|
. . , . - .
<br /> UU78 r, .
<br /> . -
<br /> . .. ......., .. . . . . . . . ... ...„...____,__.__.............. .._...,_
<br /> 4
<br /> impact on the future of Bingham Township. Coupled with the proposed Cane Creek
<br /> Reservoir, the airport/airpark would deal a fatal blow to dairy farming in Bingham
<br /> Township by increasing the cost of land, stimulating sprawl development and
<br /> raising the tax base of farm land due to the necessary rezoning. Furthermore, this
<br /> development will cause strip development from the Alamance County line straight
<br /> through to Chapel Hill and Carrboro similar to that which has occurred along the
<br /> Chapel Hill-Durham Boulevard. Again, for emphasis, let me state that this is not
<br /> a minor undertaking, it is a major industrial proposal, and should be considered
<br /> in that light.
<br /> 4. I might also add that despite the current predicament of Horace Williams
<br /> Airport, there is no need established for an airport in Orange County. It is not
<br /> clear what should be included in the definition of "need." Is recreational flying
<br /> a "need" of the county, or is only business flying? Or, even still more limited,
<br /> is only that flying associated with the medical center a true "need"? If this
<br /> latter be so, of all the operations which currently take place at brace Williams,
<br /> only 12-15% are due to AHEC flights, the rest being due to business and as much
<br /> as 50% being due to recreational, flying. The current ceiling on operations at
<br /> _ Horace Williams is 35,000 per year. If recreational flying alone were discontinued,
<br /> even if the expected growth in business and medical health flights from the airport
<br /> occur, this operations ceiling would not be exceeded for the next 25-30 years. In
<br /> its deliberations over whether to build an airport in the county, the commissioners
<br /> should ask the questions, what would happen if Horace Williams were closed en-
<br /> tirelY? What would happen if the operations at Horace Williams airport were limited
<br /> only to AHEC flights? What would happen if Horace Williams were turned into a
<br /> helioport for tansport to Raleigh-Durham airport? Should Horace Williams airport
<br /> be abandoned? Since the University of North Carolina is a state-owned institution,
<br /> should the state exercise the power of eminent domain to condemn right of ways and
<br /> surrounding land to make Horace Williams a viable operation? I am sure that the
<br /> . ._ ,.. ,
<br /> • . .
<br /> . _ .. .. . .
<br /> • _. . • .-
<br /> . . . . .
<br /> •... ., . _ . . . _
<br /> ,- . ._ ,-.. ... .
<br /> , . ......,,, ...,. . . . , .. . - .
<br /> ' - ..-,,,-2::14:.,7;;.;,' --- 7.- . . . - ,.,,::,,,,,,,.-:,-;- , '- -'',-, •,..-.,`,-.:"..71
<br /> -„ -.. _ .' --.- .:.,;,'.. ...:':',-*•..- .: ..::::::'":,:iF..7..,
<br />
|