Minutes 11-16-2021 Virtual Business Meeting

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23 aware of upcoming items prior to the public being informed. She said she still has many questions: the number of affordable units, roads, traffic, etc. She said it seems that the Rogers Road community is in favor, based on comments tonight, and she wants to honor those desires. She said she does not want to turn the neighborhood into a highway access. She said all details will be decided in the future and she will be pushing on those details going forward but will likely vote in favor of this. Commissioner Greene said this has been a long process, and she was around in 2003, and thoughts were very different then about what the needs of the community were, etc. She said this plan has evolved to a clear point for a couple of years now. She said she appreciates neighbors for speaking on behalf of the Rogers Road community who suffered the consequences of the existing landfill. She agreed that the lack of trust is disturbing, but she does not share discomfort about the lack of details at this time. She said the BOCC is reconfiguring the land to preserve that, which should be preserved. She said there is much to talk about later, but she wants to move forward tonight. Commissioner Bedford agreed with her colleagues, and noted that the BOCC does not have any new members to seat. She said she participated in one of the zoom public sessions, and wants to talk about what future public events should involve. She said she also found it concerning that the public knew about this being on agenda before she did. She said she supports moving this process forward, as she has voted for it previously. She agreed that there are many details to determine in future conversations, especially regarding affordable housing. She said home based businesses may be a good option, along with other small stores. She said the voices of the Rogers Road and Eubanks Road have to be respected, and they put up with the landfill nonsense for far too long. She said in 2007, the CHCCS asked the towns and counties to do a search for more land for schools, and 10 properties came back. She said several were inappropriate for school sites, and this land is truly the last and only site for a school. She said she wants to reassure people that around 2013-2014 the schools and the BOCC decided to put new funds towards renovating older facilities. She said the older buildings are smaller and capacity can be expanded. She said there is a lot to consider in next steps, and she wants to be able to respect the change in affordable housing needs as the years go on. She said Chapel Hill's planning department will the take lead on how everyone will be involved in the planning. She said COVID has caused delays and she looks forward to being in person to make great progress moving forward. She said it would have been better for this to be brought to a work session to hash out wording before bringing it to an actual vote. She said it is not too early to think about funding while working on the budget, and do some capital banking now. She said the county committed last $2.5 million of its affordable housing bond to Homestead Road projects. She said there is a lot of work to do, but she is committed to it. Chair Price said it is time to invest in the Rogers/Eubanks community. She said the county and municipalities have treated this community unfairly for decades, and she sees this as another step in the right direction to provide housing, stability, and other services. She said it would be great to have a local school. She said it is important to respect the voices of people who live there. She said she walked around the neighborhood over the years and heard about issues with their wells in the early 1990s. She said 30 years later the county is still trying to provide a decent neighborhood for people who have been burdened for so long. She said there was no intention of deception from staff or elected officials, and this evening's resolution is not too far off from what the majority of the Board vote on two years ago. She said she is surprised by the complaints and concerns. She said the towns and the county are trying to work jointly and have things approved in the same timeline, so by the end of the week all boards are on the same page. She said several statements went out to the general public to show that the towns and county are trying to work together for the benefit of the community. She said she is ready to support the resolution.