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

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71 1 our land on Cascade Drive in the fall of 2004. We fell in love with the neighborhood and its 2 proximity to New Hope Creek and the common land surrounding it. This was exactly where we 3 sought to create a home. It was close to everything, yet so perfectly in the country, bordered by 4 New Hope Creek and a beautiful farm in the other side of Cascade. This was paradise to us. 5 6 Since purchasing our land, we have declined purchase offers for the much desired 7 property, knowing that we were soon going to build. Recently, we have revisited our plans, our 8 ideas, and our timeline for building. 9 10 On Tuesday, May 13, we returned home after visiting family, to a notice that a certified 11 letter was waiting for us at the post office. This letter stated that there would be a hearing two 12 weeks later, on May 27th, tonight, the day after Memorial Day. Plans for a solar array were 13 being considered for the beautiful farm on the other side of Cascade Drive, and these plan 14 indicated that the access road for the solar farm and the inversion station were to be directly 15 across the street from our property. 16 17 We kept our minds open. We read and re-read the letter and studied the included map. 18 We drew up a list of questions, studied the GIS. We googled solar arrays in North Carolina and 19 Sunlight Partners, LLC, the company proposing to lease the site. We found out that Sunlight 20 Partners is a firm in Arizona that has approached a myriad of farms in North Carolina over the 21 past few years. 22 23 I was surprised to see the scale of these farms, the visual density— a seemingly endless 24 sea of panels propped on disturbed soils, and fences warning of high voltage. It was very 25 industrial. This is when the reality set in, that a solar farm is actually a power utility - more 26 attractive in theory and not adjacent to an established neighborhood. 27 28 Do I want to live across from a public utility? The entrance to the 20 foot access road 29 will not allow for screening vegetation there. So, I am sure we will have an unobstructed view of 30 the rising field of solar panels. Am I just mourning the open fenceless fields of golden hay, or 31 frightened by the unknown and unanswerable questions? Is it safe?Will it hum or make noise? 32 Will it be lit up at night, or too reflective or hot during the day? What sort of vegetation or fence 33 will there be, and what will it actually end up looking like? What about the rules regarding 34 impervious surface? Everything drains through our property to the New Hope Creek watershed. 35 What about the wildlife? Do we really want to build a house and live here? And if we don't, 36 who will? 37 38 I wonder if there are more appropriate sites for a public utility— areas where established 39 neighborhood are not affected. I wonder if the best possible practices are being considered. I 40 wonder what this fight will be to keep our neighborhood unaffected and what this is going to cost 41 us. 42 It seems unfortunate that while the utilities profit, undue burden is placed on the 43 neighboring citizens. It seems unfair and disappointing. I sincerely hope that our voices are 44 heard. Thank you. 45 46 Pete Hallenbeck: Alright, thank you. The next person I have on the list that did not give 47 testimony. Keith Kirkland. 48 49 Keith Kirkland: Good evening. My name is Keith Kirkland and I've been living in Orange 50 County all my life. My family has been in Orange County due to a land grant from the King of 51 England, right up here. They've been here a long time. My concern is mostly the devaluation of