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Engineers: 33 trees removed, 84 replanted; storage shed to be relocated within company parcel
Summary
Civil testimony documented tree removal counts and a replanting plan (84 new trees) and described relocation of a 1,500‑square‑foot storage shed to accommodate the new access drive; the board conditioned approvals on a landscaping guarantee and replacement if plantings fail.
Civil engineer David Tanzi told the board the project will remove trees in several size classes to accommodate the access road and that the applicant proposes to plant 84 replacement trees on Highland Park property. Tanzi quantified removal as roughly 24 trees in the 8–20‑inch diameter range and nine trees in the 20–36‑inch range; the applicant emphasized a substantial replanting plan to mitigate visuals and buffering.
The board also examined the applicant’s plan to relocate an existing roughly 1,500‑square‑foot storage shed currently sited in the path of the proposed driveway. The shed—described as an enclosed, soft‑dome structure sitting on concrete blocks—will be shifted to a corner of Middlesex Water’s Highland Park parcel; witnesses indicated the new placement meets setbacks. Board members asked for a landscaping replacement guarantee (the chair suggested a one‑year maintenance period, with immediate replacement required if new trees die), and the applicant agreed to a condition requiring replacement of failed plantings within the guarantee period.
The board confirmed that final landscaping plans, replacement language and enforcement terms will be included in the resolution before construction access is allowed.
