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE PLAN IS A TOTAL OF 287 UNITS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, HANDOUT THAT I GAVE YOU LAST THURSDAY MM-HMM . YEP. I BELIEVE THAT EXPLAINS IT ALL IN THERE. AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT, AT IT GLOBALLY AS THREE SITES FOLLOW AS OPPOSED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL SITE AND TAKING INTO A W SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ALL THOSE NUMBERS IN TOTAL. TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THAT AND YEP. ALRIGHT, MR. KOCH, UM, WHAT WAS SITE MR. STAHL? MR. STAHL, YOU MAY I DON'T JUST GO BY FIVE MINUTES THOUGH. UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAIT THEN FOR, FOR ADDITIONAL PEOPLE TO GO OR, OKAY. NO, THAT'S FINE. MR. KOCH, WHAT IT WAS IS WE USED, I'M SORRY, MR. EARL STAHL. YEAH, THANK YOU. 26 FOSTER TOWN ROAD. WHAT WE USED THE, UH, LAFFERTY SITE, WE BASICALLY REPLACED EXACTLY RIGHT WHAT WAS ON THE LAFFERTY SITE INTO THE RICK SITE. SO THE NUMBERS REALLY WERE INCUBATED FROM THAT ORIGINAL SUBMISSION OF THE ELEMENT PLAN. SO YOU YEP. UM, I DO WANT TO GO BACK TO THE ORDER OF MARY LUCAS. I, I LIVED AT WINGATE, UH, FOR SEVEN, I'M SORRY, MARY LUCAS. OH, I'M SORRY AGAIN. MARY LUCAS, 2 0 7 TAUNTON BOULEVARD. UM, I LIVED AT WINGATE AND UM, I WAS THERE AND I WAS PART OF PHASE TWO IN, IN THE BUILDING OVER THERE. I MET CHRIS THERE. UM, WE HAD 257 HOMES THERE. 30 OF THOSE WERE AFFORDABLES. BOB MEYER BUILT THE COMMUNITY AND THE BUILDING OF THAT WAS CONTINGENT UPON THE, THE AFFORDABLES. AND IF YOU WERE TO GO TO THAT COMMUNITY, I DON'T KNOW ANY OF YOU WHO MIGHT HAVE DRIVEN THROUGH THERE AT ANY TIME, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REALLY DIFFERENTIATE THE AFFORDABLES FROM THE MARKET VALUE PROPERTIES. AND I GIVE BOB ALL THE CREDIT IN THE WORLD BECAUSE THERE WAS A RESPECT FOR PEOPLE THAT I THINK IS REALLY VITAL THAT, YOU KNOW, I WHAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT SOUNDS LIKE THE AFFORDABLES ARE GETTING THE WALMART VERSION OF THINGS AND THE FAIR MARKET PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE NORDSTROM'S AND I FIND THAT REALLY OFFENSIVE THAT I DON'T WANNA WALK DRIVE INTO A COMMUNITY AND THEN HAVE A CLUSTER OF TRASH BINS BECAUSE THAT'S THE AFFORDABLES. AND THEN SOMEBODY OVER HERE HAS A VERY NEAT SETUP WITH THEIR RECYCLING AND TRASH GARAGE, WHATEVER. IT'S, IT JUST SOUNDS VERY DEGRADING AND ELITIST. AND I THINK IT'S REALLY OFFENSIVE. AND I HOPE THAT WHEN THE PLANNING GETS DOWN TO THE NITTY GRITTY, THAT THE AFFORDABLES ARE INTERSPERSED WITH THE FAIR MARKET VALUE PROPERTIES BECAUSE WINGATE IS A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY AND IF YOU WERE TO DRIVE THROUGH THERE, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TELL. AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A CLASS ACT NOT BECAUSE OF THE PRICE OF THOSE PROPERTIES, BUT HOW IT WAS DEVELOPED AND WITH THE THOUGHT AND CARE FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE DON'T DESERVE GOOD OR BETTER. AND I HOPE THAT THAT SENSE IS REALLY PART OF YOUR INSPIRATION GOING FORWARD WITH THIS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE DESERVE. UH, I JUST FEEL SAD THAT WHAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT SOUNDS VERY, YOU KNOW, UH, LOW CLASS OFFHAND THAT AFFORDABLES GET THE SHORT SHRIFT AND I DON'T LIKE THAT. AND I FEEL IT'S REALLY VERY OFFENSIVE. AND I, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE A RIDE THROUGH WINGATE, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. SO WHEN YOU DO YOUR DELIBERATIONS AND HOW PROPERTIES ARE PUT TOGETHER, UH, MAKE THAT PART OF YOUR DELIBERATIONS. THERE'S A DEVELOPMENT IN, UH, HAINESPORT MASON'S CREEK. THEY, WHEN THEY DID THEIR AFFORDABLES, THEY HAD, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OF SINGLE PROPERTIES OVER THERE, BUT IT'S QUITE LARGE. BUT THEIR AFFORDABLES ARE TOWN HOMES AND THEY'RE OFF TO THE SIDE. SO YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY THAT THEY'RE THE AFFORDABLES. I DON'T THINK ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO WEAR THE SIGN THAT SAYS I LIVE IN AN AFFORDABLE, AND THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND I THINK IT'S OFFENSIVE. WHY SHOULD THEY GET, YOU KNOW, A LESSER PROPERTY THAN SOMEONE ELSE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE STILL MAKING MONEY OFF THEM [02:50:01] AND MAKING MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY'RE A MORE FAIR MARKET VALUE PROPERTIES. SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PROFIT AND, AND I DON'T THINK A LOT OF FAIRNESS FOR THE AFFORDABLES. SO THE COMPOSITION, THE LAYOUT HAD ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN LAST YEAR. THE, THE MARKET RATE TOWN HOMES ARE A FEE SIMPLE TOWN HOME. THE AFFORDABLE TOWN HOMES ARE A STACKED UNIT THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT THAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TRIED TO REALLY STRIVE TO DO IN THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS MAKE SURE THAT THE LANDSCAPING, THE AMENITIES AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THOSE UNITS WORK AS, AS MUCH AS THEY CAN TO HAVE THESE UNITS BLEND IN WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY. IT'S ALSO, AND, AND WINGATE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND AGREED ON EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT BOB MEYER. UM, FOR DECADES I GREW UP BEFORE DEERBROOK WAS BUILT MM-HMM . SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS, THAT WAS A BIG CHANGE IN TOWN. UM, YES, I AM THAT OLD. AND ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES HERE IS THESE ARE ALL FEE SIMPLE LOTS AND I THINK THEY WERE ALL FEE SIMPLE SINGLE FAMILIES AND AS WELL, INCLUDING THE AFFORDABLES MM-HMM UM, THE TOWNSHIP IN READING THE HOUSING ELEMENT THAT WAS ADOPTED, UM, THE STACK TOWNHOUSES ARE A RENTAL UNIT. UM, SO IT IS A SMALLER UNIT, BUT THE TOWNSHIP WAS ABLE TO GET BONUS CREDITS FOR THOSE TO TRY TO KEEP THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITS DOWN, UM, BY PROVIDING THOSE AS THREE BEDROOM RENTAL UNITS. SO THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE IN 2025 AS PART OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT BEFORE. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW WITH THE, THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS MAKE SURE THAT THE AMENITIES AND SITTING AREAS FOR THOSE PORTABLE UNITS ARE AS NICE AS THEY CAN BE. THE LANDSCAPING AND THE ARCHITECTURE IS CONSISTENT TO MINIMIZE THOSE DIFFERENCES FROM THE COMMUNITY. UM, THAT WILL ALSO BE LOOKED AT AND, AND THE UAC THAT UNIFORM HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CONTROLS HAS REQUIREMENTS FOR WHAT HAS TO GO INTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS. SO IT'S NOT AN IDEAL SITUATION AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT IF THIS COULD HAVE LOOKED LIKE WINGATE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THE NUMBERS THAT HAD TO BE REACHED AND WHAT WAS UH, DEVELOPED IN THE HOUSING ELEMENT LAST YEAR, IT IS A, IT IS A DIFFERENT HOUSING TYPE. WILL IT HAVE THE SAME HOA UM, I DON'T THINK THE TERMS OF THAT, BUT ALSO I WANNA ADD THAT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE UAC REGULATIONS, BECAUSE STATE REGULATES EVERYTHING AND THAT'S ANOTHER THING THEY REGULATE. UM, FAIR HAS ALSO HAD TO REVIEW THOSE PROCESS. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE COURTS TO BE THE EXPERTS. THEY'RE ONES LOOK TO AND PROTECT AND UH, RULE IN THEIR FAVOR ON ALMOST EVERY SINGLE TIME. AND THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT, HOW A PRODUCT, THEY WANT THE PRODUCT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST OF A MARKET RATE AND THE COST OF DIFFERENT BILL AND THEY UNDERSTAND THEY'RE NOT IDENTICAL. UM, AND THEY UNDERSTAND AND THEY APPROVED THIS PLAN, UH, AS IT'S, UM, SO, AND THAT'S PART OF NEGOTIATIONS. I ASSUME I WASN'T PART OF IT, BUT IN ORDER TO PREPARE TO SIGN OFF ON IT, THEY WOULD'VE HAD TO. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WILL I HAVE THE SAME OF HOA WE HAVE NO IDEA. THAT'S NOT A, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE CONTROL OF. WELL, THAT WILL FURTHER DIFFERENTIATE THEM IS WHAT I'M SAYING. IF THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE SAME COMMUNITY, UH, THERE'RE GONNA BE SOME OF THEM IN RENTAL, SO THEY'LL BE OWNED SEPARATE. UH, AND THE HOA WILL I'M SURE BE INVOLVED. WELL I I, I JUST HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT HOW THAT WHOLE THING IS, IS PLAYING OUT. UM, AND IT SOUNDS VERY, IT DOESN'T HAVE A POSITIVE SOUND TO IT AND I CERTAINLY HOPE, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I'LL, I'M GONNA BE AT EVERY MEETING BECAUSE I WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THOSE UNITS AND HOW, HOW THEY'RE BEING TREATED AND HOW THEY'RE BEING DEVELOPED AND WHAT AMENITIES THEY HAVE BECAUSE THEY DESERVE THE SAME THING AS EVERYONE ELSE. I THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. YOU CAN GO FIRST AND THEN YOU'LL GO NEXT. YEAH. THE LADY BEHIND YOU WAS NEXT, I'M SORRY? HI. KELLY STENSON. 