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071 <br /> health and the general welfare." The latter stipulation p anon is also <br /> key to the burden of proof as delineated by Orange County. <br /> Adding traffic to an already stressed neighborhood <br /> violates this fundamental role of zoning under any circumstances. <br /> And these are far from ordinary circumstances. Having recognized <br /> that it faces a traffic crisis, Hillsborough is attempting to <br /> develop a thoroughfare plan for itself and its surrounds. To add <br /> Scotswood ' s 11,000-plus auto trips per day (an estimate purchased <br /> by the developers) to this congested area at this time is <br /> therefore especially unwise. <br /> Nor does it make sense to commit the county to Scotswood <br /> when the project may very well sit astride the proposed path of a <br /> Hillsborough highway loop, or a traffic artery connecting <br /> Treyburn and the I-85/I-40 area. <br /> As the attached Raleigh News and Observer article of Jan. <br /> 9, 1986 reports about the N.C. Transportation Task Force' s <br /> findings, "Task force members said building costs could be cut <br /> significantly if cities and counties could better protect right <br /> of way for planned roads." Hillsborough and the state of North <br /> Carolina may thus be saddled with reduced options and higher <br /> road-building costs in implementing a pending thoroughfare plan <br /> if we approve Scotswood at this premature date. <br /> With the increasing likelihood that counties will be <br /> asked to contribute to future road improvements, the costs to all <br /> Orange County residents would be increased yet another notch. <br /> Such shortsighted expenditure of our tax dollars cannot serve <br /> the best interests of the public . <br /> The ',public will not be well-served , either, by the <br /> Scotswood traffic that would feed down St. Mary's Road past the <br /> Cameron Park Elementary School and into downtown Hillsborough. <br /> As Hillsborough's mayor and others pointed out, this <br /> traffic will pose a major danger to health, safety and welfare. <br /> The school area is already dangerous for pedestrians, according <br /> to hearing testimony and a recent Durham Morning Herald article. <br /> (See also attached article regarding a similar situation in Cary. ) <br /> The developers' traffic consultant estimates 3,500 trips <br /> per day past the school; this is doubtless an underestimate, <br /> especially as the consultant sought to assuage citizen concerns <br /> by citing Lawrence Road, 1. 2 miles distant, as a likely commuting <br /> route from Scotswood to I-85 and I-40. St. Mary's Road passes <br /> right by Scotswood. <br /> Downtown Hillsborough is already traffic-clogged, with <br /> Churton Street and Churton Street Extension becoming dangerously <br /> overloaded at peak commuting hours when projected Scotswood <br /> traffic would add to the burden. To allow such an impact even as <br /> Hillsborough) is attempting thoroughfare planning may defeat the <br /> town' s best 'intentions to direct its own future. <br /> And (Hillsborough is a fragile and precious resource, one <br /> of the oldest communities in central North Carolina, a former <br /> state capital with a substantial historic district. <br /> "Over the years, Hillsborough has worked diligently to <br /> preserve its' rich heritage," the town' s Chamber of Commerce <br /> informs visitors and prospective residents and businesses. <br /> "Today, Hillsborough is building a community that will leave a <br />