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To the Orange County Board of County Commissioners: <br /> We, the undersigned businesses, are writing to express our objection to the proposed Buc-ee's / <br /> Efland Station project. This development would have a chilling and harmful effect on retail <br /> businesses throughout Hillsborough. <br /> Traffic <br /> With the closing of exit 160 on the interstate and reconfiguration of the Ben Johnston Rd. / US <br /> 70 intersection, Buc-ee's will deflect a significant amount of traffic back into the town. Retail <br /> businesses in Hillsborough are dependent on foot traffic for our customer base. Our <br /> establishments are frequented by people looking for a small town pedestrian shopping <br /> experience. We are one of the few places left in the Triangle where parking and traffic are still <br /> manageable enough to provide that environment. That's why many of our customers chose to <br /> shop here instead of Durham or Chapel Hill. Buc-ee's will destroy that. <br /> Small Town Culture <br /> In addition to providing a street-level pedestrian environment, Hillsborough is known as a small, <br /> but cosmopolitan town. There are a growing number of highly rated and diverse restaurants <br /> ranging from James Beard Award nominees to food trucks serving delicious fare from all over <br /> the world. Hillsborough is home to an outstanding independent bookstore and one of the <br /> highest concentrations of novelists and poets in the state. Independent galleries displaying <br /> local artists have thrived in this environment, as have artisan jewelry makers. All of this is, of <br /> course, available in other places, but nowhere in a single walkable location. People shop in <br /> Hillsborough because they can park their car, walk the sidewalks, and find what they want in a <br /> pleasant, easy to navigate downtown. From tractor parts and hardware to stone sculpture and <br /> oil paintings, it's all here. Though we offer a wide selection of products and services, we are not <br /> a business community of franchised outlets for national brands, and that's crucial to our identity. <br /> Putting a 22' yellow plastic beaver atop a 60' pole at the western gateway to Hillsborough sends <br /> exactly the opposite and wrong message. <br /> We encourage the Commissioners to protect the hardworking men and women who make this <br /> retail sector such a vibrant part of our town and reject the Buc-ee's / Efland Station proposal. <br /> Respectfully, <br /> Dual Supply Hardware <br /> Mike Woods <br /> mwoods@dualsupply.net <br /> Carlisle & Linny Vintage Jewelry <br /> Lindsley Bowen <br /> carlisleandlinny@hotmail.com <br />