Orange County NC Website
Approved 9/2/2020 <br /> <br />only 60 feet from where the trucks will be queuing up and their playground is 100 feet from where the trucks will be 782 <br />queuing up on David Road. There was a similar development that was a third the size of this development and the 783 <br />closest resident as 550 feet from the nearest loading dock. The noise impact analysis that was done still required 784 <br />reduced traffic even at the greatly reduced numbers and distances compared to the proposed development. I’d like 785 <br />to add that diesel trucks typically use engine breaking that create an extremely loud machine gun like noise as much 786 <br />as 105 decibels. These noises are only regulated during the day in Orange County and stand to create massive 787 <br />disruptions to the preschool and the residents especially on David Road. 788 <br /> 789 <br />Myra Gwin-Summers: I am Myra Gwin-Summers, we live two doors down from the proposed property on the corner 790 <br />of Davis Road. We’ve been here for about 35 years and I see that I was down to speak on property values which 791 <br />was not what I intended to speak on but would quickly say I cannot imagine that this project would enhance anyone’s 792 <br />property values. I have a questions and comments for Mr. Birch and I don’t know if he’s still present but I am going to 793 <br />show this (visual of a mailing’s return address). Why did we receive a letter regarding this project that says it is from 794 <br />the City of Raleigh Planning Department? Who paid for the postage and does the City of Raleigh Planning 795 <br />Department know that he has represented this project to us as if it were from them? I received an answer to that 796 <br />today, the City of Raleigh Planning Department has no connection with the project and were very interested in the 797 <br />fact that Michael Birch is sending out letters to residents in our county using their return address. I would like to be 798 <br />sure and highlight that Mr. Birch has misrepresented himself here and possibly used their taxpayer money for a 799 <br />private investment project without the knowledge or consent of the City of Raleigh. It shows poor judgement at best 800 <br />and lack of integrity. Moreover, it’s deceptive and it does beg the questions what else is deceptive about this project. 801 <br />The next thing I wanted to address to Michael Birch, I’d like from you regarding your use of the City of Raleigh 802 <br />Planning Department on your return mail address. I wanted to speak specifically to comment that you made that can 803 <br />be found on page 25 of the draft minutes, lines 1226 thru 1230 when Mr. Birch was questioned about the buffers and 804 <br />the encroachment of noise and vehicle lights due to the 24 hours 7 days a week activity. He responded that a lot of 805 <br />the lots that surround us are deep lots with the houses situated far from the common boundary line. This is 806 <br />completely false and the as speaker just pointed out, the driveway exit onto Davis Road runs right next to the 807 <br />Barlow’s house and will run right next to the house that will be built behind us. Next, I’d like to say that I spoke to a 808 <br />senior engineer at Summit Engineering today who clarified for me that Summit has completely withdrawn their 809 <br />project. They withdrew because the topography did not lend itself to large buildings it was going to be cost 810 <br />prohibitive and they thought they would not actually be able to build the buildings. My final comment would be that 811 <br />this is being addressed as if it is on zero grade, that’s not true the corner of Davis Road is a steep hill and I wanted to 812 <br />make the Planning Board aware in case you’re not aware that Davis Road is closed for over 6 months last year due 813 <br />to a sinkhole that is due to runoff on Davis Road. Once the corner of Davis Road is turned into an impervious 814 <br />surface, the runoff is going to be more severe and could create more problems. 815 <br /> 816 <br />Michael Birch: I think there were two things to address, primarily about the return addresses. Let me be clear that 817 <br />we paid, our firm paid for the postage, the City of Raleigh return address stamp was on those envelopes related to a 818 <br />similar or prior projects that we were doing in Raleigh and was inadvertently used for the mailing for the notices for 819 <br />this project. I will note that the letterhead, the letter the notice that was included in the envelope very clearly stated 820 <br />that it was from Longleaf and didn’t have any reference to the City of Raleigh. I apologize for the confusion that it 821 <br />may have caused to have the return address say City of Raleigh but we did pay for the postage and I have reached 822 <br />out to the City of Raleigh to their Planning Director to let them know. We didn’t obtain any of their envelopes or 823 <br />anything like that they have asked us in the past to put their return address on there for other mailings. The question 824 <br />on the buffers, I want to be clear that when I was speaking to those in the last meeting we had the exhibit up showing 825 <br />the buffers and the transition areas and again was very clear that the majority of our property does not abut parcels 826 <br />with homes on it. The one that are nearby are deep lots but we did recognize that there is one existing home again 827 <br />within 100 ft. of a proposed building and we did not shy away from stating that. 828 <br /> 829 <br />Joan Kalnitsky: My name is Joan Kalnitsky, I’d like to thank the Planning Board for listening to all of us this evening. 830 <br />I doubt there’re are too many of us who really don’t believe the property in question will be developed but developing 831 <br />it in the manner that has beneficial to the County and the Town of Hillsborough and the residents of Orange County is 832 <br />really important. As almost immediate access to the highways and all four directions, with seemingly little impact to 833 <br />the local area, with that said, I am seriously urging the Planning Commission to not support rezoning of this property. 834 <br />I am asking this for safety reasons, people on the Board of the Planning Commission and the applicant want us to 835 <br />believe that the traffic is going to go left onto Davis Road and left onto Old 86 and not impact the area but truth is 836 <br />traffic is also going to right down Old 86 and right down Davis Road. The roads we’re talking about are part of the 837 <br />33