Agenda - 03-16-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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34 1 elected officials to have a vote instead of the City of Mebane simply annexing our neighboring 2 lots to be rezoned to industrial sites. 3 4 This is already happening in the area; as an example I give you 6016 West Ten Road. It was 5 recently annexed into Mebane and then rezoned to M-2. Many neighbors argued against this, a 6 city council member used you, Orange County, as an excuse for why this rezoning happened, 7 all the while this rezoning was never brought to orange county, meaning area citizens had no 8 elected representation in the matter. This is why I am asking for a BINDING LAND USE PLAN 9 as an official policy document adopted by both Orange County and Mebane City, encompassing 10 the original industrial development area indicated on both the Orange county and Mebane city 11 land use plans. I ask for this so that your constituents are not repeatedly left in a grey area of 12 non-representation by elected officials. Thank you for your time. 13 14 Aimee Tattersall said she has lived on the west side of Squires Road for 35 years. She 15 said her neighbors on the east side are within 300 feet of Area B. She said her neighbors 16 received a letter dated October 28, 2020 that felt threatening, about property being in the study 17 area. She read the opening paragraph of the letter, and then read the following statement to the 18 Board: 19 20 Are you Commissioners are aware of that letter? The Mebane planning board discussed the 21 plan on November 9 and the city had a public meeting on November 10. The planning board 22 approved the plan without, to my knowledge, any planning board member actually looking at the 23 land from Squires Road or any of the other roads off West 10. (and neither have any of you 24 since Medline started construction). Did anyone from Piedmont Triad Regional Council actually 25 walk any of the roads, rather than relying on GIS maps? 26 27 This plan was presented to the Mebane City Council on Dec 7th. That was when all of us-- 28 mayor, council, residents—realized there was no plan to bring the proposal to the Orange 29 County Board of Commissioners. Fortunately the Mebane City Council postponed any decision. 30 The BAP Overview only considers M-2 zoning (research, office, manufacturing, warehouse, 31 etc.). It mentions walkability but makes no mention of other options such as housing (owner and 32 or rental) that Orange County needs, especially but not only places for employees of Medline 33 and Neyer (6016 West 10) to live in the county where they work. Area B could be zoned for 34 homes with public trails through the property to the proposed park, Seven Mile Creek, Gravelly 35 Hill and the soccer complex. Think beyond more warehouses. 36 37 There are at least 100 dwellings along West 10 between Mt. Willing Road and Buckhorn Road if 38 you include the roads that end at West 10, such as Squires Road (with 14 homes and 3 unbuilt 39 lots) and Coleman Loop (more than 20) and Bushy Cook Road. Also two churches and 40 Gravelly Hill Middle School. 41 42 Two warehouses on West 10 are already more than enough light manufacturing. Instead focus 43 your attention on areas already designated as economic development zones. 44 1 ask you to delay any decision about the Buckhorn area plan until Orange County, Mebane and 45 most importantly the residents who live here can assess traffic, water runoff, noise and pollution 46 from the two warehouses already approved for West 10. Let's work together and think 47 strategically about the needs of the Buckhorn Area. Thank you. 48 49 Chair Price returned to the virtual meeting at 10:20 p.m. 50 51 Patty O'Connor read the following statement: