Agenda - 06-03-2008-5b5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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,~~ 30 1 Raleigh and Piedmont NCDA farmers' markets are currently at capacity, both for growers and 2 for buyers. Buckhorn is sited between these two giant markets, drawing people from 3 Greensboro to Durham, actually decreasing the amount of driving necessary for residents of 4 Orange, Alamance, Caswell, and Person Counties, which would shop or sell there. While the 5 individual farmers' markets in Carrboro, Hillsborough, and Durham are quite successful on the 6 weekends and selective evenings in season, there is no local daily market or private outlet such 7 as Weaver Street or Whole Foods for growers to sell wholesale. These .individual farmers' 8 markets cannot keep up with current demand, either from consumers or from growers that 9 would like to sell there. A regional farmers' market/restaurant/artist gallery complex at Buckhorn 10 would not only draw more people to Buckhorn Village, but would encourage Buckhorn Village 11 patrons to spend some money at the vendors that would be more likely to keep that money 12 local. A farmers' .market retail space for locally-produced items would make this project a whole 13 lot more palatable to many of us that live in the area. 14 15 Robin Taylor-Half: I have been sworn in. My family has actually lived in this County at least 16 five generations. ('m a taxpayer, and I represent the Efland heirs, which Efland was' named 17 after. They are very excited that this project has been proposed. They have 180 acres in the 18 EDD, and they also have another 80 acres that is a proposed commercial development. This 19 was from the water and sewer that is moving in the area and just growth and money that would 20 be coming to the County. So they wanted me to speak and say that they are very much in favor 21 of this project. Martha Brown, I represent her too, she also is in favor of the project. 22 23 Tom (3'Dwyer: 1 have been sworn in. I serve on the Orange County Commission for the 24 Environment, I'm a member of the U. S. Green Building Council, and I am an avid believer in 25 principles of sustainabi(ity, where the economic, environmental, and social impacts of our 26 actions are measured for our future. As a design builder and small developer, I am a committed 27 participant in an architecture program called the 2030 initiative, where everything 1 build is 50% 28 energy efficient. I'm finding we can do it. This is why I personally believe, this is an aside, I 29 personally believe that sustainability should not only be a policy, but it should be institutionalized 30 for the purpose of coordinating and implementing adopted goals with developments such as 31 these. More on this subject hopefully in the future. Regarding the Commission for the 32 Environment's letter that you all have a copy of, 1'll give some highlights about it. The proposed 33 Buckhorn development would be located in the Seven-Mile Creek area of the Upper Eno 34 Protected Watershed. Now, we can reduce the environmental impact of a large complex such 35 as this by streamlining traffic flow, reducing vehicle miles traveled, reducing wastes through less 36 generation and recycling, and encourage water and energy efficiencies and low-impact design 37 principles. In our advisory role to the Board of Commissioners on environmental matters, the 38 Commission recommends the following: 39 Plan and build according to the LEED Neighborhood Development Standard, at a minimum 40 using the current LEED ND pilot standards. Right now, they're not accepting anymore 41 programs, but one of the developers here is participating in East 54, and they're using LEED ND 42 guidelines for that development. I feel .it's important that there should be a set of standards that 43 you ask them to follow. There is a historical tract of developers and builders at UNC and other 44 places, I'm not accusing these .people of anything, they are doing good things, but sometimes 45 what people say they're going to do, does .not verify. So commissioning verification of the things 46 that are standards can be asked of you to these developers. So, what we're recommending is 47 the LEED ND pilot standards for the revised adopted standard plan for release in 2009. You 48 have an attachment of the guidelines and frequently asked questions about what that is about. 49 These standards address things in transportation, bicycle use, bicycle storage for commercial 50 and residential, reduction of water. Commission for the Environment is recommending a 30% 51 less use of water than the water use baseline calculated for the building after meeting the i~