Orange County NC Website
Bryant Colson: I have been duly sworn in. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to talk to <br /> you tonight. I'd also like to applaud the residents that are here at this hour and who were here <br /> earlier for exercising an important and cherished civic responsibility of being here. I am <br /> currently the Economic Development Commission Chair. The EDC is not at this time taking a <br /> position on the issues tonight, we have a meeting on Thursday at which time we will review and <br /> advise. At that meeting, I plan to let our commissioners know or remind them of our purpose, <br /> that is to make Orange County a smart, innovative place, a great place in which to live. We <br /> encourage private and public investments to provide jobs for the County residents and to <br /> increase the non-residential tax base. Through these investments, we enhance the financial <br /> well-being and quality of life of County residents, and the ability of the local government to <br /> provide high-quality services. I know you guys know that that's the EDC mission on the Orange <br /> County, North Carolina website. I also plan to advise them of all the calls and meetings that I've <br /> had with individuals in Orange County where the common concern with these individuals was <br /> the residential tax burden that Orange County residents are feeling, and the need for <br /> commercial development to offset the tax base. I personally am in support of this controlled, <br /> sustainable economic development at Buckhorn Village. It is my hope that, with developments <br /> like this, it would draw us one step closer to the County's Five-Year Strategic Development <br /> Plan, and that is 5,000 new private sector jobs and adding about $125 million in new <br /> commercial property by June 2010. I'm advising them of all of this information in hopes that we <br /> do not let opportunities like this slide by and continue to have our hands tied, and once again let <br /> economic development pass us by. <br /> Karen Bley: I have been sworn in. There are a few things that I'm really confused about. I've <br /> been a resident in Orange County for almost 40 years. I've lived on Buckhorn Road, and now I <br /> live on Bradshaw Quarry Road, which is right down the road from Buckhorn. I'm really <br /> confused, I live in Mebane, but I think there's a drought going on in Mebane right now. I keep <br /> hearing about all this wet water that's going to be coming from Mebane, and I don't understand <br /> that, how does that work, where is this water. Why isn't Raleigh, why isn't Durham, why aren't <br /> all of these other communities that are starving for water saying, "Ok, Mebane, send us the <br /> water." It just doesn't make any sense to me. The other thing that really doesn't make any <br /> sense to me at all is the transportation plan that was presented tonight talked about expanding <br /> the bridge on 1-85 and 1-40 and the left turn into the BP station and all of that, there was no talk <br /> at all about all the roads that leave from Carrboro, Saxapahaw, Chapel Hill up to this <br /> development. If I live in Carrboro, I'm going to be going down through Calvander, Dairy land <br /> Road, up Orange Grove Road. All of those roads are so overburdened right now. What's the <br /> plan for all of the roads that are leading into the Buckhorn Village? What really scares me is <br /> that anytime there's a development that's called "village", it really makes me scared because it's <br /> not a village. I think there needs to be a lot of answers and a lot more discussion along these <br /> lines. <br /> Heather Main: I have been sworn. I live on Buckhorn Road, on that part that Karen's talking <br /> about. I'm also concerned about the transportation issues. She asked Tyson Graves about the <br /> southern end of Buckhorn Road. <br /> Tyson Graves: I have been sworn in. Basically, the southern end doesn't generate as much <br /> traffic as the northern because of the highway. That's where most of the development traffic <br /> would be coming from. Therefore, there are some improvements for West Ten and Buckhorn, <br /> but otherwise, it doesn't need any other improvements. <br /> Heather Main: I've put together a petition, which people have signed. She read this petition, <br /> as follows: <br />