Orange County NC Website
25 <br /> is that the use by right is a question in this scenario. The ordinance has a <br /> specific provision that a transfer station owned and operated by a public agency <br /> should have frontage on a public or a state-maintained road. This site does not <br /> have frontage on any public road and the access is not via public road at all. He <br /> thinks that it is a stretch to consider 1-40 frontage since it is a restricted access <br /> highway and there will be no interaction between the transportation system and <br /> the site. He does not think that this is a use by right in the rural buffer zoning <br /> district and he would rate the site much lower. He also thinks that it is erroneous <br /> to assume that policy will prevent heavy trucks from operating in Millhouse <br /> Road. He said that this site would require some sort of on-site water and septic <br /> system, which is not allowed in the rural buffer. He distributed a letter to the <br /> Board. <br /> Charles Viles, Vice President of Emerson Waldorf School Board of <br /> Directors, read a letter. <br /> "Dear Board of County Commissioners, <br /> As you all know, the Emerson Waldorf School campus is directly <br /> adjacent to the Millhouse Road site. Our school garden is less than 100 yards <br /> from the property border and only 200 yards from the footprint of the Waste <br /> Transfer Station as depicted in the Site Evaluation Report you have received <br /> tonight. Our playing field is less than a quarter mile distant from the WTS <br /> footprint. <br /> On May 191h, we registered our deep concern and opposition to siting the <br /> WTS on Millhouse Road, noting traffic and safety issues, potential <br /> environmental problems, and fundamental issues of fairness to the larger <br /> neighborhood. <br /> Now, a month later, we have the preliminary site evaluation in front of us. <br /> It is no surprise that this site has been ranked highly along technical criteria. <br /> However, we are dismayed to find that the report characterizes the site as "mid- <br /> range" along community specific criteria. Further, there is no justification or <br /> explanation given for the site ranking based on these very important guidelines. <br /> As one example, how is it that a site that is directly adjacent to a school with 260 <br /> children could be given a 4 out of 10 raw score along the specific criteria <br /> `proximity to schools, churches, and recreation sites?' The lack of any kind of <br /> rationale along these subjective guidelines is quite troubling. <br /> If we examine the site selection process in large, the last minute injection <br /> of a site that was previously discarded raises many questions — `why are we not <br /> reexamining the entire set of 232 sites that were discarded to come up with the <br /> original top 10?' `What exactly is the process?' `When do those most deeply <br /> affected by a WTS get to be heard by County staff and officials?' <br /> Our concern and opposition to siting the Waste Transfer Station on <br /> Millhouse Road remain unabated. <br /> Some of you have walked our campus, seen the playing field and school <br /> garden and its proximity to the Millhouse Road site. We invite each of you to <br /> come out and walk this property and listen to our concerns. We will do our best <br /> to arrange this in the coming months. On the ground, you will get a visceral feel <br /> for what we are fighting for. <br /> Sincerely, <br />