19 CHARLESER LANE. A COUPLE THINGS FIRST, THIS ACTUALLY WASN'T WHAT I WAS PLANNING ON, BUT YOU HAD SAID IT'S RENTAL PROPERTIES, ONE PORTION OF ONE OF THE PROJECTS. OKAY. BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY TO, JUST TO BACK UP ON THIS WITH [02:55:01] WHAT CLAUDIA SAID, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE ABSOLUTELY WERE TOLD THERE WOULD BE THAT 300 FOOT BUFFER AND QUITE FRANKLY IT COMES ACROSS AS EXTREMELY DUPLICITOUS THAT THERE'S NOW A CHANGE IN THIS. UM, AND NOW WE ALSO HAVE BEEN SOLD THAT THEY WOULD BE SOLD AND NOW HEARING THAT THEIR RENTALS, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY CAN CHANGE HOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VALUE THE PROPERTIES. SO IT JUST BECAME A BIT MORE CONCERNING THAN IT WAS WHEN I WALKED IN THE DOOR. UM, I AM CURIOUS THOUGH, WITH THE 48 REQUIRED THAT ARE GOING IN THERE AND THAT FOUR TO ONE THAT IS, SO WE'VE ALREADY DISCOVERED THAT THE NUMBER'S HIGHER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE. WE ALSO HAVE BEEN TOLD FROM DAY ONE, IF YOU LIVE IN BROOKSIDE, THAT THAT'S WET LANDS. I MEAN EVEN 21 YEARS AGO WE MOVED IN, HAVE I EVER DONE THE STUDIES? NO TO ADDRESS THAT. THAT WOULD BE WEIRD. BUT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT, AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN TOLD BY OUR NEIGHBOR RICK, THAT ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THEY HAVE WETLAND ISSUES WITH THAT PROPERTY. AND AGAIN, THAT'S NEIGHBOR TALKING TO NEIGHBOR. SO TAKE THAT AS IT IS. BUT MY POINT BEING IS IF WE REALIZE THAT IT'S WETLAND IN THERE AND WE SUDDENLY NEEDED TO MOVE EVERYTHING AND WE'VE GONE FROM 300 AS WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE TO 50 AND WE HAVE THESE EXTRA IN THERE, WHY QUITE FRANKLY CAN'T THAT LITTLE CLIP OF LAND, WE GO BACK AND RENEGOTIATE WITH OUR DEVELOPER AND SAY, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT NOW. I MEAN, QUITE FRANKLY EVERYTHING'S NEGOTIABLE AND THAT'S US WILLING TO PLAY NICELY IN THE SANDBOX WITH EVERYBODY BECAUSE NONE OF US LIKE THIS. UM, BUT WE ALSO REALIZE WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE NOT AT THE RATIO THAT WE HAVE TO BE BASED UPON SETTLEMENT AND ALL OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE DOING AND YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IT, IT SHOULD LOOK THE SAME. 'CAUSE IF NOT, IT SUDDENLY BECOMES MORE OF A LITTLE DRIBBLE OF LOW INCOME AND SUDDENLY WITH HEARING RENTAL AND THAT THING, IT, IT'S COMING ACROSS AS THAT AND IT'S VERY DISCONCERTING. SO THAT WOULD BE MY BIGGEST THING. LIKE WHY CAN'T WE GO BACK WHEN WE KNOW THAT UM, WE HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF TWO 40 TO 2 87 AND WE HAVE THAT AREA THAT WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IS WETLAND. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE THAT 300 FOOT, WHY COULD NOT, WHY COULDN'T WE GO BACK AND NEGOTIATE THAT POINT AND GET OUR 300 BUFFER? IT PROBABLY MAKES SOME OF US WAY MORE HAPPIER THAN WE'RE FEELING AT THIS MOMENT. AND IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'S A RELATIVELY EASY THING TO ADDRESS. ONE MORE THING, IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TIMELINE IS. I SEE THIS AND SOMEBODY HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK AND I RESPECT THAT AND I RESPECT WHAT ALL OF YOU ARE DOING. AND THEN I HEAR WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE STUDIES COME IN, WHICH I'M LIKE, WOW, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME SPENT WITHOUT EVEN HAVING THE STUDIES IN PLACE. AND I UNDERSTAND THINGS HAVE TIMELINES, SO I GET THAT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SAID WAS, WELL, WE'RE GONNA DO SIDEWALKS SO WE CAN INTEGRATE THE COMMUNITIES AND THEY CAN GO DOWNTOWN. NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER WANT A CHILD CROSSING ROUTE 70 TO GO DOWNTOWN. SO IT SEEMS ALSO LIKE AN EXCESSIVE EXPENDITURE THAT COULD BE PUT INTO MOVING THINGS, BUFFERS, THINGS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US. AND THAT'S BASICALLY IT. THANK YOU MA'AM. UM, I, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE TOPICS YOU BROUGHT UP IF THAT'S OKAY. OF COURSE. 'CAUSE YOU STILL HAVE SOME TIME. I DON'T WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME. UM, BUT MR. NOLAN, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US A 30,000 FOOT VIEW ON HOW THE NUMBERS AND, AND THE, I'LL USE THE WORD DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE AFFORDABLE UNITS AND MARKET RATE UNITS ON RICK'S TRANSLATE BACK TO ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS. 'CAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE BUILDING ADDITIONAL MARKET RATE HOMES THEN THIS, THEN THE SET ASIDE NEEDS TO THE, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, THE FOURTH ROAD SHARE PLAN SUMMARY, THERE'S 788 UNITS BEING, UH, DEVELOPED 149 OR AFFORDABLE. I TAKE 20% OF 78, 78, 7 88. IT'S 157. SO THAT'S WHY I SAID GLOBALLY THERE'S ACTUALLY EIGHT LESS UNITS THAN 20%. SO 1840 5%. SO, AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND AS A RESIDENT OF BROOKS, I'M SORRY, [03:00:01] YOU'RE A RESIDENT OF BROOKS, CORRECT? YES. CORRECT. YES. UM, THAT YOU ARE BEING MIS IN PROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY THE AMOUNT OF MARKET RATE HOMES ON A SITE ADJACENT TO YOU. WE ARE, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS OF THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF ALMOST DISRESPECTFUL TO THE RESIDENTS BECAUSE YOU NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT AND IT'S FOUR TO ONE. SO LET'S PLAY FAIR WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF THAT FOUR TO ONE. THAT ONLY SEEMS FAIR AND RESPECTFUL. AND I, AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THAT AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IS WE HAD NO INTENTION OF UTILIZING RICK'S FOR THIS ROUND WHEN LAFFERTY FELL OUT. WE NEEDED TO TAKE THE EXACT NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WERE SET FOR RICK'S, I'M SORRY, LAFFERTY AND MOVE THEM TO RICK'S, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE SEEING THE OVERLAY THAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW AND WHY IT DOESN'T FIT. BECAUSE IT, WE WERE JUST GRASPING FOR SOMETHING. IT DOESN'T FIT. WE, I, AND I DON'T WANT TO MISSTATE THE DATE, BUT I THINK IT WAS THE DECEMBER 31ST DEADLINE TO FORGIVE MY KNIFE. THE DAY HERE WAS TO ADOPT THE FAIR SHARE PLAN. WELL, AND ONE MUST WONDER WHERE SOMETHING FELL THROUGH BETWEEN THE CONTRACTOR AND LAFFERTY, WHICH IT PROBABLY WAS ABOUT MONEY. UM, AND NOW WE'RE MOVING TO ANOTHER SITE. SO I MEAN THAT WITHIN ITSELF JUST MAKES EVERYTHING FEEL NOT FORT, RIGHT IT JUST, LIKE I SAID, THE 300 IS THE THING THAT KIND OF SET US ALL OFF WHERE THIS IS EXTREMELY DUPLICITOUS BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD WE TRULY WERE, AND THERE CAN'T BE THIS MANY PEOPLE FROM ONE NEIGHBORHOOD SAYING LIKE WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE THERE. WE WERE KIND OF LIKE, AH, IT'S AN GREATEST THING, BUT WE WANT TO PLAY WELL WITH EVERYBODY. WE'RE GONNA KEEP GOING IF YOU'RE OKAY. UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THIS IS NOT CONCESSION BY ANY STRETCH, I JUST WANT TO JUST, THE PLAN IS IT'S LAID OUT TODAY WITH THE 300 FOOT BUFFER OF THE, UM, WE'RE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA CALL THAT? MR. TAYLOR WETLAND DITCH. WETLAND DITCH. NOW, NOW THAT THAT'S REQUIRED, THE, THE CLOSEST TO ANY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, NOT NECESSARILY NOT EVEN A BUILDING, BUT THE PROP CORNER PROPERTY CLOSEST TO THE PARK IS 170 AND 192. UM, BECAUSE THERE'S THAT OPEN VISTA FOR THE REMAINING RESIDENCE ALONG THAT SIDE OF THE PARCEL. UM, AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS A GOOD THING, BUT YOU, THERE IS AN INCREASED BUFFER GREATER THAN 300 FEET. IT'S ABOUT 800 I BELIEVE IS THE NUMBER. UM, SO WE UNDERSTAND IT PUT A LOT OF CONSTRAINT ON PRIMARILY THE TWO NEIGHBORS CLOSEST TO THAT, THAT CORNER PARK. THEY ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF, OF THIS WETLANDS INCREASE A HUNDRED PERCENT. UM, BUT THAT WETLANDS INCREASE DID NOT, IT, IT KEPT THE NUMBER OF UNITS REQUIRED IN THE FAIR SHARE PLAN. WE HAD TO BUILD, WE HAD TO ALLOW FOR THAT NUMBER OF UNITS ON THIS PARCEL. AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT A GREAT ANSWER, BUT I'M, I'M JUST, I THAT IS, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AT. RIGHT? BUT THEY'VE MOVED THE