Orange County NC Website
project and then it would be shared with the public. This is exactly what happened and it <br /> was not a secret meeting. <br /> Public Comment: <br /> Rita Ware said that she and her husband bought one acre on 1805 Arthur <br /> Minnis Road 23 years ago and a lot of things have changed. She said that the "horse is <br /> already out" on Tuscany Ridge and they had no say on the subject. Regarding the <br /> paving of Arthur Minnis, they signed in 1981 and DOT started with wanting their property <br /> for the right-of-way and then some for straightening out a curve. This would have come <br /> within feet of her doorway. This happened in 1981, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1994, 1997, and <br /> 1999. Every time, they told DOT no. She said that she even talked with people in <br /> Greensboro of the DOT and got a very harsh remark seven years ago saying that she <br /> was the reason why a man was killed on Arthur Minnis Road. She said that this <br /> supposed dead person was her husband and he is not dead. In 2002, they find out that <br /> they did not have any say. She said that the Cate's and the Dodson's signed a right-of- <br /> way to pave all of Arthur Minnis Road. She does not understand why it is okay to have a <br /> conventional development in the rural buffer. She said that she has read so many things <br /> that are not true. She said that she read about how Representative Price's office <br /> endorsed this paving of the 800-foot section of the road. She called David Price's office <br /> and talked with the former campaign chairman about Representative Price's support of <br /> the paving of the road and they did not know anything about it. She feels that she is <br /> being run off her property. <br /> Bob Johnson gave a PowerPoint presentation on the portion of Arthur Minnis <br /> Road that is to be paved. He said that he has reviewed the abstract and the concerns <br /> still remain. He pointed out that there has been discussion about drought and water <br /> conservation measures for people with wells. He said that in this document the <br /> Environmental Health Department says that wells are not impacted by the drought. This <br /> is a contradiction. He said that one point to consider is that wells are typically drilled <br /> after the house is built. He said that DOT is right to want to pave gravel roads because <br /> gravel roads are more dangerous. He said that the DOT ends the pavement at a <br /> dangerous point on Arthur Minnis Road. This is a very dark area and a sharp curve and <br /> no amount of grading or signage will help. He asked the Board of County <br /> Commissioners to ask the DOT to stop and ask them to pave the entire road or none at <br /> all. <br /> Martha Martin read from her notes. She made reference to the entire length <br /> of road that the DOT intends to pave. She said that the low point of the road is in front of <br /> her property and when it rains, several acres behind her drains into the low spot. <br /> Several years ago there was a ditch dug on her side of the road. Drainage became a <br /> major problem and the ditch was filled in. The plans to pave in front of her house would <br /> add about a two-foot levy and she said that when it rains, her vegetable garden would be <br /> under water and so will her well. She considers this a significant health risk. She did <br /> talk with the DOT Engineer about this and they told her that they would build a culvert. <br /> There is already a properly sized culvert under the road today, and it is useless. The <br /> reason that it is useless is because there is nowhere for the water to go. The proposed <br /> grading and paving of Arthur Minnis Road will impact her family's health and safety and <br /> put her at odds with her neighbors who refuse to allow a swell to be cut through their <br /> property. She asked the County Commissioners to please ask the DOT to stop this <br /> immediately. <br /> Virginia Godfrey lives further down on Arthur Minnis Road. She bought a 63- <br /> acre horse farm on Arthur Minnis Road in 1998. She bought a working farm on a dirt <br /> road in a rural buffer because she was told that Orange County's policies would help <br />