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