Orange County NC Website
29 <br /> floated the idea of placing the Waste Transfer Station on Millhouse Road, <br /> claiming that this area was outside the Rogers/Eubanks community. Historically, <br /> that is a false claim. In any case, the media and others vigorously promoted <br /> Foy's suggestion. In May, the Town of Chapel Hill Sustainability Committee <br /> made a formal recommendation to the Council (May 11, 2009) that the <br /> town/university "Super Committee" negotiating a development plan for Carolina <br /> North consider placing the Waste Transfer Station at Carolina North. As you all <br /> know, the BOCC placed this very issue before the university, perhaps a year <br /> ago. Although the Council accepted the Sustainability Committee's <br /> recommendations, the WTS recommendation was never discussed by the <br /> Super Committee. The media never promoted discussion of this alternative, <br /> which could have been a "win win" situation for both the university and <br /> environmental justice. In short, the recommendation of a town advisory board to <br /> consider the possibility of placing the WTS at Carolina North gained no traction, <br /> while Kevin Foy's suggestion did. <br /> Foy's idea represents the path of least resistance to existing power relations in <br /> Orange County. Acquiescence to the path of least resistance always results in <br /> placing the burden for landfills and other unhealthy developments on relatively <br /> disenfranchised people, i.e. working class people of color, in this case the <br /> Rogers/Eubanks community. That is how institutional, systemic racism, works. <br /> Please stay strong for environmental justice and the families of the <br /> Rogers/Eubanks community. <br /> Dr. John K. (Yonni) Chapman" <br /> Robert Dawson said that the systematic destruction and devaluation <br /> over time by County and City officials, was first started decades ago. He said <br /> that his great-great grandfather lived on Millhouse Road. His great-grandfather <br /> built a house and his daughter now owns the land that it is on. She would be <br /> the sixth generation landowner that has watched while the government has <br /> systematically put the landfill there. He said that the Town of Chapel Hill has <br /> been buying up his family's land since the landfill started. He asked the County <br /> Commissioners to listen to the people because this is a serious matter. <br /> Will Raymond is a citizen of Chapel Hill. He said that he hopes that the <br /> County Commissioners are working on a plan B if NC 54 fails. In terms of <br /> Millhouse Road, he said that the evaluation leans heavily on the centroid of <br /> population. He said that the centroid still does not incorporate Buckhorn Village <br /> and other large developments that are north of Chapel Hill. He said that it does <br /> not include the rapid growth east of Mebane or west of Durham County. He said <br /> that he was involved in the small area task force for Rogers Road and the <br /> citizens describe Millhouse Road as part of that community. He said that <br /> Emerson Waldorf has been good stewards of the land and he wonders about <br /> the statement that there would be minimal impact from the transfer station. He <br /> said that it does not make sense that this site passes the criteria, and he helped <br /> create this criterion. He said that the Mayor made this suggestion as an <br /> individual and the Town Council has not signed off on it and a number of <br /> Council members have said that they are surprised and they are not interested. <br />