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8 person is being squashed. He asked that the Board focus on empowering people to make possible what now is not possible for them -- not on shutting them off from the only thing they look forward to having. Robert Cantwell did not speak BOB HALL stated that God values all the farmers everywhere. The reason the land values are increasing is because of the local market of the Research Triangle and the University and not because of the character of Orange County farmers. He does not actually support the two acre minimum the way it is stated. The rural character study was correct in that it should have provisions for people who have land now to have five one acre lots to divide it up for their family or to sell it. There should be bonuses for affordable housing. He supports the principles of the rural character study. LIVY LUDINGTON, member of the Rural Character Study Committee, said she is struck by the amount of hostility and animosity she has heard at this hearing. The County is growing so quickly and somehow there must be a way to be fair to everybody but not ruin Orange County. The Rural Character Study Committee worked for a long time to come up with some compromises. There are other options in the recommendation. One is that property owners would have up to five one acre lots. She does not feel that two acre minimum lots will preserve rural Orange County. There have got to be other ways to do it. Clustering should not be written off -- it is a compromise and a way to see that people still get value for their land and at the same time preserve what they love about this County. The two acre lot size will not work without clustering. She feels that the open space needs to be contiguous open space and not piecemeal. There must be a plan for open space. Open space is valued by everyone and must be protected. With regards to Purchase of Development Rights, the land will cost a lot more with one acre lots and the County will be limited in the amount they are able to preserve. She feels there must be a way for everyone to work together and come up with a way for everyone to protect Orange County and preserve it as the beautiful place it is now. ROY ROTH presented a written statement which is in the permanent agenda file. In summary he favors the two acre zoning as a baseline. He favors the 50% open space at baseline and agrees with what has been said about clustering development. He feels that a lot of common interests have been expressed in the comments made this evening and that the major task for the Planning Board is to find that common interest and exploit it by putting together a package that will be good and useful for everyone. The major question is how to control development and preserve rural character. A lot of people want to do this. LYNDON WHITFIELD, a local dairy farmer, spoke against the minimum two acre lot proposal. He feels that the farms will be going because the market has decreased for beef. CURT HOGAN did not speak. GENIE KOMINES stated that she has lived in Orange County for one year and plans to be here for another fifty years. She is in favor of the two acre lot size and the 50% open space set-aside of the buildable acreage. She feels this is the only way to preserve anything of what is considered important about Orange County. She feels that the County should find ways to allow people who are currently farming and want to continue farming in Orange County to do so. Having the large amount of contiguous open space available is one very good option for allowing people to do that. MICHAEL CHANDLER, member of the National Association of Homebuilders, stated he has been working as a general contractor in Orange County for fifteen years and supports the recommendation. He feels that cluster housing is a good idea, particularly in areas where there is more than one house per five acres. He made reference to an article in the Professional Builders magazine on a