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20 <br /> 1 To: Orange County, NC Commissioners: Bernadette Pelissier, Pam Hemminger, Valerie P. <br /> 2 Foushee, Alice M. Gordon, Barry Jacobs, Earl McKee and Steve Yuhasz <br /> 3 <br /> 4 From: Michael Recny, Bill O'Neil, Ed Lowdermilk, Jack Olich, Mary Miller, Vikram Rao, and W. <br /> 5 L. Triplett <br /> 6 <br /> 7 Re: Proposed Solid Waste Transfer Site location on the northwest corner if 140/NC 86 <br /> 8 <br /> 9 Preserving the beauty, integrity and character of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro Rural Buffer is <br /> 10 absolutely essential to maintaining our town as one of the most desirable places to live and to <br /> 11 raise families in Orange County, NC. The Rural Buffer was created decades ago by visionary <br /> 12 Chapel Hill/Carrboro and Orange County community planners who worked toward a common <br /> 13 goal of creating a buffer region to prevent unchecked urban growth and commercial sprawl that <br /> 14 has plagued other communities in NC. To their credit, Chapel Hill/Carrboro under the Joint <br /> 15 Planning Agreement have (to date) demonstrated a commitment to preserving Urban Services <br /> 16 Boundary by permitting only low density residential housing and no commercial development in <br /> 17 the Rural Buffer, thereby preserving the natural character and beauty of this precious <br /> 18 neighborhood resource. <br /> 19 <br /> 20 However, Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton recently put forth a proposal to build an industrial sized <br /> 21 solid waste transfer station ("WTS") to serve the needs of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of <br /> 22 Orange County within the Rural Buffer on a tract of land at the northwest corner of Interstate 40 <br /> 23 and NC 86. <br /> 24 <br /> 25 We the undersigned, who serve as representatives of six Orange County Homeowners <br /> 26 Associations which collectively represent approximately 450 properties and more than 1000 <br /> 27 residents express our vigorous opposition to this proposal. Construction of a WTS on this <br /> 28 site would breach the integrity of the Rural Buffer and constitute a major violation of the <br /> 29 fundamental principles upon which this region was originally created, and successfully <br /> 30 maintained for the past 30 years. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 Furthermore, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to locate a commercial WTS in the <br /> 33 Rural Buffer on the proposed site that: <br /> 34 (a) has no municipal water or sewer service to adequately address the need to <br /> 35 sequester, treat and dispose of toxic chemicals/waste generated within such a <br /> 36 commercial operation; <br /> 37 (b) would destroy a tree-laden, highly visible tract of land that currently serves as a <br /> 38 pristine gateway between the Rural Buffer and Chapel Hill city limits, and <br /> 39 (c) places a major industrial operation in very close proximity to hundreds of homes and <br /> 40 thousands of residents who live within the Rural Buffer. <br /> 41 <br /> 42 In addition to breaching the underlying integrity of the Rural Buffer with a commercial WTS <br /> 43 operation, thereare other significant environmental concerns which motivate our opposition to <br /> 44 this site, such as (but not limited to) the potential impact on watershed areas near the proposed <br /> 45 site from waste water runoff that could be contaminated with toxic chemicals escaping from the <br /> 46 site, and the potential contamination of personal and community wells that serve thousands of <br /> 47 residents living in close proximity to this site. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 Therefore, we request the Orange County Commissioners immediately eliminate this particular <br /> 50 site from further consideration. Furthermore, we request that the Commissioners adopt a firm <br />