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

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prevent and respond to failures. She urged the Board to demand better, sustainable, and intelligent development for the constituents. She said this is wonderful land, and not worthless. Paul Pepin said he lives in rural Orange County near the Cane Creek Reservoir. He said he has witnessed progressive actions to protect this area, and discussed previous efforts to protect watersheds in Orange County. He said well owners depend on Orange County to protect the water. He said the rezoning proposal is the equivalent of 10-15 gas stations in one area, and even small spills by consumers add up every day. He said clean water is priceless, and contamination takes years to remediate. He said the contrasts between Orange County's efforts to protect water in Chapel Hill and Carrboro versus Efland is noticeable, and wondered why there is such a disparity. Chris Smith said his home is 350 feet away from landscaped border of the proposed property for development. He said Buc-ee's is a mirage, and does not make sense economically, environmentally, or aesthetically for Efland. He said he fails to see how the proposal meets the desire to lessen the impact of climate change on the community. He said noise, light, and visual pollution are inevitable. He showed climate change maps to the Commissioners, and cited studies of how gasoline runoff affects water supply. He urged the BOCC to deny the rezoning, and said costs to mitigate climate change will be on residents, not Buc-ee's. He said Orange County can do better than a Buc-ee's. Diana Montgomery said she has been an Efland resident since 1997, and is a science educator. She said current zoning was thoughtful, and well informed by the public. She said this proposal does not provide needed services, does not adhere to ideals, and does not lift people up, but rather brings them down. She asked if the BOCC will provide information to the Commission for the Environment, and who will investigate Buc-ee's employment practices. She said Buc-ee's own application cannot be the only assessment tool. She said this gateway to Orange County could be a model for sustainable development, and become an important regional transit hub for the area. John Preyer said he lives on Orange Grove Rd. He said he chooses to live in Orange County because he loves it, as it a uniquely diverse place where all share a love for the area. He said the worries about the proposal are misplaced, and would hope residents can have an open mind. He said he works in environmental and permitting compliance, and learned of Buc- ee's 12 years ago when working in Texas. He said he has never seen an environmentally sensitive watershed located between a highway and a railroad bed. He said he visited a Buc- ee's in Texas, and described the quality of Buc-ee's stores. He said he visited several locations around Texas, and the reason he kept going was how consistently clean the stores were and how fun it was to walk around inside of them. He said it is hard for people who have not been in the store to appreciate this. (At this point the commenter's video feed stopped, and he restarted his comments later in the meeting). Dr. Bob Lee said he has been a Cedar Grove resident for 25 years, and asked the BOCC to deny the rezoning request, due to health and safety concerns. He said water supplies for Hillsborough and Raleigh could be affected. He said the elimination of the highway exit could be detrimental to the community. He said improvements to the highway exit would be helpful, with a true braiding design of the ramps. He said the proposed stoplights will back up traffic, and make it more difficult for public safety vehicles to travel. He said the current zoning allows for all that is needed, without changing it. He urged the BOCC to vote no to Buc-ee's. Janine Zanin said she has lived 1.7 miles from the proposed Buc-ee's site for 15 years. She said the benefits of the recent Medline project outweighed the costs, but this proposal does not. She said the two sources of potential revenue are property tax and sales tax, but she questions if Buc-ee's numbers are accurate. She referred to Denton, Texas, where Buc-ee's did not meet its expected tax valuation. She said she does not believe this development will meet property tax projections, and questions if sales tax projections are accurate. She asked the BOCC to read a letter submitted by her husband.