PLAN. SO WHY CAN'T THOSE ADDITIONAL BE MOVED TO THE OTHER PARCEL, AND I KNOW I'M OUT OF TIME. YEAH. AND YEAH, THAT'S OKAY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I DO APPRECIATE IT. NO PROBLEM. NO PROBLEM. I, I DO WANT TO, IF YOU'RE OKAY, UM, YOU HAD BROUGHT UP THE, THE TRAIL, THE, AND, AND LIKE, WHAT LOGIC WOULD A ANYONE USE TO BRING CHILDREN 70? UM, AND BELIEVE ME, UM, AS MR. KORN STATED, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SEGMENTS OF A, OF A GREATER PLAN THAT'S BEING ENGINEERED FOR THE COUNTY. SO, UM, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH LIKE ATLANTIC COUNTY, RIGHT? THERE'S A, THERE'S A TRAIL THAT RUNS THROUGH ALL OF ATLANTIC COUNTY, GOES THROUGH LINWOOD, NORTHFIELD, UM, IT LIKE KIND OF MIRRORS ROUTE NINE. UM, THAT WAS NOT A ONE SHOT YIELD. THEY DIDN'T BUILD THAT ALL AT ONE TIME. THE, THE COMPONENTS OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WE'RE ENACTING TO ENHANCE THAT TRAIL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEGMENTS AT A TIME. LUMBERTON IS GONNA HAVE TO DO THEIR PART. UM, PARTS OF FLYING W ARE PART OF THIS, I BELIEVE MR. TAYLOR. UM, BUT TO YOUR POINT, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THIS TRAILER ROUTE 70 AND YOUR KIDS CAN, OUR KIDS ARE GONNA BE RUN OVER CROSSING THEIR BIKE ON ROUTE 70. THAT'S INSANE. RIGHT. UM, WHAT'S THE, YEAH, WHAT'S THE PRO PROGRAM? I'M SORRY, THE HALFWAY, UH, MR. TAYLOR MENTIONED IT, BUT THERE'S A TAX GRANT THAT WE, WE RECEIVED IN, UH, CONSULTANT WORKING ON IT NOW. AND THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY, OBVIOUSLY THE KEY [03:05:01] POINT IS THE CROSSING OF THE YEAH. AND THEY'RE WORKING DILIGENTLY WITH DOT, WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS COOPERATIVE, BUT THAT'S A KEY POINT. SO WE CAN GET PEDESTRIANS AND THE BIKE WAS, BICYCLE IS SAFELY A CROSS ROUTE 70. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON. AND THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS NOT OFFICIAL MATTERS. GOTCHA. BUT JUST HEAR ME OUT ON THIS ONE. WHEN I WAS A KID AND I WOULD RIDE MY BIKE FROM TABERNACLE TO MEDFORD, YOU WOULD GET DOWN STOKES ROAD, AND THE ONLY WAY YOU WOULD GET A CROSS ROUTE 70 IS GOING THROUGH A COW TUNNEL. YEAH. SO THERE'S COW TUNNELS THERE. IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE GONNA USE THOSE. THERE'S POSSIBILITIES TO CONNECT THE VILLAGE TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR NEW, OUR NEW NEIGHBORS AND OUR EXISTING NEIGHBORS. YOU AS WELL, TO GET YOU SAFELY FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF MEDFORD INTO THE VILLAGE. UM, THOSE ARE PARTS OF THIS PLAN THAT WE ARE NOT DISCUSSING TODAY. RIGHT. BUT ARE CLEARLY OUR, OUR MINDS. UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE KIDS CROSSROADS 70 ON THEIR BIKE. WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROVIDE A SAFE ACCESS FROM THESE TRAILS INTO THE VILLAGE IN DUE TIME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. YEAH. UM, WE HAVE ONE OVER HERE. YEAH. GOOD. YOU WOULD HAVE TO SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE. I'M JUST VERY LOUD. OKAY. UM, GO RIGHT AHEAD. GO RIGHT AHEAD. NO, GO FOR IT. GO FOR IT. SO MY QUESTION IS JUST YOUR NAME, KAREN ANTE. OKAY. HOLLY DRIVE. OKAY. I ALSO LIVE HERE. BUT MY QUESTION IS A REALLY COMMENT TO MICHELLE'S COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT LOOKING AT MEDFORD. I WAS BORN HERE, MY FATHER, UNDER ANY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OUR YOUNG FAMILY WAS FOR BY THIS COMMUNITY. AND I MOVED BACK. TWO, SOME FRIENDS THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY. TAXES ARE WHERE I MOVED FROM. BUT MY POINT IS THIS, IF WE WERE TO LOOK 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, THE HELICOPTER VIEW OF , WHAT TYPE OF EFFORTS CAN WE MAKE? NOW, AS YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT TRYING TO SPEAK WITH OUR FARMERS, THE WERE FOUND FRIENDS OF MY FATHER. WE WENT TO PARTIES THERE ALL THE TIME FOR MURDER. UM, ALL THESE PROPERTIES MENTIONED TONIGHT, FIND WI HEARD FRIDAY THERE, OKAY. I PLAN TO JOIN THIS FEDERAL SOCIETY. AND I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT STRETCH DEVELOPED. BUT I ALSO LOVE SITTING ATLAND. I LOOKING ACROSS AT THAT THE BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWERS ALL THE WAY TO MY DAUGHTER'S FARM. SO I HAVE EMPATHY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE HERE. I READ THE COMMENTS REGARD HOW WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PACKAGE AND, AND, AND PRESENT LOW INCOME HOUSING. BUT IS THERE AN EFFORT NOW, YOU CAN LOOK INTO THE FUTURE, TO THE FARMS LEFT, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HERE HAVE SPECIFIC ISSUES BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE BACKED UP TO THESE PROPERTIES. BUT FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN, I CAN TELL YOU, I RECENTLY WORKED ON THE, UM, PRESERVATION OF THE RESERVE. THE LAND SURROUNDING THE TOWN OF EHAM, WORKED WITH THE PINE ALLIANCE, AND TODAY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT A PRIVATE, UH, CONSERVATION COMPANY CAME IN. SO 850 ACRES ARE SAVED BEHIND MEDFORD, YOU KNOW, OUT IN CENTENNIAL, UM, A HUNDRED ACRES WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY THE CHO FARM UP IN, UM, SPRINGFIELD, BURLINGTON COUNTY, THAT FARM. SO MY QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE OUR RESIDENTS FEEL BETTER OVERALL, HOW ARE WE LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE FOR WHERE ALL THESE FARM ARE? AND HAS MEDFORD GOTTEN ITS SHARE OF PRESERVED FARMLAND THROUGH THE COUNTY? AND WHERE DO I SIGN UP TO BE HERE AS A NEW RESIDENT WORKING ON CONSERVATION TO LOOK AT SPEAKING WITH SOME OF THESE PEOPLE? IRONICALLY, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON NEGOTIATING WITH TIES, I BELIEVE ARE, WERE INVOLVED IN THE PRESERVATION OF THIS PROPERTY OUT AROUND THE BLACK ROOM, AND IN FACT TOOK LESS MONEY. SO I REALIZE THAT THAT'S NOT REALISTIC. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ASK. RIGHT? I MEAN, IS THERE A WAY TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT, UM, DO WE HAVE A NEGOTIATOR, YOU KNOW, IN OUR TOWN THAT CAN GO AND LOOK AT THIS? I MEAN, I PERSONALLY WOULD PAY MORE TAXES. TWO, KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE THREE FARMS COULD BE PRESERVED ONE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE AN OFFERING TO THE TOWN RESIDENTS THAT NOT ALL THESE HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, BUILT ON? OR CAN WE MINIMIZE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO SAY IS, YOU KNOW, SPREADING IT AROUND AND NOT HAVING THE IMPACT DIRECTLY ON JUST CERTAIN COMMUNITIES. AND, YOU KNOW, MA'AM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. AND JUST, JUST SO WE CAN JUST PUT SOMETHING ON THE RECORD THERE. UM, CARRIE, [03:10:01] YOU LIVE IN, IN THE, AT OAKWOOD OAKWOOD OAK. RIGHT? SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THIS, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE CONCERNED. YEAH. WHAT ARE THE, WHAT ARE THE, WHAT'S THE POSSIBILITY OF LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE AND SEEING IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE NOW? UM, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DEPUTY MAYOR OF WHAT HE, HE STANDS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONCERNS WERE STATED ON THE RECORD. YEAH. OKAY. SO THERE'S A LOT WE CAN DO. AND I'M GONNA BE VERY HONEST WITH YOU. I AM EIGHT WEEKS INTO THIS JOB, . IT'S BEEN VERY INTERESTING. EIGHT WEEKS. UM, I MADE A STATEMENT EARLIER ON, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, I WISH, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THEN THAT EIGHT YEARS AGO, THE COUNCIL LOOKED AT THIS AND MADE SOME CHANGES. I WANNA TELL YOU THAT I'VE GOT AT LEAST THREE AND A HALF MORE YEARS ON THIS COUNCIL, AND I WILL BE LOOKING INTO THIS. IF YOU'VE GOT CONTACT FOR PRESERVATION, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL, CALL ME. I'LL GIVE YOU MY CARD AS SOON AS THIS IS OVER, DON'T LEAVE. UM, I WANNA CHECK INTO ALL OF THOSE THINGS. I, WE'VE CALLED PROJECT FREEDOM. WE'RE WORKING WITH ALL DIFFERENT GROUPS WHO COULD HELP, BUT ANYONE WHO HAS MORE INFORMATION, I'D BE A FOOL TO TURN IT DOWN. SO PLEASE DO REACH OUT. UM, WHO WAS THE RESIDENTS OF THOSE AREAS? MM-HMM . GOING TO THE TOWN MUSEUM AND ALL OF US POSTING, AND MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ALL MY POSTS ON FACEBOOK AND ALL WITH BULLDOZER COMING THROUGH AND THE WILDLIFE, BUT I UNDERSTAND THESE ARE DIFFERENT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT'S STILL THE SAME IDEA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE FARMLAND FOR THE REASON THAT WE MOVED HERE. YES. YOU KNOW, THAT WE LIKE DRIVING THROUGH, YOU KNOW, OUR BEAUTIFUL FARMS. ONE OF THE, OKAY. ONE OF THE THINGS