Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
29 <br /> Darcy Willson <br /> 5315 Old Hillsborough Rd <br /> Durham, NC 27705 <br /> darcywillson @yahoo.corn <br /> 919-612-7442 <br /> The negative financial and social impacts to area residents are too great to allow this <br /> proposed zoning change to move forward. <br /> This zoning change will greatly reduce the buffer between new non-residential <br /> development and existing small residential properties. By incorporating existing small <br /> residential properties currently outside the Eno Economic Development District into the <br /> District, the buffers that would help protect these properties from the commercial and <br /> industrial development will be reduced from the current 100 ft. to as little as 25 ft. There <br /> should not be any zoning changes that reduce or eliminate the current protections to <br /> existing small residential properties. Reducing the buffer will have a huge negative <br /> impact on the quality of life of affected residents. <br /> County properties are taxed at the "highest and best legally permitted use". If a <br /> property changes from Rural Residential zoning to Economic Development district <br /> zoning, the tax value as an Economic Development District zoned property will certainly <br /> be greater than the current legally permitted residential use. Many affected residents <br /> will be unable to afford the property tax increases that would result from this zoning <br /> change. <br /> The area affected by the zoning change has a high percentage of affordable housing. <br /> The average home price and incomes in this area are both well below the county <br /> average. Orange County is already lacking affordable housing. If the zoning change is <br /> approved people will most likely have to move to another county to find comparable <br /> affordable housing. <br /> As far as the large landowners and developers are concerned, this zoning change <br /> means increased profits due to the greatly reduced buffers, and leverage to buy out the <br /> small residential property owners who will be unable to afford the higher property taxes. <br /> To me and the rest of the small residential property owners who would be negatively <br /> impacted by this proposed zoning change, it means the destruction of our homes and <br /> the community that we live in. <br /> It would be an injustice to area residents to allow this proposed zoning change to move <br /> forward. The negative financial and social impacts are too great. In this time of <br /> economic uncertainty for many people it is vital that those at the lower end of the <br /> economic spectrum be protected. The consequences to me personally would be <br /> devastating. I urge the County Commissioners to not let this community be destroyed. <br /> The Eno Economic Development District Small Area plan states that "development in <br /> the Eno Economic Development District is intended to occur under Orange County <br />