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WARD & MISENHEIMER <br />December 3, 2006 <br />Orange County Planning Department <br />Mr. Glenn Bowles, Planner II <br />306 F Revere Road <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation <br />Mr. Robin Blanton, PE <br />Manager of Engineering <br />2500 NC 86 South <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />Mr. Bowles & Mr. Blanton, <br />/q7 <br />6224 FAYETTEVILLE ROAD, SUITE 101 <br />DURHAM, NC 27713 <br />BUS. (919) 544 -7171 <br />TOLL FREE (877) 668 -0800 <br />FAX (919) 361 -9960 <br />In accordance with your request I narrowed the scope of the original assignment to determining the effect <br />that the proposed tower height increase will have on the adjacent and surrounding home values. <br />This report is subject to the proposed improvements being completed as set forth in the attached report. At <br />the time of site inspection, I observed the existing 150' tower located on a 34 acre site owned by Piedmont <br />Electric. The proposed 350' tower will also be located on the subject's 34 acre site. The closest adjacent <br />home site is approximately 550' from the tower location. <br />Note: This report is not an appraisal of the proposed tower. To appraise the tower would involve <br />establishing an opinion of value for the proposed tower. My assignment was to evaluate and report my <br />opinion as a State Certified General Appraiser of the tower's height increase on the adjacent & surrounding <br />properties. <br />What Impact would increasing the existing tower height to the proposed 350' have on surrounding <br />property values? <br />Issue Number 1 <br />Existing Tower — At the time of my inspection, I found that Piedmont Electric has an existing 150' tower <br />on site. This makes the impact analysis difficult due to the fact that Piedmont Electric is not adding a tower <br />where there had not been a tower but has proposed increasing the tower height. If there was a tower impact <br />on adjacent property values, the impact has been on going from the time the original tower was installed. <br />Issue Number 2 <br />External Commercial Nuances — The majority of homes adjacent to the Piedmont Electrics 34 acre <br />campus are located in Joppa Oaks. On the North border of Joppa Oaks neighborhood is an active railroad. <br />The rail line is located approximately .4 miles north of the Piedmont Electric tower. It has been my <br />experience that an active railroad will have a profound impact on surround property value. Thus extracting <br />the future impact of a taller tower from the ongoing active railroad's impact on surrounding property values <br />is difficult if not impossible. <br />Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. <br />