MEDFORD CAN DO, AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS TO DO IT, UM, IS TO PRESERVE OUR OPEN SPACE. THE MORE OPEN SPACE LAND THAT WE HAVE PRESERVED, THE MORE LAND THAT CANNOT BE BOUGHT TO BE BUILT ON. UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER IT'S A REFERENDUM JUST IN INCREASING THE TAXES. UM, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE WAYS. SO IF WE CAN START BUYING UP OUR OPEN LAND, THEY'RE NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO BUILD ON. EXACTLY. SO THOSE ARE THINGS YOU'RE GONNA START HEARING ABOUT. WE NEED TO DO THAT. WE, YEAH. MAYOR, IF I COULD, UM, LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS, UH, THE COUNTY DOES HAVE A FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM. MM-HMM . WHERE THE COUNTY PURCHASES THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS OF A FARM, AND THEREFORE THE FARM IS, UM, AND THEY PAY THE PROPERTY OWNER FRONT FOR WHAT THEY COULD MAKE 10 YEARS FROM NOW. UM, AND IT HAS TO BE NEGOTIATED. UM, BUT THAT FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM, COUNTY, MIGHT BE ONE SOURCE THAT PROVIDE COMMUNITY CARE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I'LL THANK YOU. I, I, I BELIEVE THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO, UH, CAL POINT THUS FAR RECENTLY TO PRESERVE THAT, THAT AREA, UH, BRENNAN ROAD, THERE'S THREE FARMS ON BRENNAN, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH CALPOINT. AND YOU LOOK PAST, LIKE IF YOU'RE COMING DOWN HEMAL LINE AND YOU LOOK THROUGH CALPOINT, WHICH IS ALREADY PRESERVED, UM, THE OTHER SIDE IS BRENNAN, AND THEN THERE'S THREE FARMS BACK THERE. HOW WE HAVE OUR FARM ON THAT LIST, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LEGITIMATE FARM WITH GRILLED LAND. YOU SHOULD GO TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S MEETING BRIAN JOHNSON MILLION. YEAH. SERIOUSLY, HOW DO WE GET ON THAT LIST? I, I THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE. WOULDN'T YOU GUYS BE THE SUPPORTING WORLD BEHIND US PRESERVING OUR FARM? I, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA COVER THIS, BRIAN, I PROMISE YOU, I PROMISE YOU I SHOULD HAVE SAID IT WHEN HE WASN'T . SO THE TOWN FOR OPEN SPACE IN DECEMBER. YEAH. YEAH. SO, UM, THE, THE, WE AS MEDFORD TAXPAYERS PAY A, A MUNICIPAL LEVY THAT COVERS OUR BILLS, BUT WE ALSO PAY AN OPEN SPACE TAX. AND THAT MONEY IS FUNDED, IS, IS PUT IN A FUND TO BUY AND PRESERVE EITHER OPEN SPACE RICE OR OPEN SPACE LAND. CALPOINT WAS ONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES. THE PROPERTY, UM, JUST LAST YEAR WAS PRESERVED ACROSS FROM JOHNSON'S FARM. UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S A MECHANISM THERE TO UTILIZE COUNTY FUNDS IN ADDITION TO OUR FUNDS AND OF OPEN SPACE. BUT TO YOUR POINT, MA'AM, AND, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT YOU SAID IT, BUT I'LL SECOND YOU ON THIS ONE. I WOULD PROBABLY PAY MORE TAXES TOO, IF IT MEANT THAT WE COULD PRESERVE MORE LAND TO NOT HAVE THESE THINGS HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE ARE AT THE TOP OF OUR OPEN SPACE LEVY CAP, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH AN ORDINANCE PROCESS TO INCREASE THAT. UM, I'M ONLY ONE MEMBER OF COUNCIL. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN, JUST SO WE WOULD HAVE MORE AVAILABLE FUNDS. AND FOR SOME OF THE PRIVATE FUNDING, LIKE YES, YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S, WE SHOULD USE EVERY MECHANISM POSSIBLE. RIGHT? UM, AND THE WORK THAT MR. HORWELL HAS DONE WITH HIS TEAM TO, [03:15:01] UM, I WANT TO CALL IT UPDATE, BUT REALLY SET STRAIGHT, THE ROSSI, UM, RECREATION, OPEN SPACE INVENTORY, UM, THERE'S MANY ISSUES. IF YOU'VE BEEN COMING TO COUNCIL MEETINGS, THERE WAS PEOPLE'S HOMES ON OPEN SPACE THAT WEREN'T, SHOULDN'T BEEN MAPPED THAT WAY. SO, UM, ALL THAT WORK ALLOWS US TO ACCESS MORE OF OUR OPEN SPACE FUNDS, ALLOWS US TO BE REIMBURSED BY THE COUNTY. WHERE IS IT THE STATE? I'M SORRY, GREEN ACRES. GREEN ACRES, EXCUSE ME. UM, BUT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, IF, IF OUR GOAL IS TO PRESERVE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO INCREASE THE OPEN SPACE TAX RATE. UM, SO WE HAVE MORE FUNDS TO THEN MULTIPLY INTO THESE FARMS THROUGH PRES PRESERVATION OR, UM, BUILDING RIGHT. PRESERVATION IS, I THINK INDIAN ACRES IS THE SAME WAY. RIGHT. WE PRESERVED THE, WE BOUGHT THE BUILDING RIGHTS TO INDIAN ACRES HISTORIC PRESERVATION OPEN SPACE. YEAH. YEAH. SO, SO THAT IS A NUMBER ONE. AND I, I DIDN'T CATCH YOUR LAST NAME, BUT I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK. IT'S CALLED THROUGH MY EYES, THE STORY OF ROBERT BEDE. UM, IT'S A GREAT BOOK. I THINK THERE'S ONLY 12 COPIES ON THE PLANET, BUT, UM, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO'S IN ROTARY, I'M IN ROTARY AS WELL, GAVE ME THIS BOOK. AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT CHAPTER IT IS, BUT PAGE 52, IT, IT LISTS, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO. YEAH. UM, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. OKAY. UM, I'M GONNA GO TO HER FIRST, AND MEGAN, I'LL GO TO YOU NEXT. HI, MY NAME IS JENNIFER BARRETT. I WORK, I, UM, I'M SORRY, I LIVE AT 30 CHAUSER LANE IN BROOKSIDE. SO I WANTED TO JUST ASK IF MORE INFORMATION HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN ABOUT ANY KIND OF BARRIERS OTHER THAN THE TREES THAT ARE BEING PLANNED TO BE PLANTED. WHAT, WHAT ELSE IS GONNA BE PUT THERE? WE LIVE AT THE PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE TOT LOT. SO RIGHT NOW I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A SPLIT RAIL FENCE THAT, UM, GOES ALONG THE BACK. IT WAS A WORKING FORM WHEN WE FIRST MOVED IN. SO WE HAVE JUST A SPLIT RAIL FENCE THERE, SO WE SEE FULLY INTO THE BACK. SO ANYBODY THAT'S GONNA BE LIVING WE'LL SEE FULLY INTO OUR BACKYARD AND OUR POOL. SO WE ARE RIGHT THERE ON THAT LOT RIGHT NEAR THE TOT LOT. SO OF COURSE, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE SEEING INTO OUR YARD AS WELL AS KIDS WALKING AROUND THE, THE TREES THAT ARE GONNA BE PLANTED THERE, ARE THEY GOING TO POSSIBLY GO INTO MY YARD? ARE THEY GONNA GO INTO OUR TOT LOT? UM, I'M JUST WONDERING IF ANYBODY HAS MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT ANY OTHER BARRIERS OTHER THAN THE TREES AND PHYSICALLY WALKING INTO BROOKSIDE. UM, MR. TAYLOR, WE'LL ANSWER THAT, BUT, AND AGAIN, MA'AM, I, I APOLOGIZE. WE DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS TO BE BILLED AND WE'RE SORRY YOU'RE BEARING THE BRUNT OF THIS. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. TAYLOR. UM, SO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN IS, AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, IT HAS A CONTINUOUS BUFFER THAT IS FOUR TO SIX FEET, AND THERE WILL BE EVERGREEN TREES PLANTED ON AVERAGE ABOUT 12 FEET ON THE CENTER, AND THEN WITH MASSES AND SHRUBS, UM, CONTINUALLY THROUGH THAT AREA. UM, A PORTION OF THE SITE HAS A STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BASIN THAT IS SHOWN, UM, WHICH I THINK PROBABLY BACKS UP OUTSIDE OF THAT BUFFER NEAR YOUR HOME. AND THAT WILL BE FULL FENCE, A LITTLE BIT OF PHYSICAL SEPARATION THERE. I'M SORRY, CAN YOU DESCRIBE THAT AGAIN? STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BASIN. SO YOU'RE NEXT DOOR TO THE OPEN SPACE? TOP THE TOP LINE, YEP. ARE YOU CLOSER? WHICH SIDE OF THE POOL? I'M ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TOP LOT. YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE. MM-HMM . DO YOU HAVE A SWIMMING POOL UNDER THAT? YES, I DO. ALRIGHT, SO YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE A FOUR FOOT HIGH FENCE. WE JUST HAVE A SPLIT RAIL FENCE. I DON'T KNOW HOW HOT. YEAH, I GUESS IT'S FOUR FOOT YOU CAN FULLY SEE THROUGH IT. AND THE, THAT LINES THE, THE OLD FARM THERE. SO THERE WILL BE A SOLID, UH, PLANTED A BUFFER AND A FOUR TO SIX FOOT HIGH BURN THAT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF PHYSICAL SEPARATION. BUT THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY CONTEMPLATION OF, OF FENCING THIS ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT IN THAT THAT GENERALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN, UM, FOR A LOT OF SUBDIVISIONS THAT ARE CONSTRUCTED. UH, SOME OF THE UNITS HAVE THE ABILITY TO FENCE IN THEIR YARDS THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING DONE. UM, BUT THERE REALLY WASN'T ANY DISCUSSION AND CONTEMPLATION OF SEPARATION. SO IT WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY IF I DID WANNA PUT UP A FENCE ALL ALONG THE BACKSIDE THERE, I WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT MYSELF. RIGHT. BUT IT'S, YEAH, IF YOU WANTED A HIGHER FENCE THAN FENCE. OKAY. I MEAN, WE HAVE A VINYL FENCE GOING AROUND THE FRONT AND THE SIDES OF OUR HOUSE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WERE