Agenda - 06-03-2008-5b5b - Laserfiche WebLink

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b 1 point that I want to bring up is that this was a project that was initiated by you as 2 Commissioners, along with your Economic Development staff. You've handpicked three 3 excellent developers from Orange County, all are intimately familiar with the culture and values 4 in this County,. and we're confident that they're going to deiiver a good project. The last point I 5 want to make is that the Chamber would encourage the developers to include as many local 6 businesses as possible in this project. We're confident that they're going to do that in 7 conversations that we've had with them, both publicly and privately, they've expressed a similar 8 sentiment. That's really all I have tonight, 1 want to thank you all for your time and . 9 consideration. On behalf of the Chamber, we ask that you would approve the rezoning of this 10 project. 11 12 Don Collins: l'm a direct property owner. I own property that directly adjoins this particular 13 property that is under discussion at two points. I own two properties. My thing is 14 congratulations, this thing has been years getting~off the ground. 1've had a sign on my property 15 for years for lease. If I've had one call, I've had a hundred from the Winston-Salem and 16 Greensboro area that says that this is probably one of the prime locations in the country for this 17 type of thing. Their comment was that it's near to the interstates, so I congratulate these people 18 for getting something rolling, like that. Just go up there on Sunday morning, I used to do it, and 19 you can't hardly get through the place. Now, maybe something will get going, and I'm for it 20 100%. 21 22 James Carnahan: I'm a resident of Carrboro and I have been sworn. t wanted to clarify the 23 purpose of the materials that I submitted at the previous public hearing. Those materials 24 consisted primarily of information about the phenomena known as global warming, or climate 25 change- a phenomenon that is a consequence of carbon dioxide emissions primarily resulting 26 from human activity. A number of those consequences are dire. The point of submitting them is 27 not so much that I or any of the others .who have been working on this could say specifically for 28 sure that this or that consequence is going to happen over the next ten years or in the next two 29 generations hence, but that the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is continually 30 accelerating, and a number of the indicators of the change in average temperature of the planet 31 are also speeding up. The point is that, for• many of us, a lot of the worse consequences that 32 are possible given this planetary activity may not happen in my lifetime or even in the lifetime of 33 the youngest person in this room, but that as long as we continue on the path that we're on, we 34 are accelerating the possibility that these things will happen sooner rather than later-and that we 35 are compromising the prospects for future human beings on this planet to enjoy the quality of 36 life that we now enjoy and would like our children to enjoy. And the fact of the matter is, at least 37 in my opinion, none flf our policy documents reflects climate change as something that gives us 38 guidance in the kind of land use, and transportation, and economic models that we want to see 39 in this County. And we have athree- orfour-decade history in this County of a very prudent 40 approach to development that is supported by a really strong environmental ethic. And now, 41 what we're looking at is one of the most significant phenomena taking place now on the planet. 42 And what that says to me is that until we've completed a carbon emissions inventory for the 43 County and until we have sef goals and until we know the kind of land use models, and 44 transportation models, and .economic models that we want, it's totally inappropriate and 45 imprudent to approve this project. 46 47 The Clerk then swore in some additional citizens that wished to speak. 4$ 49 Joe Phelps: I just had a few comments and maybe a suggestion later. I'm not really for or 50 against the project. One of the things that concerns me, I agree with mast of the people that I ~ ~ 51 think it could be a great thing for the County, but I'd want to make sure that we look at