Orange County NC Website
135 <br /> Nat Smith, resident of Pine Street in Carrboro, noted that he <br /> felt the residents of Carrboro do have a stake in what is being <br /> proposed for the Calvander area. He has always enjoyed bicycling in <br /> the Calvander area and that many other residents of Carrboro derive <br /> much pleasure out of Calvander remaining as it is. He pointed out <br /> that there is retail space available at Willow Creek and Plantation <br /> Plaza and he could not see the need to create more office and retail <br /> space. <br /> Jerry Koontz, resident of Barrington Hills, Carrboro, spoke in <br /> opposition to the rezoning proposed for the Calvander area and also <br /> in opposition to the routing of the northern loop arterial. His <br /> statement is as follows: <br /> "I don't want an industrial park in my back yard. And that's <br /> literally where it is going to be. Two of my property lines are <br /> Carrboro city limits. It will be exactly in my backyard. The <br /> proposed buffers around the industrial area are inadequate and <br /> inappropriate because they allow for high density development which I <br /> guess is consistent with that proposed industrial use and use as a <br /> retail center. One of my big concerns is just what uses are <br /> permitted in an industrial park. The Carrboro Planning Staff has <br /> said, according to Carrboro definitions this would include assembly, <br /> wholesale distribution, mail order and other uses of similar <br /> character. The problem is that I don't know who to believe; whose <br /> guidelines are we going to use to control the use of this area; will <br /> it be Carrboro's, Chapel Hill 's or Orange County's. We don't know <br /> and until we know what the proposed uses are going to be I don't see <br /> how anyone can make a decision on whether or not to adopt this plan. <br /> Many people have already commented on the inadequacy of the roads in <br /> the area and I will not dwell on that, but what I don't want to <br /> happen is I do not want Homestead Road and Old 86 to become another <br /> Highway 54 By-Pass. One question which has already been raised and <br /> I ' ll raise it again, I want to know who is proposing this. Just who <br /> is it that wants an industrial park there and if anyone will admit to <br /> wanting an industrial park there, I want to know why they want an <br /> industrial park there. No one that I have heard speak today or <br /> before, wants an industrial park there. We have already addressed the <br /> fallacy of creating jobs for people in the area and I think that <br /> argument can be dismissed very quickly. But, one other reason for <br /> having an industrial park in this area, I think needs further <br /> attention. That is the idea of shifting the tax burden from the <br /> residential homeowner in Carrboro to an industrial client in the <br /> area. The Carrboro Planning Staff says, 'We have no proposal to <br /> annex this area' . Now, quite frankly, I find it very inconsistent to <br /> say that we are going to have an industrial park in this area to <br /> enhance our tax base and yet not intend to annex the area, otherwise <br /> you can't increase the tax base. I think this needs to be considered <br /> very carefully. I think that what people will find if they study <br /> carefully newly annexed areas is that most often they do not even <br /> generate enough revenue to pay for the costs of providing services to <br /> them. Well, I know what is going to happen whether or not Carrboro <br /> tax base is increased by an industrial node at Calvander, my taxes <br /> are going to go up one way or another. So it makes no difference <br /> really. I don't think that anyone can propose any plausible argument <br /> to show how building an industrial park at Calvander is going to <br /> decrease my taxes. Now there have been mentioned before alternates <br /> to the northern loop and I just want to say that I would strongly <br /> recommend that all the judicial bodies present this evening to <br />