110420 Virtual Planning Board Minutes

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Approved 1/6/21 671 something that anybody in Efland needs. It's far more massive and far beyond the scope of what any resident of Efland 672 could use and it's clearly a development that is designed to bring in an enormous amount of traffic that will be extremely 673 detrimental both in terms of the environmental impacts as well as the impacted traffic. Back to the idea of really thinking 674 sustainably about what is a development that has the community's best interest at heart on down the road. I don't think a 675 massive fossil fuel structure is in line with that and furthermore,where it's being built,we are going to put a whole bunch of 676 petroleum tanks into the ground on a protected aquifer just doesn't make any sense. 677 678 Ben Lloyd: In the spring of 2019, 1 was contacted and visited by a representative of an organization called Buc-ee's high- 679 end convenience mart and gasoline station. He told me that he was in negotiation with the Efland family on the property 680 that is being considered and known as the Sim Efland property. He proposed and continued to tell me that what they would 681 put here would create 200 jobs and put 2 million dollars a year into the County tax bucket. My concerns were that number 682 one, I own a farm that has been in operation for 98 years. There has never been acre sold as of today. I have lived here 683 myself for 90 of those 98 years. Soon after his visit, I began thinking about what should happen to Efland and what we 684 needed. After the 98 years, there has never been a sale as thus said and I wrote the County Manager a letter telling her 685 that I'd had numerous opportunities to sell property but had always refused to do so. I told her that I would make a 686 commitment that until something came along that was worthwhile and to the benefit of Orange County, I never had any 687 intention of selling any. Then I started thinking with what had been explained to me about Buc-ee's would this be the 688 development that we would need. In relation to that and my concerns, I flew to Houston,Texas to visit a Buc-ee's.The 689 owner and several of his staff met me and gave me a complete tour of the Buc-ee's organization there and I was amazed 690 how immaculate of a facility that I was visiting. I was so impressed that when I returned home, I called this Buc-ee's 691 representative and told him that I would make my property available which was to be utilized as the westbound entrance for 692 the Buc-ee's organization. I have sit here tonight and listened,we have people talking doom and gloom and I question the 693 validity of their opinion on that. As a matter of fact, several of the people that I have listened to tonight, don't live here. 694 Some as far away as California. I spent three years in California in the military. I am highly concerned about the objections 695 that people have. I think Buc-ee's work with DOT and continue everything that will be to the benefit to Orange County. The 696 property will be, in my opinion, it will be a tremendous asset to Orange County. I support them being here. 697 698 Jimmy Holcomb: It's heartbreaking to come after Mr. Lloyd. I know how emotionally difficult this decision probably was for 699 him and his family to sell land that he has cherished and also for the Efland family. About 20 years ago, my husband and 1 700 bought a 60 acre heritage farm about 9 minutes from the proposed Buc-ee's, northwest of the center of Efland. We came 701 here because of the natural environment,the rural environment,the dark night sky,all the reasons that one would move to 702 the country. The bright stars and the quiet. Some level of commercial development is to be expected everywhere, of 703 course, and we've been interested and sort of fascinated that Efland has grown so slowly compared to other places which 704 for us has been a good thing. We don't disagree with development on principle,we understand that it happens. We 705 expected it to happen in Efland much sooner that it has happened. We understand the revenue pressures in the County to 706 some extent but this project does seem to push the limits of common sense and attention to long-term community interests. 707 Without getting into those details, the project just appears to hitch our progressive modern county to a dinosaur technology 708 while the world is scrambling for Teslas and plug in super chargers. Today, on the Testa website, I can reserve an all- 709 electric semi-tractor trailer truck, if I could afford it. Gasoline and oil cannot possibly be what Orange County wants to be 710 known for. My husband and I view this super-scaled gas station as sad and empty and soulless but we do know that these 711 are subjective and emotional responses that County officials can't really put into a spreadsheet. If the County decides to 712 approve this kind of showcase to dead-end fossil fuels,we only urge you,the advisory commission and the full board to 713 give maximum attention to our soil, water and quality of lives. Very important to me and my husband are those dark night 714 skies and the stars so I'm just going to concentrate on that one aspect. For years our place has been known as the place 715 to put down a blanket and watch the meteor showers. Over the last 10 years, we've watched the stars in the southwest sky 716 disappear in the growing glow of Mebane as it rakes in tax revenue. Please make this project model not of enormous 717 leaking underground gas tanks but of sustainable development. I urge you to look up the international dark sky association 718 which has extremely complete data on light pollution and is willing to send consultants. 719 720 Catherine Matthew: I'm an Efland resident and I speak on behalf of the non-human residents in the proposed development 721 area of exit 160. 1 speak specifically tonight for reptiles and amphibians many species of which live on the 104 acres which 722 are currently destined to be destroyed if the land is rezoned and sold to Buc-ee's, a Texas travel center. I am an Eastern 723 Box Turtle,your state reptile; my back wound is modified before my shell on which I will stay forever as long as I am alive. 724 My life span is long, as long as 100 years, longer than most of you will live. I am slow to mature and don't usually lay eggs 725 until I am 20 years old. You've probably seen me or my relatives crossing roads in Orange County. That is one of the most 726 dangerous things a box turtle can do but it is sometime necessary to do so to find food or look for a mate. Many box turtles