Orange County NC Website
13 <br /> <br />Respectfully submitted, <br /> <br />Ronald D. Sieber, Ed.D. <br />4217 New Hope Springs Dr. <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br /> <br />Kathleen Ferguson, Hillsborough Town Council Member-Mayor Pro Tem, echoed Mayor <br />Stevens, and said if the Town requires and grants annexation, the development will need to <br />conform to Hillsborough ordinances, not what is included in the application. She said the Town <br />supports District I, but has strong reservations on District II. She said it is the Town’s intent to <br />support Waterstone and Daniel Boone, and the retail component of this project may endanger <br />these two locations significantly. <br />Debra Markley said she is not supportive of this development. She said she is concerned <br />about water quality; lack of buffers; Davis Road becoming a thoroughfare; safety of people of <br />being able to walk around; effect on environment; traffic, etc. She noted there are other proposed <br />developments, and wonders why this development is needed. She submitted a petition. <br />Dorothy Snyder lives in Hillsborough, and said she is here to express her solidarity with <br />her neighbors who live in the affected areas. She said she is concerned about pharmaceutical <br />industries and the environmental impact; bike paths and lanes and their connection to the Town’s; <br />and minorities in this area that may be displaced. <br />Peter Leousis said he lives near this proposed development, and expressed the same <br />concerns as his neighbors. He asked the Board of County Commissioners to defer a decision <br />until a later date. <br />Bob Bundschuh reviewed the following comments: <br /> <br />I am writing with serious concern about the proposed Settlers Point Development up for <br />discussion this week. <br /> <br />As an Orange County resident, and living close to the proposed development, I have several <br />questions: <br /> <br />What criteria do you use when deciding approval or rejection of a proposed development? <br />How long have the members of the council had to review the proposal? <br />How do you take into consideration the effect on residents of Orange County in the area? <br />What limitations or controls are available to control what types of businesses can operate, if <br />approval is given? (which I hope it is not) <br /> <br />I am concerned and ask that you reject the current proposal for many reasons. <br /> <br />While I am not against growth, I am against growth that takes away from the area and growth that <br />is not well controlled. There are several areas in Orange county, including some in Hillsborough, <br />that have been cleared of trees, roads put in, etc. with no set plan or set tenants that sit empty. <br />My fear is another 'island' will be created at the Settlers Point site while a speculative owner <br />hopes that someone is interested. The area will be dramatically and permanently changed on a <br />gamble that tenants will come. In contrast, there have been several stories lately of clear and <br />well-planned developments in the Raleigh area where the known tenants are already on board. <br />i.e.: Ikea, Wegmans. I feel speculative development is not the answer. <br /> <br />Secondly, I am worried that if this plan is approved (which I hope it is not) the county will have <br />little to no control over what tenants actually do move in. Light industrial could be a chicken <br />processing plant as long as all the business is enclosed. Warehouses, 24hr manufacturing <br />companies, etc. could be allowed to come in and affect the entire area with nothing to prevent <br />them if they are within the very broad boundaries of 'light industrial'. Most of the residents in the <br />surrounding area are on well water, (myself included) what assurances are there that incoming <br />44