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When will enough be enough? Hello County Commissioners. My name is Catherine Matthews <br /> and I hope you remember me from the Buc-ees provocation. Thank you for efforts to prevent <br /> Buc-ees from becoming a welcoming symbol in rural Orange County and thank you for this <br /> opportunity to address you again this evening. <br /> Just as a reminder, I live in Efland, have lived here for 20+ years and my street, Chestnut Ridge <br /> Church Road, runs north to Mt. Willing to the Interstate to what was once the future home of <br /> Buc-ees and south to Buckhorn, to the looming home of who knows what industrial <br /> development. <br /> Once again, the Orange County Planning Department, this time in conjunction with the Mebane <br /> City Council, has presumed to know what is best for our county and for our residents who live in <br /> and near the Efland area. The Buckhorn Area Plan is a plan conceived in darkness and cloaked <br /> in the betterment of our county by proposing to convert our rural lands into economic <br /> development opportunities, whether we want them or not. And more importantly, whether they <br /> are appropriate or not for the environment in which we live. <br /> Yes, just like the proposed Buc-ees, The Buckhorn Area Plan's proposed industrial <br /> development opportunities sit on top of a protected watershed, a watershed that provides our <br /> drinking water, a watershed that replenishes our well water, a watershed that protects animals <br /> and plants that have thus far received far too little protection. <br /> The lack of planning by the Planning Departments of Orange and Mebane is staggering. We <br /> have evidence that the stormwater runoff from the under construction Medline is bringing <br /> sediment into the very waters of Seven Mile Creek that we must protect. <br /> Those of us who have chosen to live in Efland have done so because of the rural character of <br /> the area. Two weeks ago my husband and I hiked the Orange County Seven Mile Creek <br /> Natural Area. It was easy to see the sediment loads from recent rains. If Orange County is not <br /> very, very, very careful then soon our parks will resemble many parks in Cary and Raleigh <br /> where attempts to preserve habitats have fallen far short due to the long reach of development <br /> — both residential and industrial. <br /> I am opposed to the Buckhorn Area Plan. Area residents and commissioners need more time <br /> for thoughtful discussion and public engagement before any additional action is taken on this <br /> proposed plan. I strongly suggest that each of you drive by this area on West Ten, the site of <br /> MedLine, to see the environmental devastation that has occurred and will now continue long <br /> past our life spans in Efland. It is far easier to prevent environmental devastation than it is to <br /> remediate it. <br /> Del Ward said the opponents of Buc-ee's were not elitists, and he has similar concerns <br /> about Buckhorn Area Plan as he did to Buc-ee's. He said most Orange County residents do <br /> not know about the BAP, and the Planning Department has kept out public input. He said two <br /> parcels of land are in a protected watershed, and surround Gravely Hill Middle School. He said <br /> parents of children in schools need to be involved. He said more people will come to speak at <br /> meetings if Planning does not include residents more, and the public has not had the proper <br /> engagement, to which it is entitled. He asked the County to please slow this process down, and <br /> encourage community engagement and public input. He said the current actions are a violation <br /> of due process. He said he is anti-polluting water, not anti-development <br />