Minutes 01-05-2021 Virtual Public Hearing (continued to 01-12-2021)

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6 Andrea Riley said most of the arguments in favor of the Buc-ee's proposal are for increased tax revenue and more jobs in the Efland area. She said the quality of the employment offered is not worth it. She quoted several Buc-ee's employees frustration with the employment practices, noting many of the employees are college students. She said gas stations are not allowed in this area, due to the current zoning. She said Buc-ee's is sweetening the deal by suggesting their presence will bring a hotel, bank and other features to the site, but these are not guaranteed, and cannot be required. She said the only guarantee is that Buc-ee's will be built. She said 50% of existing Buc-ee's are surrounded by open land, and no other businesses. She said most Buc-ee's are in Texas, where there is a lot more land. Michelle Pope said she is a resident of Efland, and supports the rezoning request. She said Buc-ee's fuel tanks are double-walled, and Buc-ee's has a fuel water separator before fuel and debris meet the watershed. She said current gas stations in the area are not this advanced. She said the traffic impacts will not affect most of Efland, and Buc-ee's is paying for traffic improvements. She said Buc-ee's will support the community and local vendors, and offers multiple types of fuel and electronic vehicle charging stations. She said Buc-ee's will assist in getting better internet for the area. She said there are no regulations on development in a high quality water area, as long as regulations are met, and Buc-ee's has agreed to the meet those regulations. Lorri Drozdyk said she has lived in Northern Orange County for 29 years, and asked the BOCC to deny the rezoning request. She said a gas station of this size is not needed for the community, and it is inconsistent with many positions of the County. She urged the BOCC to represent the County and not Buc-ee's. She said she is concerned about added traffic congestion, but he greatest concern is those residents who live nearby, and the County as a whole. She said Buc-ee's size is absurd, and this is not the type of business these residents need. She said she has grave concerns with nearby residents with wells, and problems happen even with the best design. She urged the BOCC to be good stewards of the land, community, and values and oppose the rezoning. Blake Tedder said he is a 17-year resident of Orange County, and lives in Hillsborough. He said he is opposed to the rezoning proposal, and Buc-ee's will not help the community, and compared it to South of the Border. He said fossil fuels are a bygone era, and Buc-ee's will make Orange County look like hypocrites in the future when it takes any action to protect the environment. He said the western doorway into Orange County will be known as the "Buc-ee's exit" leading to litter and tacky advertisements on the interstate for hundreds of miles around. He urged the BOCC to vote no to rezoning. Barney Caton said he serves on the Hillsborough Tourism Board (HTB), and read a letter from this board. He said the HTB is interested in the project and finds potential opportunity. He said the HTB would like to work with Buc-ee's to attract customers to Hillsborough for dining and shopping opportunities. He thanked the BOCC for its thoughtful consideration of the project. Ronnie Pope said he is a lifelong resident of Efland, as well as a business owner. He said he is in favor of the proposed project, as it offers sustainable jobs, and is a sustainable company that grew in the awful year that was 2020. He said Buc-ee's has no reported gas leaks, and carefully monitors environmental impacts. He said many projects have been proposed for this area over the past 20 years, but have moved on elsewhere. He said most of Orange County's businesses are in Chapel Hill, and this business is willing to invest in a different part of the County, and is willing to meet all necessary requirements. Margo Lakin said she is opposed to the rezoning request, and quoted statements from Commissioners' campaign websites about commitment to the environment. She said Buc-ee's is in direct conflict to such a commitment to the environment. She said Buc-ee's monitoring systems only monitor and warm, they do no prevent environmental damage, and anyone should expect answers for these concerns. She highlighted several questions about how Buc-ee's will