TOLD BACK WHEN IT WAS A WORKING FARM, WE HAD TO BE THE SPLIT RAIL, WHICH MADE SENSE. BUT NOW, SO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE TO NOW FULLY DO THE VINYL FENCE THAT'LL MATCH THE REST OF [03:20:01] OUR FENCING. WELL, I MEAN, ONLY IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANNA FENCE YOUR PROPERTY. WELL, I MEAN, I, I'M GONNA HAVE KIDS WALKING INTO MY POOL. I MEAN, IT'S, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE I'M GONNA HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND PROTECT OTHER KIDS THAT ARE GONNA BE ROAMING AROUND. AM I, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M THINKING OF THIS INCORRECTLY, BUT I'M JUST THINKING THE REALITY IS YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT IT FROM A LIABILITY STANDPOINT. SOMEONE COULD ACCESS YOUR POOL. YEAH. RIGHT. FROM THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT OR FROM NO, FROM, FROM ALL THESE NEW, NO, WE'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH OUR OWN DEVELOPMENT. PEOPLE DON'T ROAM AROUND BACK THERE. IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST OVERGROWTH. IT WAS A FARM AND NOW IT'S JUST, IT'S BECOMING A FOREST. BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF KIDS ROAMING AROUND MY BACKYARD AND OUR TOP LOT. SO I JUST, I FEEL LIKE MAYBE SOMETHING MORE THAN A ROW OF TREES. I MEAN, I EXPECTED AT LEAST THE TREES, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME OTHER PHYSICAL BARRIER. I I MEAN, I'M, I KNOW, I KNOW. WELL, YEAH, EXACTLY. LIKE THE TREE, ANY TREES THAT ARE GOING TO BE PUT IN OR ANY OTHER KIND OF BARRIER. IS IT CORRECT THAT THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION IN THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE? I MEAN, WE'RE, IT'S NOT BROOKSIDE. I MEAN, YEAH. IT PART OF THE, PART THE, THE, THE COMMON SPACE OF THE HOA. OKAY. BUT MR. TAYLOR DID, AM I CORRECT THAT THE, THE DEVELOPER HAS SOME SORT OF ESCROW TO ENSURE THAT, THAT THOSE, THOSE THE VEGETATION DATES? YEAH. SO, SO THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN REQUIRES THAT ALL BUFFER TREES WILL BE BOND UNDER A PERFORMANCE BOND UNDER A TWO YEAR MAINTENANCE BOND TO ENSURE THE, UM, ONE OF THE, THAT WE COULD DO WOULD BE HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH THE DEVELOPER, UM, PARTICULARLY AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN APPROVAL, MENTIONED BEFOREHAND THAT MAYBE FOR A SMALL SECTION THERE WHERE THERE'S A CLOSE INTERFACE THAT PERHAPS THAT COMES OFF OF THEIR BASIN FENCE WOULD BE DONE TO CREATE A LITTLE MORE, UH, FUNCTIONAL SEPARATION. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, JUST THE ELECTRICAL FENCE THAT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS KEPT OUT THE ANGUS COWS FROM COMING IN. I MEAN, THERE'S REALLY NOT MUCH AT ALL OTHER THAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ELECTRIC FENCE IS STAYING THERE OR NOT, BUT THERE'S NOT MUCH PREVENTING ANY, ANYBODY. YEAH. IT'LL BE GONE. SO NOW THERE'S REALLY NO PREVENTION FROM PEOPLE WALKING ON. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THIS. AND IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT WE, PART OF THE PLAN AND NOT JUST DISCUSS, BUT SOMETHING SOLID. IT'LL BE PUT INTO WRITING. OKAY. THANK YOU. IT WILL BE DISCUSSED 100%. OKAY. I SAW THE HAND GO UP. HI, MEGAN, MONTY, 2 65 CHURCH ROAD. UM, SO THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS FOR YOU, SIR, AND IN REFERENCE TO THE AGREEMENT THAT THE COURTS HAVE ACCEPTED, IS THERE ANY LEGAL METHOD TO POTENTIALLY AMEND IT? SO IF NEED BE, THE, UM, AMOUNT OF UNITS AT EACH PROPERTY CAN BE MANIPULATED. IF YOU FIND THAT DURING THE PROCESS IT'S APPROPRIATE, THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IS A COURT ORDER AND A CONSENT ORDER THAT WOULD REQUIRE REOPENING THE LITIGATION, THE FAIR SHARE HAS CENTER, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE. THEY WOULD'VE CONSENT. OKAY. SO A SECOND CONSENT ORDER OR AN ADDENDUM FAIR SHARE WOULD'VE TO CONSENT TO THAT. UM, AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY REASON DO THAT IF IT WERE APPROPRIATE, BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS OF UNFOLDING WITH, AS I INDICATED EARLIER, IF IT'S THREE UNITS OR FOUR UNITS, THAT'S ONE THING. IF IT'S FOUR UNITS, UM, FAIR SHARE LIKELY COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT, UH, ASKING THE DEVELOPER AND NOT. AND WOULD THE DEVELOPER PAY EACH OF THE LANDOWNERS PROPORTIONATE BASED ON HOW MANY UNITS ARE ACTUALLY BUILT BETWEEN THEM AND PROPERTY HAVE NO CONTROL? IS IT A, UM, A DEAL THAT IS ESSENTIALLY COMPOSED OF ALL EXISTING PROPERTIES, THREE BEING LOOKED AT AS ONE? WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTS THAT THE DEVELOPER SIGNS HOW THEY DO IT OR WHAT THEIR PRICING AND SO FORTH. OKAY. THANKS. THANK YOU. I'M GOING, I'M GOING TO HAND SOMETHING 'CAUSE I WANT IT IN THE RECORD, AND I'M GONNA HAND ONE TO EACH ONE. I, I'M SORRY, MA'AM. I COMMUNICATE. [03:25:01] I KNOW YOUR NAME. OH, MARYANNE HOLLY. I'M SO SORRY, . THE LATER IT GETS THE TIRED I GET. SO I DO WANT THE . I DID NOT COMMUNICATE MICHELLE EARLIER. AND WE CAN PASS THOSE OUT IF YOU NEED. JUST GIVE US THE BUNDLE. WE'LL PASS IT OUT. PASS THE ROAD. I WANNA TAKE THE TIME TO FORMALLY THANK, UH, RAY COX AND MICHELLE VOORHEES FOR ATTENDING AND HELPING ME WITH A MEETING THAT WAS HELD AT THE HERITAGE CLUBHOUSE ON THE EXTENSION OF THE 65 AFFORDABLE SIGNAL FAMILY HOMES. WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED PEOPLE IN THE ROOM. IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING. A LITTLE CHAOTIC AT THE END. UH, I AM GETTING PHONE CALLS CONTINUALLY EVERY DAY. I HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF 59 PEOPLE THAT SENT BACK THEIR LETTERS. CON, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING LETTER OF INTENT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A, A AUDIT. WELL, SOME TYPE OF CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT MY 59 IS. YOU DON'T HAVE MORE. YOU DON'T HAVE LESS, SO NOBODY'S MISSED. UM, I WANNA PUT THIS ON THE RECORD, AND I HAVE DONE SOME EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE APPLICABILITY OF THE EXTENSION OF SINGLE FAMILY DEEDS TOWARD THE FOURTH ROUND REQUIREMENTS. IT APPEARS ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025. THE UNIFORM HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE CONTROL, I THINK MR. MCGUCKIN IS CALLING THAT NOW. UAC WERE UPDATED. THE UPDATED 50, UH, FIVE 80 DASH 26 DASH ONE IN MARCH OF 2024. THAT GOVERNS THE TIME AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS SIGNED INTO LAW. NJ, SA 52, 27 D 3 1 3, 3 B, AND NJS A 52 27 D 3 1 11 12 AND NJ A C 58 5, I'M SORRY, 5 80 26 0.1 TOOK EFFECT NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025. THERE'S SOME NEW WORDING IN THESE STATUTES. THE NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025 IS A VERY IMPORTANT DATE. THERE WAS A TIMEFRAME THAT WHEN THIS LEGISLATION WAS PUT THROUGH AND VOTED ON AND PASSED, THAT THERE WAS A TIMEFRAME OF NINE MONTHS FOR IMPLEMENT IMPLEMENTATION. AND THAT AS LONG AS THE, UM, AS LONG AS THE AFFORDABLE CONTROLS WERE UPDATED, AND THEY WERE, UH, THAT NEW WORDING WOULD BE ADDED. SO UNDER THE 3 1, 3 0.3 B FOR HOUSING UNITS, WHICH AFFORDABILITY CONTROLS ARE EXTENDED FOR A NEW TERM OF AFFORDABILITY, A 30 YEAR MINIMUM DE RESTRICTION SHALL BE REQUIRED, PROVIDED THAT THE MINIMUM EXTENDED TERM MAY BE NO LESS THAN 20 YEARS. AND SO LONG AS THE ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED TERMS TOGETHER EQUAL 60. NOW THE FOCUS OF THIS LEGISLATION, UH, IS ON THE DURATION AND THE PERMANENCE OF THE AFFORDABILITY STOCK. FURTHER, A MUNICIPALITY SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THE CREDITS FOR ALL PRESERVED UNITS PURSU TO THIS SUBSECTION, SO LONG AS THE ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED TERM TOTAL AT LEAST 60 YEARS. AND THIS CREDIT MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE TIME OF PRESERVATION. THE, THOSE WORDS ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR REVIEW. AND TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A COMPLETE, YOU HAVE COMPLETE INFORMATION AND ALL THE WORDING I HAVE, I'M GONNA SEND YOU AN EMAIL. I HAVE SENT IT TO MICHELLE AND TO RAY. THE, THE, UM, 3 1 3 POINT B IS A LAW. THE THREE 11 K IS A LAW. THE FIFTH 5 80 26 0.1 ARE REGULATIONS. THE FI 5 80 26 DASH ONE WAS UPDATED AND TOOK EFFECT NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2025. IN THE NEW STATUTES AND THE UPDATED REGULATIONS, THERE IS NOTHING THAT REQUIRES A DE RESTRICTION TO EXPIRE BEFORE A CERTAIN YEAR, BE NEAR EXPIRATION AND BEFORE 2035. AND ANY CLAIM OF A CUTOFF YEAR WOULD REQUIRE SPECIFIC STATUTORY OR REGULATORY LANGUAGES. THAT DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS POINT. IT HAVE TO BE