Agenda - 09-04-2014 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

50 1 mask a fraction, a small fraction of the solar array from any southward aspect of this proposed 2 project. The primary purpose of the vegetation plan that has been suggested is to hide the ugly 3 security fence, which if left unprotected would clearly not be in harmony with the existing setting. 4 5 Their vegetation screening plan consists of three rows of evergreen nursery plants 6 evenly spaced in row of progressive height. Now if I were driving past an industrial park I would 7 expect to see such an arrangement of plants, which is so linear and tedious that I would not 8 spend a millisecond looking at it. So picture these rows of identical trees, shrubs and 9 groundcover going on repetitively for hundreds of feet with solar panels peeking out above, 10 surrounded by rolling meadow and mature hardwood trees. Does this meet the criterion of 11 harmony with surrounding land? 12 13 Now for a reality check. That industrial park, which would have this kind of screening 14 vegetation, works very hard to maintain those evergreen trees and shrubs hiding their security 15 fence. They have an irrigation system to keep the plants alive and a grounds crew to do 16 moving, week and pest control and prune to keep up appearances. That's what it takes to 17 maintain even an unnatural industrial façade. 18 19 When we spoke on the phone to Keith Colson, who is head of the operations for 20 Sunlight, and the boss of these people, I asked him what they were going to do for the plants 21 around the security fence. I asked if they planned to water the newly planted trees and shrubs. 22 No. They have no capacity at all to water in even the freshly planted shrubs and trees. They 23 have no maintenance crew to regularly mow and control weeds and pests. All they have is a 24 site plan with a diagram of screening plants, and they are relying on your imagination to fill in 25 the glorious and lush vegetation you would hope would block the vast industrial ugliness that will 26 occur without the considerable work and expense to maintain even an industrial planting. 27 28 I expect these professional developers will reassure you that they have a plan in place 29 and ask you to trust them. But actually it's the rosy suggestion of healthy plants that will 30 someday grow to 30 feet which is the most speculative part of everything you heard tonight. 31 32 Mr. Colson indicated that Sunlight's previous work was in California, presumably in 33 desert and chaparral habitats where screening in non residential settings would be impossible 34 and unnecessary. What do they know about growing plants in North Carolina? Do they know 35 that typically three out every five years Orange County experiences a drought during some of 36 the growing season? Have they factored in the effort and expense of maintaining even an 37 industrial façade? Is such a plan in their presentation? Where is the essential irrigation 38 system? Do you think they have demonstrated a weight of consideration about the actual 39 appearance of this project except as it might affect their projected bottom line? Mr. Colson 40 acknowledged they don't even own a hose. 41 42 When Mimi Cherney and Daniel Mattingly, whose house is 25 feet from the field, look 43 out from their house they see a field and a backdrop of tall trees. If the project is built, they will 44 see shabby plants, dead plants, honeysuckle, poison ivy and a security fence. Commissioners, 45 please look Daniel and Mimi in the eye and tell them that the harmony they now experience will 46 not change. Tell them their property values will not suffer from this ugliness. 47 48 When it comes to whether this project meets the harmony standard, take a sober look at 49 what is offered. This proposal utterly fails your standard. If, as the applicant has asserted, 50 there are really no actual comparables regarding the economic effect of this project on proximal 51 residences, why would you want to let a neighborhood of approximately 90 homes with a