Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
~~~~ <br />b. None of the commercial activities proposed for Buckhorn fall into the preferred <br />"industry clusters" indicated in the Strategic Plan (a list taken from in the RTP C <br />Regional Partnership competitiveness plan). ' <br />c. The Strategic Plan calls for "minimal impact on the environment;" clearly <br />Buckhorn will negatively impact air quality and global climate. <br />d. The Strategic Plan expresses "preference for local ownership;" but the <br />Commissioners cannot effectively require any percentage of Buckhorn to be <br />available only for locally owned businesses, nor is there any way they can prevent <br />the developers from selling the project to out-of-county or out-of--state investors. <br />(Witness turnover of shopping centers in Chapel Hill & Carrboro. The .Arts <br />Center had a very favorable lease with the original Carr Mill Mall developer. <br />When Carr Mill was sold in 1985 their rent was quadrupled; the Arts Center <br />naively moved into the present location. and it has taken 20 years to recover their <br />reputation and financial security.) <br />e. The Workgroup on Work Force Development promoted "access to living wage <br />jobs" that would be responsive to housing and transportation costs. Buckhorn's <br />low-wage economic model will not do that. Buckhorn's workers will not be able <br />to afford to live in the County, and their costs to travel from distant homes to <br />work will be subject to the continuing upward spiral of fuel costs. Focus groups <br />consulted in the 2006 Strategic Plan Progress Report cited transportation as the <br />greatest barrier to finding and keeping jobs in Orange County. <br />f. The Workgroup on Quality of Flace called for enhancing "urban character by <br />connecting and supporting existing plans for increasing the commercial tax base <br />and for revitalizing" our downtowns. Buckhorn Village is remote from our <br />downtowns; it will sap their customer base and sap County resources that would, \ <br />in the absence of Buckhorn, be available for supporting downtown revitalization <br />(funding for a library for Carrboro, for instance). <br />4) The "chain retail" economic model is highly dependent on diminishing fossil fuels; there <br />is presently no state-wide public transit in place that would make a dent in Buckhorn's <br />fuel appetite. Buckhorn will be dependent on a huge geographic customer base .that will <br />be extremely vulnerable to spiking fuel prices. <br />5) The chain retail economic model stimulates overseas economic development that relies <br />heavily on COa emitting power generation, produces overseas environmental impacts and <br />exploits overseas workers. Shopping centers like Buckhorn export a number of social and <br />environmental impacts we do not tolerate in the US. <br />6) The chain retail economic model exports out of the County about 85% of dollars spent; <br />almost 50% of dollars spent at locally owned businesses are retained in the County. <br />7) Because chain retail, hotel & entertainment jobs do riot pay a living wage, the public <br />purse is the default resource for subsidizing the health care & welfare of these workers. <br />(See, "Economic Vitality and the Buckhorn Project" comments submitted to the BoCC <br />2/25/08 by Dr Sally J. Goerner.} ~ <br />