110420 Virtual Planning Board Minutes

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Approved 1/6/21 335 departments have these projects on file. DOTs know current traffic counts, do the two match? Or, are we, in Orange 336 County going to be like Robertsdale,Alabama or Benton or Madisonville,Texas all places that suffered hugely from the 337 costly underestimates of Buc-ee's traffic and as everybody admits Buc-ee's is a heavy traffic generator. They choose their 338 own estimates so I ask you, please get those numbers so you can make the right choice. 339 340 Matt Cartmill: This is a big proposal and will have a big impact on Orange County. (bad connection—audio garbled)we 341 have no say in how this property gets developed. New zoning will give Buc-ee's and the Planning Department mutually 342 agreeable negotiating conditions which neither you nor the community will ever get to review again. Otherwise, Mr. Beard 343 the director of real estate said in a meeting on Thursday, quote: zoning gives the community a say in future development 344 that isn't true as Mr. Beard ought to know. He said,this rezoning is more restrictive than what's there at the moment. But 345 MPD-CZ zoning is carte blanc zoning. Promises about future development which would (bad connection—audio garbled) 346 Whatever Buc-ee's thinks is good for its bottom-line when the time comes. Mr. Beard admitted on Thursday that it was at 347 least 6 to 8 years and whatever then if anything will have to serve Buc-ee's needs. Local needs aren't their concern. 348 They're focused on the thousands of cars moving through their huge parking lot. The surrounding community is a nuisance 349 that Buc-ee's has to barricade the site with a fence on the north boundary. Their proposed roadway change isn't designed 350 for(bad connection—audio garbled)traffic in and out of their acres of grab and go merchandising with little real concern for 351 their effect on Mr. Beeman and other local folks. Buc-ee's spokesman tell all their plans have local needs in mind and that 352 Buc-ee's will anchor wonderful future development, hotels and elegant shops, restaurants that will somehow want to come 353 and locate next to a gas station. This is imaginary(bad connection—audio garbled)a real trap.Tell us that zoning places 354 severe restriction on future development. It'won't. They asked their 120 nozzles each with it's own pump somehow add 355 up to only 60 pumps. They hope that all this misdirect will pay off for them in the short run and they hope to keep that as 356 short as possible by pushing this proposal through on the fastest track they can. Efland and Orange County don't need the 357 world's largest gas station. We need sensible development on a local scale meets local needs and what we need first off is 358 more time for deliberation. I ask to table this proposal. Give more time that way all the results for good and for ill Buc-ee's 359 would bring this town and this county. 360 361 Tim Spruill: My wife and I moved from Chapel Hill 21 years ago to Efland in order to get away from an urban environment. 362 Exit 160 was then and is now the perfect place of Efland. A small peaceful rural town that still has trees,cows and nature. 363 This was exactly what we wanted until now not much has changed. Buc-ee's will change all of that. Most of the current 364 land that Buc-ee's will be located on will be covered in concrete and buildings, about approximately 60 acres. The entire 365 pasture and old field eco system will be destroyed and with it all of the animals and plants that make Efland rural and 366 pleasant and a draw for probably most of the people who live there. The remaining opposed 40 acres of open space will be 367 a lawn, a monoculture with minimal eco system function,very unlike the native soil and trees and vegetation that currently 368 limit carbon releases to the atmosphere at a time when global warming is a primary concern for humanity decreasing 369 carbon sync is not in line with sustainability principles. Buc-ee's will be providing what is already available, lots of gas 370 stations to fuel more carbon emissions and lots of concrete. In addition, it will draw thousands of cars and the associated 371 pollution and present potential contamination of soil, air and water. I strongly oppose this proposed development as it is not 372 in line with the existing zoning designation which should not be changed and in addition it is hardly consistent with 373 maintaining the existing rural character of Efland. The County needs to be serious about supporting sustainable 374 community, maintaining the existing O/RM designation will be the evidence of that. 375 376 Jared Cates: Hello, I live 1000 feet from the proposed site and I am not anti-development but I feel that Buc-ee's will 377 negatively impact our community's quality of life and has the potential to stifle future economic growth in the area due to 378 overwhelming traffic. When we moved to Efland,we researched the development plans for the area and heard rumors of a 379 Target being developed in a portion of this same proposed site. We knew that development was coming and still made a 380 decision to purchase our home because of existing area plans and the 0/RM zoning of the nearby site was seemingly 381 designated with significant community input. Also, I can buy more things at a Target than Chinese-made beaver trinkets. 382 However,we would not have moved to Efland had we known that one of the largest gas stations in the country, a 24/7 383 monstrosity that provides no goods or services that our community actually needs,will be moving in within 1000 feet of our 384 home. What is the point of community planning if residents cannot actually plan their lives and investments appropriately 385 around what the community has planned for? Orange County has proven it can be innovative with economic development 386 and land use planning at critical urban/rural nodes and that it listens to its citizens when making long-term plans, however, 387 this proposal is the opposite of innovative. It does not fit with what this area has planned for in short-and long-term growth 388 particularly when it comes to traffic impacts on surrounding roads. Buc-ee's claims that one of the largest gas stations in 389 the world makes sense to be situated in Efland, a critical transportation node for western and northern Orange County. 390 Even with the proposed road infrastructure improvements that node cannot handle a 25,000 plus daily trips this