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<br /> 1 Before I launch into that, I just want to make it clear that we are very strong supporters of
<br /> 2 alternative energy sources and green energy technologies. Our house is passive solar design. I
<br /> 3 drive a Prius that gets 54 miles per gallon. We subscribe to the Duke Power manager, so they
<br /> 4 turn off our air conditioner in times of high demand to save energy. And we belong to several
<br /> 5 organizations that strive to support—to reduce greenhouse gases and other threats to the
<br /> 6 environment. While we very strongly support solar energy as an energy source when they are
<br /> 7 appropriately sited, we are very disturbed about this project because it would be built quite
<br /> 8 literally on top of our property and our neighborhood. So,just basically, the first point is the
<br /> 9 more technical one. The second one is —will be very brief.
<br /> 10
<br /> 11 So the first point is the issue of potential flooding on our lot. Because of the topography-
<br /> 12 Is there a pointer? So, because of the topography—this is our lot here— lot number 2, and the
<br /> 13 fence will be located less than 50 feet—well I'll give it, since it may not be exactly to scale—so
<br /> 14 the minimum border of 50 feet from our property line. So if you look at the gradient lines on a
<br /> 15 clearer copy of this map, which I assume everybody has, what you see is that there is a 9 foot
<br /> 16 drop in elevation from the center of the field to our house, and so we get flooding. When it rains
<br /> 17 very heavily we get some flooding on our property. After we moved in, the first time it happened
<br /> 18 we actually had water in our crawl space and damage to the house and had to do a repair. We
<br /> 19 also put in some drainage and barriers and so forth to control that, and since then, so far we still
<br /> 20 get about 2 to 6 inches of standing water, but it doesn't cause any problems.
<br /> 21
<br /> 22 The problem that I'm concerned about with the field and the way that the array is laid out
<br /> 23 — so if you look at those 7 points, first of all, the ground beneath each solar panel is not going to
<br /> 24 get the same rainfall as the ground in between the panels. So it will be a relatively dry area.
<br /> 25 The ground in between panels is going to get direct rainfall and the runoff from each panel, so
<br /> 26 that will be a relatively wetter area. On a level surface that water would tend to seep in from the
<br /> 27 wetter to the dryer areas and probably equalize. However, you'll notice that the panels are
<br /> 28 going to be lined up facing so that the water in between the panels will tend to run downhill, and
<br /> 29 so the slope of the field will cause the water in the wetter areas between the panels, instead of
<br /> 30 seeping to the dryer areas, it is going to begin to flow downhill. And so we are going to get
<br /> 31 increased water, and any increased water on our property is going to be a problem.
<br /> 32
<br /> 33 And so, the— also right now, as is pointed out in my written statement, the field is a
<br /> 34 hayfield, and it is an excellent— it's like a sponge when it rains. So it absorbs a lot of water that
<br /> 35 protects us from flooding. So, if the vegetation between the panels is not as effective at
<br /> 36 absorbing the water, that's going to aggravate the problem, so we have a major concern. We
<br /> 37 have been unable to find any data on this, presumably because solar arrays, as has been
<br /> 38 pointed out, are not located in areas like this, on top of a residential neighborhood that has been
<br /> 39 established, as has been pointed out, for over 50 years. So, I'm not going to—You can read it
<br /> 40 in the statement there. Because of the concern about the flooding on our particular property, we
<br /> 41 feel that it is certainly not going to meet any of the criteria in the UDO for a special use permit.
<br /> 42 And the likelihood of flooding and damage to our property and home is not addressed in the
<br /> 43 application, thus the applicant has failed to meet the requirements of the UDO. For this reason,
<br /> 44 my wife and I urge you to deny the application. However, in the event that the application is not
<br /> 45 denied, we— continuance of this process that would allow us to get an assessment from a storm
<br /> 46 water management expert and to be able to estimate the risk, the degree of risk, the potential
<br /> 47 for damage, the likelihood of that, and whatever may be involved in addressing that. And so
<br /> 48 because we had 17 days notice, including 2 weekends and a holiday, we haven't had time to be
<br /> 49 able to get this matter addressed.
<br /> 50
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