Agenda - 02-16-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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14 1 residents under the bus. She said revenue can be generated by other businesses, and she 2 argued that this project would never be contemplated if it were being proposed at a Chapel Hill 3 or Hillsborough exit. She said the residents would not stand for it. She said there are many 4 commercial opportunities to benefit Efland, but this is not one of them. 5 Hope Thompson said she is a resident of Chapel Hill, studying Environmental Health at 6 graduate school at UNC. She said she has lived in Durham and Orange counties her entire life. 7 She said she is opposed to this rezoning request, and urged the BOCC to deny it. She said the 8 health and environmental implications have been understated, and will prove harmful to the 9 surrounding residents of Efland. 10 11 Bonnie Hauser read the following comments: 12 Good evening commissioners. Thank you for hearing the voices who know and care 13 about Efland. I'm Bonnie Hauser. I sit on the boards of Orange County Schools and United 14 Voice of Efland. Tonight, I am speaking for myself. I have been involved with the Efland 15 community for a long time and join the community in its support for the rezoning proposal for 16 Efland Station. 17 Efland Station advances plans that community leaders and county planners have been 18 working on for a long time. Those plans established this site as industrial because it sits 19 between a busy interstate and an active rail line. Your board invested $4 million to bring sewer 20 service to the site in order to attract businesses just like this. According to your planners, the 21 project complies with county's strict lighting and noise ordinances, and exceeds your 22 requirements for impervious surface and stormwater management. I'm not a hydrologist, but it 23 appears that the project adds controls that will be better for the watersheds than doing nothing 24 at all. 25 Planners never imagined a large travel center on this site. That's why you are being 26 asked to consider this new use and whether it works with the intent of the planners and your 27 investments. I believe it does. But there are questions. You will need to resolve conflicting 28 information that you are getting about hydrology and risk. There's also the strategic question. 29 How does Buc-ee's plan to transition as cars eventually move away from fossil fuels? They are 30 already planning 10 EV charging stations. Certainly they can't sell gas if no one is buying it. 31 How many people in our County are already working as cashiers or custodians but not 32 being paid a living wage? Please appreciate that opportunities like this don't come to Efland. 33 Buc-ee's wants to invest$50 million in this small community. The project is estimated to 34 generate over$1 million a year in local taxes, of which $350,000 will flow directly to our schools. 35 That's in addition to nearly 200 living wage jobs in a small community that hosts two Title 1 36 schools. Buc-ee's has done everything you've asked and is not asking for any incentives. This is 37 a big deal and the Efland community deserves their shot. Please approve this rezoning. Thank 38 you. 39 40 Jessica Sheffield said she is the Executive Director of the Eno River Association (ERA), 41 which is opposed to the proposal in front of the BOCC that would allow for damaging impacts to 42 Seven Mile Creek. She said the development would threaten what the State has already found 43 to be a sensitive water way. She said Orange County must be careful what it allows to be built 44 on this land. She said ERA is not anti-development, and seeks good development that 45 preserves the environment. She said she has spoken to the developer and engineers involved 46 with the project, who hoped she would support the project, but she cannot do so in good 47 conscience. She said she must speak up for the neighbors, and to maintain the wild and open 48 spaces to be resilient to climate change. She said ERA is concerned about sediment and heavy 49 metals, which will be deposited. She said this project will not improve the community, and 50 should not be permitted. She urged the BOCC to vote no.