Agenda - 03-26-2009 - 3 a - Laserfiche WebLink

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December 8, 2008 Kevin C. Foy, Nlayor 19 Oakwood Drive . Chapel Hill, NC 27517 Office: 919-968-2714 Home: 919-932-1925 kevi nfoy@townofchapelhill . org Dear Mayor Foy and Council Members, According to the Town of Chapel Hill website ~http:Ilwww.townofchapelhill.orglindex.asp?NID=1241), on November 11, 2002, the Council adopted a resolution stating that Chapel Hill would initiate a process to develop a Small Area Plan for the residential area west of the Green Tract Rogers Road, Purefoy Raad area), including the affordable housing site on the Greene Tract. Specifically, the plan was to include a more detailed look at the impacts of providing public services in the area, especially the extension of sanitary sewer, and the impacts of developing an affordable housing site. The Rogers Road Small Area Plan Task Force thereafter, Task Force) is charged with creating that plan which will include an analysis of the following topics: * Desirable Land Uses and Revision to the Land Use Plan * Water and Sewer Extension Plan '~ Roadway Network * Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Plan * Transit Service Plan * Zoning Ordinance and Map Amendment. As the Task Force continues its work, the residents of the Rogers-Eubanks Community remain the hosts of the County's landfills and solid waste and recycling facilities. For over 35 years, Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association ARENA} residents have awaited public services improvements and basic amenities including, but not limited to regulated, public water and sanitary sewer service}, Additionally, the County's current search for a waste transfer station has not met requests by the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association ARENA} and the Coalition to End Environmental Racism ~CEER} to permanently remove Eubanks Road from the siting process. Despite the fact that previous efforts to address the needs of the Community had largely come ~to naught, hopes were high that this time, through the Task Force, the need for such basic public services as public, regulated water and sanitary sewer would be addressed. Rogers-Eubanks community members have worked in good faith throughout 2007 and 2008 with representatives of Chapel Hill (on the Task Force), as well as with other. local agencies (Carrboro, Orange County and OWASA) to reach agreement on priorities for the Community. Now an all too familiar pattern has apparently set in: since the onset of Task Force meetings, there has been no action by the Council or coordination with Carrboro, Orange County, and OyVASA to develop and implement a timeline ,for providing OWASA water and sewer connections to all of those residences in the Ragers-Eubanks community presently without functioning connections. Is the Task Force to be yet another failed effort in the long history of promises made, expectations raised, and resolution denied? The Rogers-Eubanks Community is ready to continue working with the Council and specifically wants to focus on the public financing of OWASA public drinking water and sewer service connections to all residences of the Community. This matter requires coordinated planning with Carrboro, Orange County, and OWASA to secure funds, but the political will on the part of the Council to follow through is essential. See attached Resolution.) We believe the citizens of Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Orange County recognize that the Rogers-Eubanks Community, having borne the burden of the Towns' and entire cvunfy's waste for 35 years, deserves those .basic public services to protect the health and safety of the community. The Task, Force and the good faith efforts of the Roger-Eubanks Community should not become another sad milestone in the long history of expectations raised and hopes der-ied. We stand ready to continue the work. Thank you. Minister Robert L. Campbell and Neloa Jones Co-Chairs of the Rogers-Eubanks Coalition to End Environmental Racism