Orange County NC Website
11 <br /> 1 Michael Harvey: I'll just remind everyone here the applicant has an obligation to respond to <br /> 2 any and all questions in writing that will be presented to the Planning Board and also to the <br /> 3 County Commissioners. I would dare say that if staff does not feel those questions have been <br /> 4 adequately addressed or answered, we have never been shy to recommend conditions for the <br /> 5 applicant to have to adhere to. But the applicant also runs the risk if they don't submit the <br /> 6 necessary information and get a negative finding by the County Planning Board, the County <br /> 7 Planning staff will ultimately deny the project. So, obviously, it is in their best interest to address <br /> 8 those comments, and we will work with them in order to make sure that the comments and <br /> 9 questions will be addressed by the Planning Board meeting. <br /> 10 Larry Wright: Any more questions by the Planning Board or Commissioners? Any more <br /> 11 presentations from the applicant? At this time, I'd like to entertain any testimony from the public. <br /> 12 I have Mary Jo Fife for item 1. Would you please come to the podium, state your name, and <br /> 13 that you've been duly sworn. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> 16 Mary Jo Fife: Hi, I'm Mary Jo Fife, and my husband and I own 3 acres of land that back up into <br /> 17 this developmentjust exactly east. Myself and one other person have wells on that land. Our <br /> 18 projected idea is to build homes on those 3 acres for land for families. The well that we have is <br /> 19 directly east of what is proposed to be built. This well that we have, although it serves only one <br /> 20 person and has for the last 10 or 12 years, has gone dry and we've had to have it re-drilled <br /> 21 again. That is only sufficient for one person right now. We know there's going to be problems. <br /> 22 There is a family with two or three kids next door, juxtaposition to this one, and I'm not sure <br /> 23 what their position is on their well. If there is an excessive well use on a well that is very close <br /> 24 and juxtaposition to this well, I'm looking at the land and I think it's maybe 300 feet or so from <br /> 25 that, and I think that it could have an effect upon our well. We do not want it to go dry, just <br /> 26 because it's a new housing development. That's our major concern. <br /> 27 After the comments, it was discovered that Ms. Fife had not been sworn in. She was then <br /> 28 sworn in and repeated her comments. <br /> 29 John Roberts: Ms. Fife, you need to repeat your comments since you were just sworn in. You <br /> 30 need to repeat, if you can, the essence of what you just testified to. <br /> 31 Mary Jo Fife: We have three acres of land. Two acres that bridge back up to this <br /> 32 development. There's only one other person in that area that has property and has a well on it. <br /> 33 Our well from my best observation, from having attended the first meeting, I think it was August <br /> 34 6th, is in close proximity to the area where the well is going to be put for this development. My <br /> 35 concern is, that because our well has gone dry and we had to have it drilled again about ten <br /> 36 years ago, plus the fact that the well has only been serving one person for the last 10-12 years, <br /> 37 that there may be a problem with the well given if this huge well is put in close juxtaposition to <br /> 38 our well. <br /> 39 Diana Walstad: My name is Diana Walstad, and I was the one that wrote the letter about the <br /> 40 pump and dump system. I would just like to say, though I wrote it in the letter, in 2002 my well <br /> 41 went dry and one of the neighbors next door in a ritzy development had a pump and dump <br /> 42 system and it was running continuously, the well was pumping out water into the creek. <br /> 43 Meanwhile, my well was almost dry and I couldn't take a shower. These rich people were using <br /> 44 the water, pumping it out, for their house. I thought it was outrageous. If you want people to <br /> 45 support this, then people like myself need to be protected. I'm all for a re-circulating system, <br /> 46 that's fine, but pump and dump is just a terrible waste of groundwater. I live in a lot adjoining lot <br /> 47 #25. <br />