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the northern direction, being able to get off the interstate and make a left turn onto Buckhorn <br />Road because of the existing traffic there already. And then we have people who are coming <br />south, going toward Burlington, who are getting off the interstate, coming up and turning around <br />in our church's parking lot, in order to get back in line to go back toward the flea market. And <br />we have had some of our members pause to be hit in the parking lot because some people are <br />in such a haste to get back in line. I think this project would be a benefit to Orange County, but <br />we are concerned about the churches and roads. <br />Naola Fearrington: 1 have been sworn in. I live at 710 Buckhorn Road. I'm a member of <br />People for Progress. The question that I have, at our last People for Progress meeting, we had <br />several questions, and I think you answered two of those in the presentations that were made <br />tonight. But there's one thing that, in addition to what Rev. Umstead has said, the other thing <br />that concerns us, in our area, the residents are concerned about property taxes -tax values, <br />County tax increases, and the possibility of Mebane City taxes if they are annexed. <br />Chair Jacobs: Just so you know, the Northern Buckhorn/Central Efland Sewer project will go <br />to public hearing in this room on April 1St <br />David Permar: I have been sworn. I'm an attorney from Raleigh. I'm here representing <br />McLeod Oil Company. McLeod Oil Company operates the BP Buckhorn station right at the <br />southeast corner of this interchange. McLeod is headquartered in Mebane, it is a petroleum <br />marketing and distribution company, it has been in existence since the 1940's. The Thompkins <br />family has owned and operated it since the 1970's. It has approximately 70 employees. It <br />distributes and sells petroleum products to the retail public through approximately 30-40 outlets <br />in the central Piedmont area of North Carolina. They have owned and operated what !call the <br />Buckhorn BP station since the 1980's. It is one of McLeod's best outlets in terms of volume. <br />The retail gasoline business is highly competitive. Price is an important factor. Higher volumes <br />mean lower margins and lower prices. But access in and out of a station is even more <br />important than price -ease of access in and ease of access out. At the Buckhorn BP, 99% of <br />the business comes right off the interstate and returns immediately to the interstate. All of those <br />customers must make a left turn into the Buckhorn BP. Currently, that left turn is very easily <br />accommodated, it's good access in and it's good access out. If, however, our customers and <br />the motoring public lose the ability to make a left turn into that site, it will be devastating to the <br />Buckhorn BP business. It is no exaggeration to expect a loss of 50% in sales if that were to <br />occur. Traffic impact analysis indicates that Buckhorn Road would need to be expanded to four <br />lanes, with a turn lane in the center. The second concern for us is whether or not additional <br />rights-of-way will need to be taken in order to accommodate the four lanes plus the turn lane. I <br />urge you not to take any additional right-of-way from the Buckhorn BP site. If very little <br />additional right-of-way being taken would require that the pump islands be moved, if the pump <br />islands are moved, the entire UST system must be replaced, and if you're going through all of <br />that, you're likely going to have to replace everything on the site. That becomes a very <br />expensive process. I'm really sure that the developer or the Department of Transportation <br />doesn't want to take on that expense. I urge you to do two~things. First, keep the current traffic <br />patterns on the site and keep the left turn into the BP site open. Second, keep all of the <br />improvements in the current right-of-way. If all of that can be accomplished, we have no <br />objection to this proposed development. We look forward to working with the DOT, the <br />developer, and Orange County to see if we can accomplish all of our goals and let the project <br />move forward. <br />Michael Collins: He gave his handout to the Clerk. I have been sworn. Tonight I'm speaking <br />on behalf of the Intercity Visit Sustainability Workgroup. We are a group of concerned citizens <br />