Orange County NC Website
<br />the symptoms are being treated, and he would like to solve the problem. He suggested <br />meeting somewhere else or fixing the acoustical problems. <br />Commissioner Nelson said that the economic development question needs to be dealt <br />with and Carrboro has had a ban on drive-thrus for 15 years and it has not hurt the economic <br />development there. He said that the underlying issue is greenhouse gas and global warming <br />and there is no silver bullet. He said that the community will survive without drive-thrus. <br />Commissioner Pelissier said that she agreed with Commissioner Nelson's comments, <br />and in rereading the minutes of the Planning Board and previous quarterly public hearings, she <br />thinks that everyone has forgotten some of the major goals. She said that there were plans to <br />put drive-thrus in the Buckhorn area when she was on the Planning Board, and now that is a <br />moot issue. In the Planning Board minutes, it all started with greenhouse gas emissions and <br />educating parents to not idle in the drop off lane at a school. She said that the real issue is <br />that drive-thrus are a symbol of the car-oriented culture. She thinks that if the County wants to <br />move in the right direction, it has to change the symbols and the messages. The County <br />wants to create developments that are transit-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, and bicycle-friendly. <br />She said that there is no clear evidence that if drive-thrus are banned that a message is sent <br />to the business community that they are not wanted. She thinks that banning drive-thrus <br />sends a message about the kinds of businesses that the County does want. <br />Commissioner Hemminger said that she would like to formally ask the school districts to <br />educate their students and families about the issue of idling. <br />Commissioner Yuhasz said that the areas that this would affect are the EDD's that are <br />not in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, and the environment and atmosphere will be different in Orange <br />County. There will not be a lot of development where people can walk to the places that are <br />going to develop. He said that there is significantly more greenhouse gas created by the kiss- <br />and-go lanes at the schools than will ever be created by all drive-thru restaurants that ever <br />might be created in Orange County, and this ban does not address that at all. He said that this <br />ordinance would not minimize greenhouse gas. He thinks that the message with this is that <br />Orange County does not like drive-thrus and the food that is served and the people that go <br />there. He does not want to send that message. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he originally proposed this idea about banning drive- <br />thrus and it has nothing to do with the kind of people that use drive-thrus. He said that once <br />he proposed it, he has never used adrive-thru anywhere, even at a bank. He said that he has <br />always been opposed to the size of the kiss-and-go lanes at schools. He said that someone <br />has to take the lead in addressing a culture that is so car-oriented. He is willing to consider a <br />motion to do education before a ban. He said that this has to do with emissions, but there <br />needs to be a clearer and targeted message. If not, then the Board will vote 4-3 for the ban. <br />Chair Foushee asked Commissioner Yuhasz to restate his motion. <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Yuhasz, seconded by Commissioner Hemminger <br />to accept the Administration's recommendation, substituting option 3 for option 2 in #4. He <br />said that he might be willing to accept some modification of the motion to put some reasonable <br />time limit on the education component to see if it has had an effect, and to involve the schools. <br />Commissioner Jacobs suggested asking staff to come back with a proposal with a <br />specific timeframe, a way to measure the effectiveness of the educational component, and a <br />plan for the education. Commissioner Yuhasz agreed to add this to the motion. <br />VOTE: Ayes, 3 (Commissioner Yuhasz, Commissioner Hemminger, Commissioner Jacobs); <br />Nays, 4 <br />MOTION FAILED <br />