Minutes 06-01-2021 Virtual Business meeting

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19 would like to see a real estate study to know what her home will be worth surrounded by industry. She said she would also like to see an environmental study, and the impact of impervious surfaces. She said she is concerned about the environmental welfare of the area. She said it is the job of the Planning Department to investigate these details, and the BOCC should want to hear from the public. She said Mebane is very interested in annexing, and it will be willy-nilly and hodge podge, leading to a potpourri of mediocrity. She urged the BOCC to use its influence with Mebane to get a plan that makes sense. Fiona Johann said she came to hear the questions the Commissioners had for the Planning Department. She said the joint area plan is something she would like the Commissioners to consider. She said people who live in the County, and not in Mebane, need representation. She said she is interested in a home value study, and how development will impact the values of the homes. She said marketing and publicity matters, and this study is a massive marketing map. She encouraged more community input sessions, because looking at a map is one thing, while talking with the community is another. She said the Internet is not great in the study area, and that cannot be the only way we communicate. She said Mebane has stated over and over that it is interested in working with the County, and the BOCC should invest in this partnership. Kaye Brown said she has owned a horse farm adjacent to Area E for 35 years. She said she did not learn of the plan until the Planning Department sought the City of Mebane's approval. She applauded the County and the Planning Department for slowing down and communicating with the residents. She urged the County to invite comment at the start of projects, and not just at the end. She citizen advisory councils give input at the start of projects, and will reduce resistance. She said better engagement will lead to trusted partnerships. John Dempsey showed a map and discussed the impact of development on water sources in the area. He said the Water and Sewer Management, Planning, and Boundary Agreement (WASMPBA) creates a rural buffer between Hillsborough and Mebane. He said misplaced and unregulated industrial and commercial activity in watershed can lead to environmental costs that bankrupt cities. He said zoning should not be based on potential profit, but potential costs should be considered as well. Matt Cartmill thanked the Planning Department for listening to the public, and proposing the new website as a clearinghouse of information. He said it is important to allow the information to flow in both directions, with the public hearing from the County, and the County hearing from the public as early as possible. He said the public been told by the Planning Department that a large percentage of the land area in Orange County is protected by County policies. He said the Buckhorn Area Study laid bare a critical flaw in that agreement, which is the exclusion of the City of Mebane. He said there is nothing to keep the City from annexing Orange County piece by piece. He said staff indicates this is no one's intention, but this does not give him confidence for the future. He said if urban sprawl is unchecked, rural areas will disappear and natural and green spaces will disappear, and Orange County will become like Los Angeles. Janine Zanin echoed the comments of Fiona Johann, noting that Mebane seems to want to hear what Orange County has to say. She said the City of Mebane stopped the process to give Orange County time to think about how this land should be used. She said it is important to include the City of Mebane in County plans so there can be some limitations on the City's future growth. She said Area B only scored 8 points on the study, and the study concluded that a score from 13 to 16 was ideal for economic development. She said 4 points of area B's score were due to its size as a big parcel. She said there many farms around area B, as well as a creek running through it, wildlife, etc. She encouraged the BOCC to engage the community's creativity on how to use this space. She said much of the land in areas A and B is owned by non-profits, and encouraged the BOCC to talk to them.