Agenda - 09-06-2012 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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71 DRAFT 109 Craig Benedict: Orange County has a good relationship with NCDOT. On a regular basis,we analyze the speeds of 110 a road based on activities built on property accessing the road. There will be no commercial traffic, which has a 111 higher trip generation than office traffic. The majority of the commercial activity will be on Highway 70. We will work 112 with NCDOT to analyze the increase in traffic and if we find out turning is difficult, right or left turn lanes can be put in 113 or the blinking light could turn into a regular light. 114 115 Larry Wright: She also talks about the railroad trestle. Did you have any comments on the railroad situation? 116 117 Craig Benedict: There may be restrictions of truck traffic. There can be additional signage. We will address it with 118 NCDOT and our partners at the NC Railroad Division. 119 120 Larry Wright: There is also a letter from Dr. Arvik. When NCDOT announced the extension of Highway 147, there 121 was an outcry and a lot of opposition. They tried to stop it and they could not. NCDOT did put it through. We do 122 have an EDD and it is part of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and there will be commercial traffic there. It is realistic 123 for the town to conduct essays as requested and monitor them forever? 124 125 Craig Benedict: The state regulates air quality. Occasionally, they do put monitoring stations through the state. We 126 will contact them to get a baseline. We have a program through the Durham/Orange County/Chapel Hill MPO to 127 make traffic work better. We will monitor air quality based on traffic situations and they can pick up background that 128 is not associated with transportation that would be associated with an area. We will not be mandating these 129 particular stations to be put in. 130 131 Larry Wright: For example, if it does get into Orange area, there would not be any way to mitigate it? 132 133 Craig Benedict: Mitigation due to transportation, there are programs that can be brought forward, i.e. Commuter rail. 134 When you look at air quality, you focus on development in one area and relieving the burden in other areas. 135 136 Johnny Randall: When you have a Code Orange and the primary pollution is ozone is not particulates. 137 138 Craig Benedict: You are familiar with our Environment and Resources Conservation Department that monitors the 139 level in wells. 140 141 Johnny Randall: I read the letters and many seemed to be valid concerns. If there is a parcel for sale in this area 142 and a real estate agent doesn't want to advertise this is an EDD area is there a way that the public can be flagged 143 that alerts them to this potential. 144 145 Craig Benedict: The only flag is if they look at the website, speak with staff, or comes to our office. Largely, it is up 146 to the realtors. 147 148 Mark Marcoplos: In thinking of the whole concept of the EDD and how the people who live near them, how they have 149 learned about them, fifteen years ago, we were talking about EDD and what to do with them and the sense was we 150 couldn't do much. They were just there. 151 152 Craig Benedict: They originated in 1994. Prior to that, there were Commercial Industrial Transition Nodes and 153 Commercial Nodes so this EDD theme in 1994 was a reinvention of what had been there. 154 155 Mark Marcoplos: So these districts are sitting there and someone could easily buy a home there and no one would 156 know. It seems we have accepted something that was drawn on the map and kept in an office somewhere and now 157 we are getting ready to impose zoning on these areas. I think it is a problem. There should be signs to let people 158 know they are entering into a zone. I think it is up to the County and not the realtor. 159 160 Maxecine Mitchell: Being a licensed realtor myself, the law,we have to make sure the property can be used for what 161 the buyer wants to use it for and secondly to look into upcoming changes that may affect the use of the property. 3