DIRECT. IT APPEARS THAT THE CURRENT SOLICITORS HAVE NOT PROVIDED THE UPDATE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION REGARDING THE TIMING OF THE APPLICABLE CREDITS FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE DEED RESTRICTION. IT IS CLEARLY STATED AND UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT THE CREDIT IS OBTAINED AT THE TIME OF EXTENSION. NOW, THERE WAS [03:30:01] ANOTHER PARAGRAPH THAT I WAS GONNA PUT IN HERE ABOUT MS. HOLLOWAY. WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU ALL THE TIME YOU NEED. I JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT YOUR TIME IS UP, BUT, BUT YOU WILL GIVE ME THE TIME. WE'LL GIVE YOU MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. SO I WAS GONNA ASK, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING THAT THE D DC THE THE DCA NEEDS TO BECOME INVOLVED INTIMATELY IN METFORD. IT APPEARS THAT WE CAN NO LONGER, NO LONGER SOLELY RE RELY ON THE TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONALS. I'M SURE THAT MANY ARE QUESTIONING WHY TIME AND TIME AGAIN, TOWNSHIP PROFESSIONALS HAVE NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING, FORCING US TO CONTINUALLY SEARCH FOR REAL FACTS AND TRUTH. IT'S FRUSTRATING AND EVERYBODY HAS SAID IT TIME AFTER TIME, AFTER TIME. MY FINAL REQUEST, AND THIS IS A BIG ONE, AND, AND MAYOR, YOU KNOW, THIS CONCERNS AN AUDIT AND POSTING TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY'S WEBSITE OF AN INVENTORY OF ALL THE AFFORDABLE UNITS IN MEDFORD, INCLUDING GROUP HOMES AND GOVERNMENTAL SUBSIDIZED ASSISTED LIVING UNITS, THEY DO QUALIFY AS AFFORDABLE UNITS. THE MEDIATION AGREEMENT SPECIFIES THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETED BY FEBRUARY 15TH, 2026. CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN OR DETERMINE WHY THE TOWN HAS BEEN SO RESISTANT TO THE AUDIT? THE CONTINUING REFUSAL OVER, OVER SEVERAL MONTHS TO COMPLY WITH NUMEROUS REQUESTS, AND NOW FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE MEDIATION AGREEMENT IS CREATING UNNECESSARY DOUBT AND DISTRUST WHEN THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THE CASE. I HOPE TO OBTAIN ANSWERS AS TO WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE. MY PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE IS IF IT IS DONE, THAT THERE MIGHT BE MORE UNITS THAT WOULD BE ACCOUNTED FOR LESSENING THE AMOUNT OF REQUIRED NEW CONSTRUCTION. I HOPE I'M WRONG. I WANNA THANK YOU ALL. I I TOOK TIME, UM, TO GIVE YOU THAT BREAKDOWN, AND I TOOK TIME TO READ THE WHOLE UAC ALL OF IT, 47 PAGES AND OUTLINE IT. AND WHAT, WHAT I AM FINDING IS THAT AS I DIG FOR THE TRUTH, THAT THESE UNITS, AND MICHELLE, AND, AND RAY CAN ATTEST TO THIS, THE PEOPLE IN THOSE AFFORDABLE HOMES HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN. WHAT I WALKED INTO, I KNOCKED ON 65 DOORS MYSELF. I GOT THE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE MEETING, AND I WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP, THE IMPORTANCE OF EXTENDING THOSE UNITS. NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY CAN BE CREDITED ROUND FOUR, THIS IS WHAT I WANNA ASK. INSTEAD OF US, OUR PROFESSIONALS TELLING US, WHY CAN'T, HOW CAN WE GET THEM TO FIND OUT HOW WE CAN, IF WE HAVE TO BE THE TEST SAMPLE FOR THIS AND THE WORDING AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE LEGISLATION, THEN LET US BE THE TEST SAMPLE. I UNDERSTAND THAT DCA IS GOING BE A GREAT RESOURCE. I WAS PROMISED THAT I WOULD BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND AND ASK THE QUESTIONS OF DCA. I'M HOPING THAT THAT'S UPHELD. I FEEL OVER THE YEAR THAT I HAVE BEEN COMING HERE, THAT IT'S BEEN A CONSTANT SEEK AND FIND. AND THERE'S A TERM CALLED HIDE THE CHEESE. AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN THAT WAY. AND, AND I WANNA COMPLIMENT ONE THING, MR. MCGUCKIN. I WANNA SAY THANK YOU. YOU ARE THE FIRST SOLICITOR I'VE SAT WITH IN THESE MEETINGS FOR ALL THESE YEARS THAT HAS ALLOWED THE COUNCIL TO RULE A TOWN. YOU HAVE GIVEN LEGAL ADVICE AND I APPRECIATE IT. YOU HAVE NOT TRIED TO CONTROL. AND IT'S REFRESHING. SO I HAVE LISTENED TO THE EXCUSE AFTER EXCUSE AFTER EXCUSE. AND THEY ARE EXCUSES. THEY'RE NOT REASONS. I FILED A FORMAL OBJECTION WITH FAIR HOUSING. MONTHS AGO, I HANDED THE ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIONS TO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER. AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS JANUARY OR DECEMBER, YOU MAY NOT. THE NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY NOT, AND I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. WAS IT EVER DISCUSSED? WAS IT EVEN LOOKED AT OR WAS IT THROWN IN THE TRASH? THEY, WE KNEW AS A TOWN PRIOR TO THAT 300 FOOT REQUIRED BUFFER THAT THAT WAS GOING TO NEED TO HAPPEN. THEY HAVEN'T ADDRESSED THE EAGLES, THE BOG TURTLES, THE WETLANDS OR THE IMPACT OF THE WATERSHED. THERE ARE PINE LANDS REGULATIONS, PINE [03:35:01] LANDS STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF ROUTE 70. THERE IS A LEGAL MECHANISM TO EXTEND THE PINE LANDS REQUIREMENTS. MA'AM, OVER TO THIS. MA'AM, I THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE SHARING WITH US. MM-HMM . THAT, THAT WAS 10 MINUTES. UM, GIVE ANOTHER FIVE. THANK YOU, BRIAN. WELL, IT JUST SEEMS I'M THE ONLY, I CAN'T GET IT. IT JUST SEEMS THAT I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT'S EVER STOPPED. AND, AND I'M GONNA SAY THAT WITH ALL HONESTY, YOU WERE GIVEN FIVE EXTRA MINUTES. I, I GET IT. BUT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? BUT I APPRECIATE, I DON'T, BECAUSE I, I GAVE EVERYBODY ELSE FIVE OR SIX, GAVE YOU 10. I APPRECIATE IT. I APPRECIATE IT. SO, UM, WE WILL ADDRESS SOME OF THE CONCERNS YOU BROUGHT UP NOW MM-HMM . UM, BUT JUST TO BE FAIR, THAT WAS 10 MINUTES. UM, MR. MCGUCKIN WOULD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, FIRST THANK YOU. VERY COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE MATTER. UM, ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS ARE INTERPRETED BY THE AGENCY THAT CREATES A CASE THAT'S DEPART COMMUNITY FAIR, CORRECT. DEPART COMMUNITY FAIR WAS ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO, CAME OUT THE MODEL ORDINANCE AND ADDRESSED THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE ON UTILIZATION OF, UH, PAST, UH, CREDITS AND DE RESTRICTIONS. AND THEY SAID THAT YOU CAN ONLY USE IT IN THE LAST YEAR OF, OF THE CURRENT ROUND BEFORE THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE FIRE. SO OUR EARLIEST EXPIRATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IS 2036 OR 37 37. UM, THE EARLIEST WE CAN DO THAT TO UTILIZE THEM WOULD BE IN 2036, PERHAPS 2035, DEPENDING EXACTLY WHEN THEY'RE GONNA, UM, AND THAT WOULD BE FOR, AND THAT'S THE DCAS INTERPRETATION OF THEIR OWN REGULATIONS, AND THAT'S THEIR MODEL ORDINANCE THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING, THAT THE COURTS ARE GONNA OBSTRUCT. THEY'RE PROPOSING IT. WHY WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION, UH, THAT WE DID. AND NOT IF THE COUNSEL WANTS TO BE THE TEST CASE AND WANTS TO LITIGATE THE MATTER. UM, CERTAINLY NOTHING THAT, AND MA'AM, IF I MAY, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA, 'CAUSE WE DID GIVE YOU TIME. I'M JUST GONNA LET THE PROFESSIONALS AND COUNSEL GO. UM, MR. CORRECT? YES. MS. HOLLOWAY. A, AFTER WE MET WITH THE HERITAGE RESIDENTS, UH, BACK ON FEBRUARY 19TH, I SPOKE WITH HEATHER HAWLEY DIRECTLY AT DCA, UH, AS A FOLLOW UP TO, WITH THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DEED RESTRICTIONS. DURING THAT CONVERSATION WITH MS. MAHALEY, THAT'S WHEN SHE, SHE ADVISED THAT DEEDS THAT WERE TO BE, THAT WERE TO SET TO EXPIRE BY 20 30 35, THAT WE, WE WERE TO EXTEND THEM, THEY THEN COULD BE COUNTED IN ROUND FOUR. HOWEVER, ANY DEEDS THAT WE EXTENDED BEYOND 2035, IF THEY HAD NOT EXTENDED BEFORE 2035, WE COULD NOT COUNT THEM UNTIL THE NEXT ROUND. I JUST HANDED YOU IT IN WRITING. I'M JUST WRITING IT BACK ON FEBRUARY 19TH WHEN I SPOKE TO DCA DIRECTLY. I WOULD, I WOULD TOTALLY BELIEVE YOU. RIGHT. WHAT I AM SAYING IS, AND I THINK MR. MCGUCKIN'S GONNA AGREE, THE LAW'S LAW, THE WRITTEN WORD IS BLACK AND WHITE. UNFORTUNATELY, I CAN'T AGREE BECAUSE DCA INTERPRETS THEIR REGULATIONS, AND THAT'S THE LAW ON INTERPRETING AN ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION. THEY HAVE INTERPRETED, THAT'S COUNCIL INDICATED AND TOLD HIM THAT. THEY'VE ALSO INTERPRETED IT BY ESTABLISHING A MODEL ORDINANCE THAT IT HAS BEEN SENT TO EVERY TOWN TO ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. SO DCA HAS IN FACT, MADE THEIR DETERMINATION, THEY'RE THE ENTITY THAT INTERPRETS THEIR OWN REGULATIONS, AND THEY'RE THE ENTITY THAT THE COURTS WILL LOOK TO, TO INTERPRET REGULATIONS. SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE STATUTE, THE ENABLING STATUTE AND SO FORTH FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION, THE DEPARTMENT THAT WRITES THE REGULATION DETERMINES WHAT THEY MEAN. AND THAT'S WHAT THE COURTS WILL, MAY I ASK RESPECTFULLY, WHAT TAKES PRECEDENT? THE STATUTE OR THE REGULATION? THE REGULATION IN THIS CASE, WHY IN THIS CASE ALLOWS THEM TO CREATE THE REGULATIONS? OKAY. THEN CREATE THEIR OWN REGULATIONS. AND THAT'S . I I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I I AM GONNA STOP. I I'M JUST GOING, MR. NO, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I DID, UH, JUST WANNA POINT OUT TO MS. HOLLOW. THE THREE SITES ARE NOT IN NO, NO, BUT, AND I DON'T WANNA GO, I DON'T WANNA DIGRESS. I I DON'T WANNA DIGRESS. THERE'S, THERE'S, I DON'T WANNA DIGRESS. OKAY. IT'S GONNA TAKE TOO LONG. OKAY. THAT'LL BE FOR THE NEXT MEETING. