Minutes 06-01-2021 Virtual Business meeting

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20 Margo Lakin said Attachment 2 did not include her questions that she sent in to the Planning Department, and wonders if the questions of others were left out. She asked if the Commissioner for the Environment will be invited to weigh in with scientific information. She expressed great concern about fully understanding environmental impacts including flora, fauna, hydrology reports, an alternative water source for Hillsborough, etc. She said she lived through the Flint water crisis, and it is imperative to answer these questions before development. Del Ward said Orange County is full of smart people and is continuing to grow. He said area B seems like a great place for a new elementary school, not something the size of Medline. He said area A sits within EDD, but Area B does not. He said there has been a loss of faith in the community. He said at the May 17th meeting, someone asked if people in area A would be displaced, and the Planning Department director responded that he had dinner with someone 21 years ago. He said that is not thoughtful community engagement, and public meetings must continue. He said he is confused as to whether this is a plan or a study, and this all seems a bit much. Commissioner Hamilton said the name change was discussed at a previous meeting. She said a plan is something that County commissioners agree on after there has been input from the community and environmental agencies. She said she wants to know when the Board will create a plan, and which areas will be targeted. She said the BOCC is in a process where things are not being taken off the table. She said the BOCC needs to communicate what it wants to Mebane. She said she would like more community input prior to determining a plan, as well as a clear understanding of the costs and benefits for developing this area. Commissioner Hamilton said the County should communicate to Mebane that it is going to work on a timeline to make a clear plan on how the County wants to move forward. She said it is important for this to be clear, so that the BOCC is not constantly picking at this, understanding that things can always change. Commissioner Greene said she understands how staff got to Areas B, C, and D, but she cannot support changing anything for Area B. She said it would be better to stick with the original EDD north of West Ten Road. Commissioner Dorosin said whatever the plan looks like, at some point there is going to be commercial development near to residential development. He said it would be helpful to talk to Mebane about its goals for corporate development. He said he would push back against free for all annexation. He said looking at the map, there are two large areas already annexed by the City of Mebane, which are mostly north of area B. He said Mebane has already said it does not want to go to C. He asked if the BOCC should encourage economic development from areas to the east of the City, and similarly those other areas east of A are in consideration. He said it would be helpful to determine areas where economic development should be concentrated. He said areas on the map that are already purple would not require changes to the County's land use map, and it may make more sense to have some contiguity in an economic development area. He said there should be renewed focus on the existing EDD areas, and if there are already services in the annexed areas, it makes sense to begin there. He said there ought to be some reasonable expectation where economic development should be concentrated. Commissioner Bedford agreed with focusing on parcel A, including water and sewer installation, and the area with the flea market. She said there might be a possibility for a school site in Area B, but it will depend on growth and other potential sites. She referred to Area B, and said she would prefer to keep the rural buffer and keep the agreement. She said Mebane was invited to participate in the WASMPBA, and declined. She said she would like to continue exploring this area with the community, as there might an opportunity to do mixed use with a hotel and shops, businesses, restaurants, and residential. She said Mebane did listen when