Agenda - 12-07-2009 - 4a - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 admitted racial and social inequity in further burdening the communities around and most severely impacted by the landfill and related uses. The primary factor recommending the Paydarfar site seems to be cost (rated "important" and allotted 5 points, the lowest ranking for nay criteria). In fact, implicitly acknowledging the environmental injustice and inequities inherent in the site, staff and some board members have suggested allocating "some portion of the land purchase differential between the NC 54 site....and the acquisition reimbursement of the County owned site....toward a water/sewer solution for the Rogers Road area." This rationalization for ignoring the due process and the environmental justice issues presented by the Paydarfar site is a further betrayal of promises made to the Rogers road community and of the social, racial, and economic justice values that the County and its residents hold dear. Water and sewer infrastructure improvements in the neighborhood have been recognized and discussed by local governments and the community as compensation for bearing the substantial burdens of the County's landfill and solid waste operations for nearly forty years. While residents believe the County (and other local governments) are genuinely committed in good faith to provide these long overdue improvements, to suggest that these remedial measures be considered mitigation or consideration for additional -and potentially ongoing -solid waste uses perpetuates the legacy of disparate impacts on this under- resourced minority community, undermines the progress being made to remedy those inequities, and belies the fundamental values of the County and its residents. As Jonathan Kozol once said, "Charity is no substitute for justice." We respectfully request that the BOCC eliminate the Paydarfar site from further consideration. Sincerely, Mark Dorosin Senior Managing Attorney Sarah Krishnaraj Attorney Chris Lamb said that he is a soccer dad. His sons have played soccer in three different leagues for the past eight years. He was delighted when the Board of County Commissioners purchased the Paydarfar site for a park and playing fields. He said that Commissioner Gordon and Commissioner Jacobs were on the Board at that time when the Board voted unanimously to purchase the land for this park. He said that on September 1St, the Board directed staff to research sites for a waste transfer station and one site they looked at was the Paydarfar site, which borders the Blackwood property on the north and west sides. Since then, the County staff has had Olver, Inc. perform expensive and questionable site evaluation. In this evaluation, Olver, Inc. did not mention any impact to the planned Blackwood Park, even though the plan for the site (Exhibit B) shows that the construction extends beyond the ten-acre Paydarfar site and into the Blackwood property on two sides. He said that there is also no mention in the report of a required buffer between the waste transfer station and the park and no mention of conflicting traffic with 40 or more garbage trucks and minivans filled with children. He said that having a waste transfer site on this property would degrade the quality of life for many families. He implored the Board to factor in these comments as decisions are made and reject the Paydarfar site and construct Blackwood Park.