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

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20 1 for the identified parcels as contained in Attachment 5. 2 3 Michael Harvey, Current Planning Supervisor, reviewed the Abstract packet, including 4 attachments. He said summaries were sent to BOCC email addresses during the day on 5 January 19, 2021. He said if this application is denied or withdrawn, a similar petition cannot be 6 considered for a year. He said property owners could not apply for a new site plan that 7 proposes similar development that would requires changes to the zoning plan. 8 Chair Price said an alternate statement of consistency recommending denial was also 9 emailed to Commissioners earlier in the day. 10 Beth Trahos said she is an Attorney with Nelson Mullins who is representing Buc-ee's. 11 She said she looks forward to hearing from the Commissioners, and reminded BOCC that Buc- 12 ee's is not a typical gas station. She said it is more like a general store with Buc-ee's being to 13 Sheetz, like Wegman's is to Piggly Wiggly. She said no drive thru restaurants will be permitted 14 on site. She said the travel center will create interest in Efland, and will attract other business. 15 She said the proposal complies with the comprehensive plan. She said the project is adjacent 16 to the highway, with 120,000 cars a day, and is already a noisy, well lit area. She said Efland 17 Station will provide full time jobs with pay at $15 per hour and vacation and benefits. She said 18 all positions, save two management roles, will be hired locally. She said Orange County has 19 $15/hour as a living wage, and some of Orange County's employees make the same amount. 20 She said Efland Station will bring tax revenue, and invest in infrastructure, road improvements 21 that would be required even without Efland Station. She said a water tower will provide capacity 22 for broadband. She said Buc-ee's is not asking for any tax incentives. She said Chapel Hill 23 gave $4 million in incentives to Wegman's, which will create similar jobs to Buc-ee's. She said 24 Wegman's jobs starts at $10 an hour, but somehow Buc-ee's jobs have been maligned. She 25 said Buc-ee's will bring environmental stewardship, and will not enter any local water supplies. 26 She said this area has been identified as appropriate for more intense uses. She said Efland 27 Station offers enhanced storm water nutrient removal, and noted the existing cattle farm has 28 more nutrient export than Efland Station/Buc-ee's will have. She said the phosphorous levels 29 will also be lower than the current cattle farm. She said Efland Station will exceed the required 30 open space. She said the current zoning allows for a much larger building area than Buc-ee's 31 will use. 32 Beth Trahos said an environmental assessment was completed, and new ones will be 33 done with each site plan, as required by conditions. She said gas tanks and pipes are 34 monitored, and should a leak occur, an alarm will sound and emails are sent to the local store 35 as well as Texas headquarters. She said monitoring wells are also placed in the fuel tank pits, 36 as a redundant monitoring measure. She said denying this project will not reduce 37 environmental risks, as the current cow farm already exceeds State and County requirements 38 for phosphorous exports. She said an existing gas station, with older technology, already exists 39 in this area, and 125,000 mostly gas-powered vehicles drive through this area each day. She 40 said Buc-ee's has committed to 10 EV charging stations, and will increase that number, as the 41 market demands it. She said Buc-ee's is fuel agnostic, and will change with the times. 42 Beth Trahos said she was disappointed that the review process by the Commission for 43 the Environment (CfE) did not acknowledge these facts about the project. She said the 44 Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks and Recreation (DEAPR) has reviewed the 45 project, and its only comment was to suggest a conservation easement in the open space area, 46 which may be best managed by the County, rather than the property owner. She said the CfE 47 heard no staff analysis, and prior to the meeting a CfE board member circulated a letter in 48 opposition to the project to all other CfE board members. She said it was not a fair hearing. 49 Beth Trahos said the BOCC has received many requests to turn this proposal down. 50 She said every proposal will have some trades off, as no project is perfect. She said the current 51 zoning will have more negative environmental impacts. She said Efland has less density and