Orange County NC Website
Approved 9/2/2020 <br /> 1500 if you all and I understand that you are all very opposed to this but in the off chance that it can't be stopped, you do <br /> 1501 have the opportunity to shape this development through this process and so I encourage you to consider what you <br /> 1502 might want to put in as conditions if at all possible. <br /> 1503 <br /> 1504 David Blankfard: I have a huge concern about the traffic being dumped onto Davis Drive. Not just some of the traffic <br /> 1505 but everything is going to be dumped onto Davis Drive because NCDOT does not want anybody to come out the <br /> 1506 service road. So I don't know if anybody else feels that way or if we want to see if the applicant can come up with a <br /> 1507 better way of getting access to the site. Are we comfortable making a decision now or wanting to wait? <br /> 1508 <br /> 1509 Hunter Spitzer: I move that we delay a decision on our recommendation until our next meeting on September 2nd. <br /> 1510 <br /> 1511 Michael Birch: This is Michael Birch, the applicant, I think the outstanding issues that appear to be out there are one <br /> 1512 responses from DOT but I want to reiterate that whatever DOT comes back with in terms of requested improvements, <br /> 1513 those will be made. So it's not really a negation in that respect. Second with regard to some of the comments about <br /> 1514 Davis Drive, I just think it is not possible for us to prohibit access onto Davis Drive. Third, with regard to some of the <br /> 1515 comments or requests for the conditions the design of the buildings with intent to accommodate solar, providing <br /> 1516 some electric vehicle charging stations and no fuel storage adjacent to the flood plain. I am comfortable with we can <br /> 1517 craft those conditions and extremely short order and so I would respectfully ask but because of the date of the next <br /> 1518 Planning Board meeting being on the 2nd essentially eliminates our opportunity to get to the Board of Commissioner's <br /> 1519 meeting on the 15'". I would ask that the Planning Board please consider meeting or adjourning to a date certain <br /> 1520 possibly 2 weeks from today on the 19'h <br /> 1521 <br /> 1522 David Blankfard: I think we could do the 19t"to reconvene. <br /> 1523 <br /> 1524 Adam Beeman: I was going to ask Craig or Michael Harvey, with what Mr. Birch said about whatever DOT comes <br /> 1525 back and they're going to rectify whatever DOT says they need to do. Do you guys feel comfortable with moving <br /> 1526 forward knowing whatever DOT may say or would it be better to meet a date later once the DOT issues have been <br /> 1527 straightened out? <br /> 1528 <br /> 1529 Craig Benedict: Let me just give a brief introduction about NCDOT is in charge of the roads within Orange County so <br /> 1530 they are the ultimate authority on what improvements are made because counties in North Carolina are not in the <br /> 1531 road business so they take, their recommendations are of prime importance and as the developer said they will have <br /> 1532 to do whatever NCDOT says. We work with DOT and we will take the comments that we have from tonight and <br /> 1533 impart them to NCDOT for any alternatives that there may be but NCDOT is also in the business to use taxpayer <br /> 1534 money to use the roadways to their best ability. My opinion if you want to call it that is that we will be satisfied with <br /> 1535 what NCDOT suggest as improvements for the project. <br /> 1536 <br /> 1537 Kim Piracci: I just want to say that it seems to me that the traffic that's being talked about, even if it could be <br /> 1538 arranged in such a way that the traffic only comes and goes from 40 to Old 86 and never hits Davis it just seems like <br /> 1539 an enormous amount of traffic even just for Old 86. Even though I understand there'll be road expansion and <br /> 1540 whatnot so I just, I feel like the scope of the project is just too big for this space in Orange County. Maybe smaller <br /> 1541 warehouses or two instead of three. I don't know but in any case it just seems like too much. To me it seems all <br /> 1542 that's too much. <br /> 1543 <br /> 1544 Hunter Spitzer: Do you have an expected return date from NCDOT on those comments?An anticipated time? <br /> 1545 <br /> 1546 Michael Harvey: Hunter, let me jump in and Mr. Birch may be able to also provide some detail. I don't know if it's fair <br /> 1547 to say if we have any expectation from DOT. They obviously took a prolonged period of time to get us the comment <br /> 1548 they got us on Friday and we can obviously impress to Mr. Edwards who is our district engineer the need for <br /> 1549 expediency but I can't and will not tell you that I can guarantee that within two weeks we'll have an answer. I can't <br /> 1550 guarantee that within two weeks we'll have an answer. But I think it's reasonable for us to try if the Board sees fit to <br /> 1551 adjourn to at date and time certain in two weeks. We'll do the best we can to address this concern as best we can <br /> 1552 and I know so will the applicant but I do think it's also important for me to make clear one think to the Board. It's been <br /> 1553 sort of danced around but I think it's important to say it. One of the, this same issue came up with Settler's Point, the <br /> 1554 Department of Transportation is not satisfied with the current condition of service road which parallels (Interstate)40 <br /> 1555 and they had requested or indicated that in order for Settler's Point to be developed they had to have secondary <br />