Agenda - 09-02-2021; 8-a - Minutes

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19 1 should want to hear from the public. She said Mebane is very interested in annexing, and it will 2 be willy-nilly and hodge podge, leading to a potpourri of mediocrity. She urged the BOCC to 3 use its influence with Mebane to get a plan that makes sense. 4 Fiona Johann said she came to hear the questions the Commissioners had for the 5 Planning Department. She said the joint area plan is something she would like the 6 Commissioners to consider. She said people who live in the County, and not in Mebane, need 7 representation. She said she is interested in a home value study, and how development will 8 impact the values of the homes. She said marketing and publicity matters, and this study is a 9 massive marketing map. She encouraged more community input sessions, because looking at 10 a map is one thing, while talking with the community is another. She said the Internet is not 11 great in the study area, and that cannot be the only way we communicate. She said Mebane 12 has stated over and over that it is interested in working with the County, and the BOCC should 13 invest in this partnership. 14 Kaye Brown said she has owned a horse farm adjacent to Area E for 35 years. She said 15 she did not learn of the plan until the Planning Department sought the City of Mebane's 16 approval. She applauded the County and the Planning Department for slowing down and 17 communicating with the residents. She urged the County to invite comment at the start of 18 projects, and not just at the end. She citizen advisory councils give input at the start of projects, 19 and will reduce resistance. She said better engagement will lead to trusted partnerships. 20 John Dempsey showed a map and discussed the impact of development on water 21 sources in the area. He said the Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary 22 Agreement (WASMPBA) creates a rural buffer between Hillsborough and Mebane. He said 23 misplaced and unregulated industrial and commercial activity in watershed can lead to 24 environmental costs that bankrupt cities. He said zoning should not be based on potential 25 profit, but potential costs should be considered as well. 26 Matt Cartmill thanked the Planning Department for listening to the public, and proposing 27 the new website as a clearinghouse of information. He said it is important to allow the 28 information to flow in both directions, with the public hearing from the County, and the County 29 hearing from the public as early as possible. He said the public been told by the Planning 30 Department that a large percentage of the land area in Orange County is protected by County 31 policies. He said the Buckhorn Area Study laid bare a critical flaw in that agreement, which is 32 the exclusion of the City of Mebane. He said there is nothing to keep the City from annexing 33 Orange County piece by piece. He said staff indicates this is no one's intention, but this does 34 not give him confidence for the future. He said if urban sprawl is unchecked, rural areas will 35 disappear and natural and green spaces will disappear, and Orange County will become like 36 Los Angeles. 37 Janine Zanin echoed the comments of Fiona Johann, noting that Mebane seems to want 38 to hear what Orange County has to say. She said the City of Mebane stopped the process to 39 give Orange County time to think about how this land should be used. She said it is important 40 to include the City of Mebane in County plans so there can be some limitations on the City's 41 future growth. She said Area B only scored 8 points on the study, and the study concluded that 42 a score from 13 to 16 was ideal for economic development. She said 4 points of area B's score 43 were due to its size as a big parcel. She said there many farms around area B, as well as a 44 creek running through it, wildlife, etc. She encouraged the BOCC to engage the community's 45 creativity on how to use this space. She said much of the land in areas A and B is owned by 46 non-profits, and encouraged the BOCC to talk to them. 47 Margo Lakin said Attachment 2 did not include her questions that she sent in to the 48 Planning Department, and wonders if the questions of others were left out. She asked if the 49 Commissioner for the Environment will be invited to weigh in with scientific information. She 50 expressed great concern about fully understanding environmental impacts including flora, 51 fauna, hydrology reports, an alternative water source for Hillsborough, etc. She said she lived