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45 <br /> 1 I just want to conclude by saying thank you for the opportunity to address you on these <br /> 2 issues. And I also would like to respectfully plead with you to deny this special use permit. This <br /> 3 project does not belong in this neighborhood. <br /> 4 <br /> 5 David Rooks: Mr. Fox <br /> 6 <br /> 7 Michael Fox: I don't have any questions for this witness. <br /> 8 <br /> 9 David Rooks: Call Carol Boggs. <br /> 10 <br /> 11 Carol Boggs: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Carol Boggs, and I am speaking for <br /> 12 myself and in the role of substitute for the president of the Falls of New Hope Association. I am <br /> 13 the vice president. I have been duly sworn in, and I have been designated as the person to <br /> 14 deliver the statement from the Falls of New Hope. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 The Falls of New Hope Association opposes the proposed solar energy project to be <br /> 17 located on Cascade Drive. We do not believe this proposal meets the condition for approval of <br /> 18 a Special Use Permit as delineated in Section 5.3.2 (A)(2). <br /> 19 <br /> 20 Residents of Falls of New Hope, whether located next to the proposed power plan or <br /> 21 away from it, have numerous questions about the impact on our environment and safety, <br /> 22 questions that are not answered by the applicant's proposal. For that reason, we do not believe <br /> 23 the project will "maintain or promote the public health, safety and general welfare." <br /> 24 <br /> 25 You are being given the statement, and you will see attached to it, a map of the <br /> 26 subdivision, and if you imagine that map, it is adjacent to what you see on the screen at the <br /> 27 front of the room. <br /> 28 <br /> 29 Falls of New Hope resident also question whether, if it approved this application, the <br /> 30 County Board would meet the condition that the use will "maintain or enhance the value of <br /> 31 contiguous property." An appraisal being presented to you tonight indicates a negative impact <br /> 32 on property values for one homeowner in our neighborhood. Additional appraisals have been <br /> 33 arranged for by at least ten additional homeowners in the neighborhood, but were not able to be <br /> 34 completed due to the short notice given for this meeting. We do note that, based on the tax <br /> 35 assessments done by Orange County, land values for properties in our neighborhood are 10 to <br /> 36 140 percent higher than those in Hideaway Estates and Trinkus Manor, two similar <br /> 37 neighborhoods less than one mile away. The fact that Orange County has recognized that <br /> 38 people in our neighborhood have paid a premium for their property relative to that in very similar <br /> 39 nearby neighborhoods demands a close consideration of impacts of an industrial project like this <br /> 40 one. The location and character of this proposal are not in harmony with the area in which it is <br /> 41 to be located. The location is not surrounded by open, agricultural or natural land, nor is it <br /> 42 located in an industrial or commercial area. Instead, it is not just next to, but sited directly in one <br /> 43 of the most scenic rural residential neighborhoods in Orange County. This project will be the <br /> 44 closest structure to at least two of our neighbor's homes, closer than the houses are to one <br /> 45 another. All access to the project occurs through our neighborhood. Construction traffic, <br /> 46 consisting of the movement of heavy equipment for clearing land, and semi trailer trucks <br /> 47 delivering thousands of solar panels will occur on the road that every person in our <br /> 48 neighborhood must use to enter and leave the neighborhood. A road used not just for vehicular <br /> 49 traffic, but by bike riders and pedestrians who have moved to our neighborhood to enjoy its <br /> 50 surroundings and access to the Triangle Land Conservancy lands across the street. The quiet <br />