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The Orange County Planning Board has presented the following three <br /> arguments in support of the proposed industrial zone along New Hope Church <br /> Road. However, each of these arguments ignores several very important facts. <br /> These three arguments are presented below along with information we urge you <br /> to consider, and more important, that you urge your County Commissioners to <br /> consider. <br /> I. The first argument that the planners have made is that the proposed <br /> industrial zone will attract industries similar to those at the Research <br /> Triangle Park. But consider the following: <br /> A. Thie Orange County Planning Board proposes no building restrictions <br /> like those found in Research Triangle Park such as requiring that <br /> 25% of the land be left undisturbed, or banning manufacturing and <br /> warehousing industries. <br /> B. The "Industry 1" designation for the proposed industrial node <br /> allows such uses as feed lots, warehouses, rock quarries, and <br /> petroleum product storage. <br /> C. The Nello L. Teer Company has, in fact, already purchased <br /> approximately 25% of the industrial node to construct a rock <br /> quarry. <br /> D. Unlike the Research Triangle Park, the proposed industrial node <br /> will not have water and sewer services. Each industry must dig <br /> wells and put in septic tanks or package treatment systems. This <br /> presents the very real threat of water table drawdown and poorly <br /> treated sewage seeping into the surrounding creeks. <br /> II. The second argument presented by the Orange County Planning Board is <br /> that the'i proposed 200 acre industrial zone will bring much needed <br /> industry) into Orange County. But consider the following: <br /> A. TheIre are already over 2400 undeveloped acres in Orange County <br /> either zoned or designated in the existing land use plan for <br /> industrial use. <br /> B. The majority of the existing undeveloped industrial zones are very <br /> attractive, providing interstate access, water and sewer services, <br /> and convenient access to Chapel Hill , Carrboro, and Hillsborough. <br /> C. No marketing study exists showing that adding an additional 200 <br /> acres of industrial zoned land will lure an attractive industry to <br /> Orange County that otherwise would have located elsewhere. <br /> D. The most recent data on unemployment rates show that Orange <br /> County's unemployment is 1.3%, the lowest of any county in <br /> North Carolina. <br /> E. The County's need to provide non-professional industrial jobs is <br /> centered much closer to the existing industrial zones along <br /> Interstate-85. <br />