Agenda - 02-02-2021 Virtual Board Meeting; 8-a - Minutes

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49 1 changed. She said the negatives immediately outweigh any possible benefits. She urged the 2 Board to say no. 3 Dr. Catherine Matthews said she has lived in Efland for over 20 years, and commuted to 4 Greensboro where she taught at UNCG. She said her area of focus is environmental science. 5 She said the proposed Buc-ee's development is garish and is unwanted by Efland residents. 6 She said a local news story ran earlier today, and a Commissioner mentioned there are always 7 some who will want "blue skies and butterflies". She said surely everyone would prefer blue 8 skies and butterflies over the mega development of Buc-ee's. She said Buc-ee's defies 9 everything for which Orange County stands. She said Efland and the County needs real jobs 10 and revenue that fit into the County's culture. She said the entire Board is welcome to her 11 property to see the beauty of Efland. She urged the Board to vote no. 12 Anthony Weston said he is a member of Common Ground Eco Village. He said he is 13 opposed to the Buc-ee's proposal. He said no real data has been presented to show the 14 benefits of such a project, and any jobs that may be created are not of a high level. He said this 15 proposal has awakened the community to the potential ways this land could be used, and there 16 may be some transformative ways it could be done. He said the country is moving towards 17 renewable energy, not more fossil fuels. He suggested creating a special commission to 18 explore ways to use Efland Station, and recommended a farm incubator to revitalize the area's 19 farming. 20 Tom Mullaney said he worked for years at Gravelly Hill Middle School, and used exit 160 21 many times, and never faced any traffic or concerns. He said this exit only becomes a problem 22 when a project such as Buc-ee's is allowed. He said this project will have negative impacts on 23 local businesses. He highlighted concerns about Buc-ee's as an employer, including poor 24 treatment of employees and failure to insure proper Covid protocols. 25 Jennifer Landstrom said she lives in Efland, and has previously lived in Texas. She said 26 she and her family have visited Buc-ee's many times, and find them to be very nice. She said 27 she teaches locally and would welcome a Buc-ee's development. She said Buc-ee's are clean, 28 well run, with wonderful food options. She said it is a unique experience to go to Buc-ee's and 29 she and her family would travel 30 minutes in Texas to visit. 30 Paul Voss said he is concerned about the proposed Buc-ee's development, and lives 31 near the heart of Efland. He said he moved to NC after a career as an economic development 32 specialist in Wisconsin. He said he worked with many small communities during his career, and 33 he is grateful to have never had to work on a project such as this Buc-ee's proposal. He said 34 big companies make a lot of promises, but they often fail to deliver. He said this proposal has 35 no positive value added, and it makes no sense to him. He urged the Board to say no to this 36 project. He said it is backwards looking. 37 Aimee Tattersall said she lives near Efland, and opposes this zoning change. She said 38 the zoning change would give all control to the Developer as to what is built in this area in phase 39 2. She said Orange County has always been committed to the environment, and as recent as 40 2017 made a commitment to fully move to clean energy by 2050. She said the Buc-ee's 41 proposal is a clear move in the wrong direction. She said Buc-ee's will make Orange County a 42 breaker of its promises. 43 Patricia O'Connor said she is a nurse who lives in Mebane, about 3 miles from the 44 proposed Buc-ee's site. She said she is strongly opposed to this project, and his very 45 concerned about the negative impacts on the environment. She said there will be damage to 46 the water systems, and endangered species wiped out. She said the County must uphold the 47 Efland Mebane small area plan, the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), and the Paris 48 Climate Agreement. She said the County formed a Climate Council, and asked if this group has 49 been consulted on this project. She said Buc-ee's will invite so many cars into the County. She 50 said the size of this project is simply an example of excess, and should be denied.