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34 <br />utility service to some properties that have been constrained in their development potential. <br />One of the reasons they have been constrained has been the non - availability of water and <br />sewer lines. Highway 57 currently has a 6 inch Town of Hillsborough water line extending to <br />the Mars Hill Church site. The Town has water lines to the west and to the south as well, but <br />there are no lines in the project area at this time. The sewer lines are in the Governor Downs <br />Subdivision, the Rencher Street area, and some isolated sewer in the Faucette Mill Road area <br />to the west. Orange County Schools propose to extend a sanitary sewer gravity line down <br />Strauss Creek from the school site to the north side of Governor Burke Road. A pump station <br />would be installed which would pump southward to the Orange High School area. The water <br />line extension to serve the school would come from the Town's northern water tank and <br />proceed eastward by a combination of public right -of -way and acquired easement to the school <br />site. The benefit of that water line would be to provide fire protection service as well as future <br />potable water service for the school site and other properties. <br />Commissioner Brown asked for clarification about the apparent discrepancy in road frontage. <br />Mr. Whitaker indicated that in the deed description the southern road frontage on Highway 57 <br />should be 178 wide but when it was scaled from the tax map it was much smaller than that. <br />This discrepancy needs to be cleared up about how wide the road frontage is. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked who owned the property on which the Quaker cemetery was <br />located. <br />Jim Parker indicated that he did not know who owned the property. He believed that it was <br />located just off of the property involved in this proposed amendment. If it turns out to be <br />located on this property it would be preserved. <br />QUESTIONS AND /OR COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS: <br />Ted Laws, a local resident, spoke in opposition to this request. He mentioned that as a <br />business person he has mixed feelings about development and growth. He was concerned <br />about the concept of putting more people on less land. He is the Chair of the Grounds <br />Committee at Mars Hill Baptist Church. They have discussed this and are concerned about <br />increasing the density of this area. He mentioned that the Quaker cemetery is on Betty Harris' <br />property. <br />Dr. Weng, an adjoining property owner, spoke in support of this proposal. He owns property <br />that was zoned 10 -year transitional many years ago. He does not have the money to pay for <br />the water and sewer. He felt that this would be a good time for the County Commissioners to <br />think about creating a planned development. He commented that growth is inevitable and he <br />hopes that well planned growth can be encouraged. He asked the County Commissioners to <br />approve this request. <br />Susan Dovenbarger, Orange County School Board member, indicated that this site was <br />selected by the Orange County School board as the location for the new elementary school. <br />Approximately one and 1/2 years ago the school board appointed a committee to identify sites <br />for a new elementary school. This group met and identified possible sites. They identified the <br />number of students living in the northern and western portions of the County and determined <br />that there are significant numbers of students coming from north of Highway 70. She <br />31 <br />