110420 Virtual Planning Board Minutes

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Approved 1/6/21 225 you are looking at a signal. What you guys have managed to do is to stay out of that issue for a while and what we are 226 seeing now is what we believe to be a great site for Buc-ee's. We really like being here; this is a cool site for us. Given the 227 fact that we are who we are, we have the ability to work with the County and work with you guys figuring out all sorts of 228 ways to as least impactful as we can. The traffic issues are unavoidable if we or anyone else is to go there, NCDOT is 229 going to stick to their guns and say we don't like the braided ramp, never have,we're getting rid of them and whoever 230 comes in is going to get rid of them. What we've done is our traffic studies are based on our traffic. The last thing,the very 231 last thing that Buc-ee's needs is a traffic problem and that means the traffic problem throughout that whole intersection. 232 What we hope we have done and we have experience in doing this and we have feedback from NCDOT and our engineers 233 all along the way, that we are creating a more efficient, safe intersection. It's going to cost you a couple of minutes or more 234 and I apologize for that being a guy who has great respect for my own exit ramp when I come home. We are hoping you 235 guys in Efland, that this can become a real development for Efland that isn't 2 million square feet of distribution center. 236 That is only'/z million square feet of cool stuff. Buc-ee's and a nice hotel, nice sit down restaurants where it becomes part 237 of Efland and part of your commute.We have looked at every other way.To get DDT's permission to construct a project on 238 that 100 acres is going to take answering their concerns and their big concern is that eventually that is a failing system and 239 it will fail and they'll have accidents and they'll have to spend 12 million to fix it where we're here and we will spend the 240 dollars to make this work for us and for the neighborhood. 241 242 Michael Harvey: I want to remind the Board in order for any reconfiguration of these exits to occur,there has to be NCDOT 243 and Federal Highway Administration action through various processes independent of this Zoning Atlas Amendment. If 244 elimination of(westbound) Exit 160 is approved, the project moves forward consistent with this master plan. If it's not 245 approved,then the applicant will have to work with NCDOT and the County Planning staff to develop and incorporate 246 another solution. Keep in mind there is an external process that will have to occur in order for this to become reality. Staff 247 has made recommendations on conditions associated with traffic management and impacts. 248 249 Carrie Fletcher: For Mr. Beard,first of all why do you think having a giant travel oriented business right there in Efland,we 250 have several large refueling stations, not in the very far distance from where you want to build, an exit or two over. Do we 251 really have a need for such a large refueling station? What justifies the use of this land for such a large project? Two, how 252 do we keep Orange County's vision of a rural community and I bought into Orange County ten years ago because it was a 253 rural community. Many people still have that vision. I understand the need for development, I understand the zoning, 1 254 understand the whole reason behind why we are reaching out for people to come and do projects like this but what will 255 keep people thinking Orange County is a rural community. Have we changes our mind on how we want to envision 256 ourselves. The third is the property you're going to build this on,who owns this right and how do you get access to it? I'm 257 unclear on that. Maybe I am blurry on that but I would like clarification on that. 258 259 Stan Beard: The first answer is our business is to be the best pit stop off of any road trip you've been on. The clean 260 restroom and plentiful foods available all of that,the friendly atmosphere is a Buc-ee's experience. We've been doing this a 261 long time,we have a bunch of stores in Texas and we are in Alabama and about to open in Georgia. Building in Florida 262 and South Carolina so what we want to do and the reason we are here at this site is that we want to be in the middle of 263 somebody's trip road trip either going East,West, North, South that needs to stop for a clean restroom, reasonable gas and 264 cool stuff to buy.That brings us to a freeway system that has two merged interstates for a stretch that carries a 125,000 265 cars per day on that stretch. It travels East/West through Orange County and it is in the middle of a well-traveled length of 266 folks going from Virginia all the way over towards this way. Where we are now, is it's on a 100 acre tract next to the 267 freeway bounded by the railway and the 70/85 connector and so I respect the fact that Orange County is a rural place and 1 268 agree I think it is and I think the Efland area in particular is beautiful and very rural feeling. I do not think that this tract is a 269 rural tract. I think it is an undeveloped 100 acres that could very easily be a truck stop which we are not. We are would 270 rather not be compared to the truck stops. We have the ability here to fit into a spot where a distribution center might go or 271 a warehousing farm. We're in a position where we can give back a lot of good things, benefits, less intensive development, 272 more green space. You've heard it all but it's true,we are not covering up 2 million square feet of this 100 acres with 273 buildings. We are one quarter of that. That is why we are there,we are there because it is a good opportunity for us and it 274 fits within our strategy of reaching a wide range of folks.There are going to be local folks who shop there but 70%of them 275 are traveling from all over the place and they are going to get to stop in Efland, Orange County for 45 minutes and you 276 never know they might stay. I hope I answered the rural part. I will say that we, I don't get too detailed, but I'm fairly certain 277 that we follow along with all of the comprehensive use plans,the nodes. 278