Agenda - 09-05-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 1 In regard to the proposed site of the White Cross fire station on Neville Rd., I simply want to state 2 the following. 3 There has been no attempt to contact homeowners directly in the immediate area about this matter. 4 That, in itself, demands this procedure be slowed down so all area residents can be notified and heard. 5 The exact location on Neville Road is on a bend in the road, creating blind spots for traffic coming 6 from either direction. This curve has had several accidents a year, even without having a truck pulling out 7 just around another curve. 8 All of the homes in the area are on well water. As all fire stations need to wash vehicles, hoses and 9 equipment regularly and the additional drain would lower well water levels. The tank trucks also need to fill 10 up with well water, as there are no hydrants or draw ponds in the neighborhood. There needs to be a water 11 table data study and review made public about the potential draw from a shared well water source. 12 The waste and run-off water from that usage would run downhill about 500 feet into Phil's Creek 13 feeding into the University Lake Watershed reservoir. Additionally a bridge crossing this creek is failing and 14 is overdue for replacement. It has been in the process of getting band aid repairs for its decaying wood 15 pilings—which have already been weakened by the additional load of the county trucks that single out 16 Neville Road to access the Ferguson Road dump station. 17 That same small bridge is currently too narrow to let 2 pickup trucks pass in opposite directions at 18 the same time; so what will happen with larger fire trucks? 19 There are plenty of spots along Hwy 54 close to Neville Road with large lots big enough for a fire 20 station and room for trucks to turn around in. Hwy 54 is a full size road zoned for multiple uses. 21 We would have none of the following that would be welcome to them: 22 • No public water supply 23 • No public sewer supply 24 • No Time Warner Cable 25 • No fiber-optic high speed data 26 • No public natural gas 27 • Plus they have had their access to their trash disposal cut in half 28 So why is the county putting a fire station, literally in our back yard, that would frequently be 29 disruptive to our lives, without ever giving them any modern utilities for decades? Put this on Hwy 54, just 30 up the block! 31 Finally, as most of the area homeowners have been and still are predominantly African-American; 32 this abuse of power, stealth and ability seems all too familiar to the Rogers Road water situation in Orange 33 County. 34 Thank you for your time. Please give us ours. 35 Bill Holmberg - 1000 Sabre Court, Chapel Hill 27516 - 919-418-0140. 36 37 Dave Laudicina read the following statement: 38 My name is Dave Laudicina, and I am speaking for both my wife Becky and myself tonight. 39 I am speaking tonight to urge you to adhere to the manager's budget recommendation and not raise 40 the Orange County property tax rate. There are many reasons both internal to Orange county and external 41 to justify not putting on any more tax burden on Orange County residents 42 From an internal view we have been living with unfair and inequitable property values since 2009. 43 Recently, you all voted to postpone the next revaluation till 2017. This was rushed through without giving 44 Orange County citizens adequate opportunity to detail their specific concerns in a public hearing 45 environment, even though in 2009 thousands of residents turned out in various protests to tell you the 2009 46 valuations were wrong. We can see the proof of this in valuations data. Two comparable properties in our 47 area recently sold for 15% lower than the 2009 valuation. A property in our neighborhood sold for 15% 48 lower than the 2009 valuation in 2011, and a property directly behind our property sold for 19% lower than 49 the 2009 valuation in 2012. Until the property valuations are balanced to fair and equitable valuations, we 50 believe it is prudent to not put anymore unfair property tax burden on Orange County residents. 51 From an external viewpoint, NC residents, especially in our demographic (seniors on a fixed 52 income), are under a statewide assault from all aspects in terms of taxes. Proposals to change the tax 53 calculations in NC put a huge new burden on low and middle income earners residing in NC. The 54 proposals place social security income in the classes of income that the NC income tax will apply. Even