Agenda - 10-06-20; 6-c - Zoning Atlas Amendment – Master Plan Development Conditional Zoning District (MPD-CZ) for the Research Triangle Logistics Park (RTLP)

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Approved 9/2/2020 largest recreational area in Orange County. If you don’t believe me go to the Tarwheels website and try to find a 838 suggested bike ride that does not include at least two or three of these roads. The safety of all the residents and of 839 Orange County and all those who come from the Triad and the Triangle to ride these roads is going to be severely 840 impacted. If you’re a doubter, drive by Mapleview Dairy any time any day and count the number of cars with bike 841 racks on it parked there. If that’s not enough of a safety concern let’s just consider Davis Road itself. We’ve heard a 842 lot about it tonight but for those of us who live off it, we know there are cyclists, walkers, joggers every day. You’re 843 going to have vehicles turning out of this development in front of people trying to get in and out of the daycare center. 844 It’s a recipe for disaster. What I’d like to urge each and every one of the Planning Board to do is to drive the 3 miles 845 of Davis Road, count the cyclists, count the joggers, and the walkers and then realize there’s shoulder and there’s no 846 sidewalk on Davis, Ode Turner, Old 86 none of them. When you get to the church, try to imagine a semi-truck in 847 front of it and when you (bad connection/lost audio) 40, that’s what rezoning is offering to do. Our safety in this 848 corner of Orange County. Thank you all for your considerations. 849 850 Janet Marks: I’m Janet Marks, I live in New Hope Springs right off Davis Road. Many of you that have traveled on 851 Old 86 off I-40 know the beauty of the thick forest and the rolling hills along this road. You may have also notice the 852 scenic by-way sign as you left the freeway traffic behind. What you may not know, is that starting at the exit from 40 853 you are now on a historic road dating back at least to the 1700s. Prior to it being mentioned in historic records this 854 was a Native American trail and was also used by early settlers. You are on the beginning of 10-mile stretch called 855 the Scots/Welsh Heritage Byway. I’m going to take this from NCDOT description of this road, this byway travels 856 through Orange County along trade roads used by American Indians and early backcountry pioneers. The King of 857 England gave much of this land along this byway to the 18th Century Scots/Welsh settlers. Generation after 858 Generation has lived and farmed this land, each leaving its own mark making this byway a unique journey through 859 American history. Old NC 86 appears on Colonial maps dating back to 1770. Per NCDOT description of scenic 860 byways, motorist will see little or no development along the routes enhancing the natural character and quality of the 861 byways. They will experience North Carolina history, geography and culture while also raising awareness for the 862 protection and preservation of these treasures. Limit the traffic using this historical route, reserve important 863 landmark. Any development near this area should mindful of that is harmonious with the surrounding land and the 864 rural neighborhoods and I want to make a note of an African American cemetery dating to at least 1900 at the corner 865 of Davis Road and Old 86. When people drive on I-40 east from Alamance County, this exit is the first impression 866 they get of Hillsborough. Do we want the gateway to Orange County and Hillsborough to be represented by vast 867 warehouses, is this the Orange County that any of us know or can envision for the future. Thank you so much. 868 869 Christine Poole: I’d like to start by reminding you that I’m Christine Poole and I live off Davis Road. I want to thank 870 the Board of County Commissioners and the Planning Board for having developed many wonderful projects over the 871 past several decades. Let’s start with the creation of an attractive retail and residential zone on the east edge of 872 Hillsborough, the Super Walmart and Home Depot along with all the other small business that surround this 873 economic zone have definitely benefitted our community as we no longer have to travel to Durham or Chapel Hill. 874 Then you added the Riverwalk and Weaver Street which merged the neighborhood goals of an open-air community-875 gathering place with retail while also providing a space for government offices then you created Gold Park with 876 connects with the Riverwalk and then developed the historic industrial space in West Hillsborough on Nash Street 877 that was brilliant. You added Hillsborough Barbeque and these other non-franchised eateries along with a beautiful 878 events venue, the Cloth Mill at Eno River. Then north of Hillsborough on Hwy 70, you approved the Gatewood 879 project which created a beautiful restaurant and evidentially retail, brewing and distilling and another event center 880 that merges architecturally and culturally with historic Hillsborough. Even the Waterstone community and hospital 881 improve the ugly eatery franchise oasis around the I-85 and Old NC 86 interchange. I understand the interest in 882 developing an economic zone off of I-40 and 85 but Old NC 86 is the worst choice, as those of us who travel this 883 road every day know. It’s called old for a reason. Where in the County have we competed a successful industrial 884 project? Let’s consider Moninaga America. In 2013, the BOCC unanimously agreed to offer state and local 885 economic incentives to encourage this company to build a new candy factory off of I-40 and 85 in Mebane. It was 886 built on a 400 acre Buckhorn Economic Development District which leaves me wondering, if there is an economic 887 zone where 2 interstates merge without significant residential development which is already invested in water and 888 sewer why are we even considering this project where there is significant residential development on land that would 889 be incorporated into the historic Town of Hillsborough and is across the street from a church, daycare center and a 890 cemetery? Why are we considering a project that consist of four six-story buildings? What are the advantages? 891 Why is this location better than the Buckhorn Economic Development District? Lastly, I would remind everyone that 892 when go fishing for bass you don’t settle for carp, you should wisely choose a development project that matches our 893 34