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3) Third, Orange Alamance Water is at capacity, with 80 percent of its water going west <br />of Buckhorn Road. Are we to explore options for dealing with water availability in our <br />planning efforts? <br />Chair Gordon said that she thought that it was in the bond brochure that service would <br />be provided to Efland consumers. <br />Craig Benedict said that 1.2 million dollars has to be used to service the people of <br />Efland. The question should be modified to include whether the money should be leveraged to <br />expand the area for water and sewer services to possibly pick up some of the EDDs in the <br />general area. He said that a larger water and sewer system is typically more financially feasible <br />and could lower the rates for everyone in the general area. <br />Craig Benedict made a brief presentation on the Buckhorn Road Economic Development <br />District. He said that at this time, EDDs have primary and secondary sections. Primary means <br />that it is all non-residential, industrial, manufacturing, and commercial. Secondary means that <br />residential uses are allowed. The Board is to consider whether the uses within the EDDs should <br />be broken down to a few different categories (question 2). He said that when the EDD was first <br />proposed in the Buckhorn Road area, it was just north of 1-85, and then it was further modified <br />to include the area just south of 1-85. This issue was brought up because one of the property <br />owners said that there could be no industrial development because there was no water and <br />sewer. At this time, Mebane does not plan to extend water and sewer systems east of <br />Buckhorn Road. He said that Orange Alamance has used up all of the allocations from the <br />reservoirs and cannot extend the system any further. He said that if there was going to be <br />higher residential density, it should be near the interstate where there is water and sewer. <br />Chair Gordon would like some pros and cons of each scenario. She feels there needs to <br />be more structure to the decision making. Craig Benedict will come back to the board with <br />some pros and cons for each question. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked for an update on the history of the Efland sewer line and <br />the proposed expenditure for the 1.2 million dollars. He feels this needs to be thought out very <br />carefully. He noted that the 1.2 million dollars would only take care of the remainder of phase <br />one and all of phase two, and there are four phases. <br />John Link said that if a utility line is run past someone's house, the homeowner is <br />charged the minimum whether or not they use it. It needs to be made clear as the County <br />Commissioners make decisions on expanding this utility that it would be run as a utility in the <br />future. <br />Commissioner Carey would like to leverage the 1.2 million dollars to help provide water <br />and sewer to the EDD. He said that inter-basin transfers should be limited. <br />Commissioner Jacobs feels that the 1.2 million dollars should be leveraged to serve the <br />EDD, but water needs to be addressed along with sewer. He asked why the Orange Alamance <br />water system is shipping water to another drainage basin. He would like to get more information <br />about whether the Orange Alamance Water System could be acquired or influenced to keep its <br />water within the basin. <br />Commissioner Brown asked what the people of Efland think. Providing water and sewer <br />could change Efland. She does not think Efland is interested in the impact of increased <br />development. She thinks that the County's service boundary needs to be considered. <br />Regarding the Efland Small Area Plan, she asked if that was in the goals. <br />Craig Benedict said that there are three goals wrapped into one that addressed this <br />concern. This issue is an opportunity to take a look at the small area plan. <br />Commissioner Brown said that Efland is the biggest area for affordable housing. She <br />asked about the applications for septic tanks in the developments in Efland. <br />Craig Benedict said that it is difficult to get an answer. A sewer extension policy on who <br />uses the sewer system and who does not is a very delicate issue. <br />Commissioner Brown feels it is very important to decide what is going to be done.