Agenda - 04-06-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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7 1 Buc-ees and south to Buckhorn, to the looming home of who knows what industrial 2 development. 3 4 Once again, the Orange County Planning Department, this time in conjunction with the Mebane 5 City Council, has presumed to know what is best for our county and for our residents who live in 6 and near the Efland area. The Buckhorn Area Plan is a plan conceived in darkness and cloaked 7 in the betterment of our county by proposing to convert our rural lands into economic 8 development opportunities, whether we want them or not. And more importantly, whether they 9 are appropriate or not for the environment in which we live. 10 11 Yes, just like the proposed Buc-ees, The Buckhorn Area Plan's proposed industrial 12 development opportunities sit on top of a protected watershed, a watershed that provides our 13 drinking water, a watershed that replenishes our well water, a watershed that protects animals 14 and plants that have thus far received far too little protection. 15 16 The lack of planning by the Planning Departments of Orange and Mebane is staggering. We 17 have evidence that the stormwater runoff from the under construction Medline is bringing 18 sediment into the very waters of Seven Mile Creek that we must protect. 19 20 Those of us who have chosen to live in Efland have done so because of the rural character of 21 the area. Two weeks ago my husband and I hiked the Orange County Seven Mile Creek Natural 22 Area. It was easy to see the sediment loads from recent rains. If Orange County is not very, 23 very, very careful then soon our parks will resemble many parks in Cary and Raleigh where 24 attempts to preserve habitats have fallen far short due to the long reach of development— both 25 residential and industrial. 26 27 1 am opposed to the Buckhorn Area Plan. Area residents and commissioners need more time 28 for thoughtful discussion and public engagement before any additional action is taken on this 29 proposed plan. I strongly suggest that each of you drive by this area on West Ten, the site of 30 MedLine, to see the environmental devastation that has occurred and will now continue long 31 past our life spans in Efland. It is far easier to prevent environmental devastation than it is to 32 remediate it. 33 34 Del Ward said the opponents of Buc-ee's were not elitists, and he has similar concerns 35 about Buckhorn Area Plan as he did to Buc-ee's. He said most Orange County residents do not 36 know about the BAP, and the Planning Department has kept out public input. He said two 37 parcels of land are in a protected watershed, and surround Gravely Hill Middle School. He said 38 parents of children in schools need to be involved. He said more people will come to speak at 39 meetings if Planning does not include residents more, and the public has not had the proper 40 engagement, to which it is entitled. He asked the County to please slow this process down, and 41 encourage community engagement and public input. He said the current actions are a violation 42 of due process. He said he is anti-polluting water, not anti-development 43 44 Andrea Riley read the following statement: 45 46 The Orange County Board of County Commissioners has just had the opportunity to decide 47 whether protecting Seven Mile Creek, the Eno River, and the water supply for Hillsborough, 48 Raleigh and communities further downstream was more important than the tax dollars or jobs 49 that might have arisen from the development of a gas station on land that feeds those 50 waterways. For your sensitivity to the need for water protection, we thank you. Now you are 51 faced with the same dilemma again.