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW. I WILL FIRMLY STATE THAT I AM GOING TO PURSUE THE KNOWLEDGE, THE STATUTES. I, I HAVE BEEN TOLD SO MANY THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE, THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAN TAKE ANYTHING AS TRUTH UNLESS IT'S, IT'S, I I JUST DON'T KNOW, MA'AM. WE UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THAT. UM, WE HERE AS A GOVERNING BODY AND OUR PROFESSIONALS HOPE TO GIVE YOU ACCURATE INFORMATION EVERY TIME WE SPEAK TO YOU. AND NO ONE IS TRYING TO PASS MISINFORMATION ONTO YOU. WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SATISFY THIS OBLIGATION. AND WE HAVE TO GO WITH THE ADVICE AND GUIDANCE OF OUR PROFESSIONALS, THE PEOPLE WE SPEAK TO FROM DCA AND EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW TO BE TRUE. WE, WE WOULD NOT WANT. WHY WOULD WE, WE WOULD DO ANYTHING IN OUR POWER TO EXTEND [03:40:01] THOSE 65 DEEDS IF IT HAD AN IMPACT TODAY. BUT WE'VE DONE THE RESEARCH, THE SUBCOMMITTEE'S DONE THE RESEARCH THERE. I'M GONNA ASK IT. YEAH. AND I'M SORRY IF I MAY MM-HMM . I, I'VE, WE'VE GIVEN YOU AMPLE TIME. UM, I DO WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING YOU SAID. THE WORK THAT MR. TAYLOR'S DONE AND HIS FIRM HAVE DONE WITH THE CONSTRAINTS THAT THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN IS EXTRAORDINARY. AND I, I COMMEND YOU, SIR, AND YOUR TEAM FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. AND, UM, I'M VERY SORRY MA'AM, IN THE BACK. UM, ALL THE RESIDENT COURT SAID THIS IS, NO ONE WANTS TO DO THIS TO YOU. WE KNOW THE IMPACT IT'S GONNA HAVE. WE, WE, IT'S AN IMAGINABLE FOR US. BUT SIR, I, I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE. AND MA'AM, WE'VE GIVEN YOU AMPLE TIME. I, I I, I'M NOT PRESIDENT. I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK FOR THE NEXT PERSON. I, I'M NOT PRESIDENT. I'M JUST SAYING MR. MCGUCKIN WILL DO WHAT YOU DIRECT. I'M GONNA HAVE ANOTHER CONVERSATION OUTSIDE OF THIS WITH THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMITTEE. WE ENCOURAGE, WE'LL LET GO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. ERIC EXPENSION, UH, BROOKSIDE DEVELOPMENT. UM, COUPLE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS I WANT, I WAS HOPING JOHN WAS STILL HERE WHEN HE GOT HERE, WHAT HE WAS ASKING IN REGARD TO THE WETLANDS AND HISTORICAL WETLANDS. I MEAN THAT WAS WETLANDS 20, 30 YEARS AGO BEFORE THE FARMER STARTED. ARE WE DOING AN HISTORIC WETLANDS RESEARCH ON THIS? WHAT'S THE FULL EXTENT OF THAT SURVEY? ARE THEY OR ARE THEY JUST WALKING, FINDING DIRT, UM, BOG TURTLES, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE NOT IDENTIFICATION OF THE WEAPONS. ALL PERMITTING IS NOT UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE MUNICIPALITY THAT IS HANDLED BY THE NJ. THEY'LL HAVE TO GET A LETTER OF INTERPRETATION THAT CONFIRMS NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT. AS THE WETLANDS DO THEIR OWN VERIFICATION. OKAY. AS NECESSARY, DP WILL IN REVIEWING THE PLANS, HISTORICAL DATA, UM, EVERYTHING. SO THAT IS A JURISDICTIONAL ITEM THAT IS NOT, AND I DON'T BELIEVE AND CANNOT BE REVIEWED. THE ONLY THING WE COULD DO IS, UH, ISSUED THERE'S A BUT, SO THE ENGINEERS GONNA DO THE WETLAND SURVEY AND PROVIDE THAT TO DEP. UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S BASED ON THE ENGINEER. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE REALLY DOING AS FAR AS THE TESTING REPORT WE'LL GET. OKAY. AND IS ALL THIS DOCUMENTATION LIKE GONNA BE ON THE WEBSITE PUBLIC ASK US? YES. LIKE THAT NATURE, UH, IN REGARD TO THE TRAFFIC STUDIES, ARE THEY GONNA EXTEND THAT TO, UH, 70 AND UM, HARRIS TOWN ROAD OR, UM, I OBVIOUSLY THEY'LL DO CHURCH ROAD, BUT BECAUSE THAT INTERSECTION IS PRETTY BAD AS IT IS AND WE HAD THESE 248 HOMES, OR WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION AGAIN, SIR? WHAT ARE THEY TRAFFIC, UH, AIR, I'M SORRY, YOU HAD SAID TRAFFIC CENTER AIRS TOWN ROAD AND CHURCH ROAD OBVIOUSLY IS GONNA BE STUDY FOR TRAFFIC SOON. ARE THEY, YOU'RE GONNA DO 70 IN ARIS TOWN ALSO, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CARS THAT ARE GONNA BE NOW ACCESSING THE WAWA AND CROSSING INTO DOWNTOWN FROM THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT BY RICK'S AUTO BODY, WE, WE'LL GET THE TRAFFIC BACK STATEMENT AND REVIEW IT. AND IF WE DECIDE THAT 70 INTOWN IS, UH, NEEDS TO BE, UH, LOOKED AT, WE'LL UH, ASK HIM TO LOOK AT IT AND UH, ACTUALLY MAYBE I'LL ASK HIM TO LOOK AT IT BEFORE YOU EVEN DO THE TRAFFIC AIRS TOWN AND 70 AIRS TOWN AND 70 YEAH. MUNICIPAL NEW FREEDOM TO BEFORE STOP, RIGHT? YEAH. NEW FREEDOM TO PULL STOP. YEAH. WE HAVE NO FREEDOM. BUT THE FOUR WAY STOP THERE TOO. YEAH, WE'LL LOOK AT THAT ROAD. YEAH, THAT'S COMING. UM, AND WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATIONS IN REGARD TO THIS AT ANY POINT IN TIME, UM, WHERE THE NEXT, NEXT GROUP OF HOUSES OVER, I'M GONNA ASK THAT QUESTION DIRECTLY TO MR. MCGUCKIN. WHAT IS THE PROPER NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE? SO THE READ A STATUTE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN THOUSAND BY ORDINANCE. THE ORDINANCE, UH, IS THE FIRST READING THAT'S TONIGHT. THE COUNCIL HAS ALLOWED PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT, WHICH IS NOT NORMALLY THE CASE ON A FIRST READING, BUT BECAUSE THE IMPORTANCE OF, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS A PUBLIC PRESENTATION BEFOREHAND, THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THESE ORDINANCE IS EXACTLY WHEN THEY'RE ON THE SECOND READING, WHICH IS MARCH 17TH. 17TH. UM, OKAY. PEOPLE HAVE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT, COMMENT FURTHER. UM, ASSUMING THE ORDINANCES IN THE READ OF UN PLANS ARE ADOPTED AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE DOWN THE ROAD FOR EACH OF THESE PROJECTS, THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE TO APPLY TO THE PLANNING BOARD FOR SITE PLAN [03:45:01] APPROVAL. AND IF ANY VARIANCE LEAK SOUGHT AND THEY WOULD'VE TO NOTIFY ANYONE WHEN THE 200 FEET OF ANY OF THE PROPERTY LINES, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MISS LAND CLAUSE, THAT'S WHEN THE TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND SO FORTH MAY BE CONSIDERED ABOUT. OKAY. I WAS TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE PREVIOUS ONE IN LAKE LAST YEAR. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. SO THE HOUSING ELEMENT AND FAIR SHARE PLAN IS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS ADVERTISED IN THE NEWSPAPER. OKAY. IN THE PUBLIC PORTION OF THE NEWSPAPER, IN THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING HERE, PROCESS FOR HOW THAT OCCURS AND PROCESS ALL WERE MADE. OKAY. UM, YOU'LL ALSO GET NOTIFIED, HUNDRED FEET WILL GET NOTIFIED THAT AS WELL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. NOTIFICATION. OKAY. THE, THESE MATTERS CURRENTLY ARE FOR ZONING PURPOSES. THE RIGHT, THE, THE PLANNING BOARD IS WHERE THE NOTIFICATIONS COME IN. IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH. NOW IN REGARD TO THE WETLANDS AND THE RICK'S AUTO BODY. YES SIR. UM, WE DID FIND OUT THERE'S MORE HOMES THERE BECAUSE THEY'RE PUTTING I GUESS MORE LOW INCOME HOUSING OTHER PLACES. AFFORDABLE. AFFORDABLE. UM, IS THERE A REDISTRIBUTION THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THESE OTHER PROPERTIES AS WAS POINTED OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING IN HERE WITH A LOT MORE HOMES ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY BASED ON LESS AFFORDABLE. THE ORIGINAL DENSITIES WERE DETERMINED DURING THE ADOPTION OF THE PLAN. YEAH, THEY HOUSING. YEAH. SO, BUT SOME HAVE DIFFERENT RATIOS, CORRECT? I THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. WE STILL, BUT THERE'S NO WAY TO REDISTRIBUTE SOME FROM RICK'S TO SOME OF THE OTHERS BECAUSE OF THE 300 FOOT BUFFER AND WETLANDS AND SOME OTHER SITUATIONS. ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE. YEAH. OKAY. I SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YEAH. ALRIGHT. YEAH, THERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE PRIME, THE PRELIMINARY OVERLAY. CURRENTLY ALL THE MATTERS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP, ENVIRONMENTAL WET, WHATEVER THESE MAY BE, UM, WILL, MAY AFFECT HOW THE, THE FINAL ZONING IS LAID IN. BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IF, IF SOMETHING COP COMES UP AND OCCUPIES SOME OF THESE PARCELS AND THINGS HAVE TO MOVE TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, ELIMINATE SOME WITH THE CONTRACTOR, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SATISFY OUR OBLIGATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AND THANK YOU FOR THE POLICE BEING PATIENCE BACK THERE ON US. THANK YOU SIR. , WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE ORDINANCES ON THE TABLE TODAY? NO. OKAY. SEEING NONE. MOTION TO CLOSE THE SPECIAL PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. SO MOVED. AYE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ALRIGHT. UM, MR. TAYLOR, MR. NOEL, MR. MCGUCKIN AND MR. VARGA, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND PARTAKING IN THAT, IN THAT COMMENT SECTION AND, AND THE PRESENTATION. I THINK THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. UM, AT THIS TIME I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ORDINANCE 2026 DASH. I MOVE THAT COUNSEL INTRODUCE ON, UH, FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH SIX ADOPTING A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE NON CONDEMNATION REDEVELOPMENT AREA CONSISTING OF BLOCK 8 0 3 LOTS. 6.1. 6.2. THANK YOU. THIS ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE SITE KNOWN AS PARKVIEW AT KIRBY'S MILL TO BE NAMED RESERVED AT IRON BRIDGE. DOES ANYONE ON COUNCIL HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO THIS ORDINANCE? MARY, IS THIS, IS THIS, UH, FOR KIRBY'S MILL OR IS THIS FOR RICK? I APOLOGIZE. I'M SORRY. I MIGHT HAVE WROTE IT WRONG. UM, MR. TAYLOR, THIS IS FOR RICK. I APOLOGIZE. YOU'RE CORRECT SIR. THANK YOU. UM, MY NOTES GOT A LITTLE BIT ON THERE. , UH, WOULD, UM, SO, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY THE RECORD ORDINANCE 2026 DASH SIX IS IN REFERENCE TO RICK'S AUTO BODY SITE. UM, ANY ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ORDINANCE? SO I HAVE A MOTION. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SO SECOND. OKAY. MS. WICKER ROLL CALL. MR. AND MR. COX? YES. MS. MILKS? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR WARBY AYE. MAYOR AYE. OKAY. UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS ORDINANCE WILL BE ON MARCH 17TH. NEXT WE HAVE, I'M SORRY. I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ORDINANCE 2026 DASH SEVEN. I MOVE THAT COUNSEL INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH SEVEN [03:50:01] ADOPTING A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE NON CONDEMNATION REDEVELOPMENT AREA CONSISTING OF BLOCK 3 0 2 LOTS. 14 26, 27, AND 49. THANK YOU. UH, THIS ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN, THE SITE KNOWN AS CRAWLER KEY. AM I CORRECT? OKAY. WHICH, UH, WILL BE NAMED STONEBRIDGE. UM, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ORDINANCE? NO SAYING NONE. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. SECOND. MS. WICKER ROLL CALL PLEASE. MS. SANFORD? YES. MR. COX? YES. MS. MILK? AYE. DEPUTY MAYOR . AYE. MAYOR S AYE. THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS WILL ALSO BE ON MARCH 17TH. EVERYBODY LEFT? UM, SORRY. MS. UM, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON ORDINANCE 2026 DASH EIGHT? YES. I MOVE THAT. COUNSEL, INTRODUCE ON FIRST READING ORDINANCE 2026 DASH EIGHT ADOPTING A REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE NON CONDEMNATION REDEVELOPMENT AREA CONSISTING OF BLOCK 3 0 2 LOTS, 28.02 AND 39.03. THANK YOU. UH, THIS ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE SITE KNOWN AS STALL CAMP EFS TO BE NAMED LANDING IS AT KIRBY'S MILL. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS ORDINANCE? NO. SEEING NONE. MAY OF A SECOND. SECOND, MS. SANBORN? YES. MR. COX? YES. MS. MILL. AYE. SECOND MAYOR. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. THANK YOU. UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS WILL ALSO BE MARCH 17TH. NOW WE HAVE [XIII. CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS ] OUR CONSENT AGENDA RESOLUTIONS. I'M TRY TO READ THIS. I HIGHLIGHTED IT. RESOLUTION 50 20 26 AUTHORIZING A SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWNSHIP OF MEDFORD AND THE COUNTY OF BURLINGTON FOR INSTALLATION OF A FLASHING BEACON ON TAUNTON BOULEVARD. RESOLUTION 64 20 26 AUTHORIZING REFUND OF 2026. TAX OVERPAYMENTS RESOLUTION 65 20 26. CLOSING OUT 2025 BURLINGTON COUNTY MUNICIPAL PARK DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. GRANTS FOR FIELD LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS OF HARTFORD CROSSING PARK RESOLUTION 66. 2026 PROJECTING SOLE BID RECEIVED FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY VEHICLE FOR PUBLIC VEHICLE SAFETY REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE RESOLUTION 67 20 26 AUTHORIZING THE AWARD OF CONTRACT TO NORTHEAST ELECTRICAL SERVICES FOR THE ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE OF THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITY RESOLUTION 68 20 26 AUTHORIZING THE AWARD OF CONTRACT TO MUNICIPAL MAINTENANCE COMPANY FOR THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE MECHA, EXCUSE ME. MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE OF THE MEDFORD TOWNSHIP WATER AND SEWER UTILITIES RESOLUTION 69 20 26 AMENDING THE 2026 TEMPORARY BUDGET AND RESOLUTION 70 20 26. REQUESTING ASSISTANCE IN COOPERATION WITH THE COUNTY OF BURLINGTON AND THE NEW JERSEY STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AS A TAUNTON BOULEVARD COUNTY ROAD 6 23. ANY, YES, SIR. JUST TWO COMMENTS ON THE FIRST ORDINANCE ABOUT THE FLASHING BEACONING. YEAH. 50. I DID TALK TO THE COUNTY TRAFFIC ENGINEER A COUPLE DAYS AGO. THEY'RE ALL SET. THEY'RE READY TO GO ON THAT. GREAT. SO I'LL JUST CONFIRM THAT THIS RESOLUTION PASSED THE LAST RESOLUTION I, THE COUNTY ENGINEER SUBMIT FOR THE, UH, CROSS RESTRICTIONS. AND HE SAID, PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER. DON'T DO, SEND UP THE STATE. PHENOMENAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT WORK, SIR. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL IN REGARDS TO THESE CONSENT IN GENERAL RESOLUTIONS? MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY, UH, RESOLUTIONS, UH, 67 AND 68. UM, MR. HORNER, IS THERE AN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED FOR BOTH OF THOSE RESOLUTIONS? UH, I DON'T HAVE THE RESOLUTIONS UP, BUT, UH, I PUT THE AMOUNT IN AMOUNT UP TO A SEVERAL LEVEL. UM, MOST OF THESE, MOST OF THE, THE, UH, LINES, THESE RESOLUTIONS WOULD BE FROM THE UTILITY FUND, NOT ELECTRICAL. WHEN PUBLIC WORKS IN NEEDS DEPART, I'M SPEAKING INTO . UM, MOST OF THE, UH, FUNDING FOR 67 68 WILL COME OUT THE UTILITIES ENTERPRISE FUND, NOT THE GENERAL FUND EXCEPT FOR WHATEVER ELECTRICAL SERVICES, THE PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION. GREAT, THANK YOU. AND RESOLUTIONS INDICATES THE UP TO AMOUNT, UH, IN THE BODY OF THE RESOLUTION. AND CAN WE JUST MAKE SURE GOING FORWARD, CAN WE INCLUDE THAT AMOUNT IN THE, IN THE TITLE OF THE RESOLUTIONS? GREAT CALL ON THAT. OKAY. UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THESE CONSENT AND GENERAL RESOLUTIONS? [03:55:01] NO. NO. OKAY. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MS. WICKER? . MS. SANTO? YES. MR. COX? YES. MS. AYE. SECOND MAYOR WARNINGS. AYE. MAYOR S SILVER? AYE. OKAY. UM, I HAD SOMETHING WRITTEN DOWN ABOUT THANKING MR. NOLA AND THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY. UM, SIR, I CAN'T THIS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CHALLENGE FOR THE RESIDENTS AND AS SOME OF THEM MENTIONED, NOT JUST TAUNTON BOULEVARD RESIDENTS, BUT ALL RESIDENTS OF MEDFORD. SO THE WORK YOU'RE DOING IS IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. UM, SO [XIV. EXECUTIVE SESSION] NOW WE HAVE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION, EES THREE, TWO, I'M SORRY, ZERO THREE. 0 3 20 26. CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. UM, SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, SO MOVE SECOND. IS THAT ALL IN FAVOR? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ALRIGHT. SO WE'LL BE ABOUT AS QUICKLY AS LABOR COUNCIL CAN GET US THROUGH. THERE'LL, THERE'LL BE NO FORMAL ACTION TAKEN. NO FORMAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN. ALRIGHT. UM, I'M RECONVENING THE OPEN PORTION OF THE PUBLIC MEETING. WE JUST, WE, WE ADJUST, UH, ADDRESS THE ITEMS ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOTION TO ADUR. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.