Orange County NC Website
10 <br /> DRAFT <br /> 224 Charity Kirk: So we're meeting that threshold with it? <br /> 225 <br /> 226 Cy Stober: Yes,that's staff interpretation and the basis of our recommendation. <br /> 227 <br /> 228 Delores Bailey: If, as Randy mentioned, this is not the place for the community to talk about the use that is going to be on the <br /> 229 parcel,where is that in the process? <br /> 230 <br /> 231 Overlapping conversations <br /> 232 <br /> 233 Adam Beeman: Regardless of if we approve or deny it here tonight, it is going to the Board of County Commissioners. <br /> 234 <br /> 235 Charity Kirk: It's still related to just what we're talking about, it's not related to any businesses on it. <br /> 236 <br /> 237 Adam Beeman: But when it gets to the Board of County Commissioners, they are the only people that you can sway to say <br /> 238 yea or nay. They are going to be the ones willing to take on any litigation, if they deny the request and it doesn't meet—if the <br /> 239 applicant meets all the requirements and has done everything he is supposed to do and we say no,we have to have a reason <br /> 240 why we said no that is legitimate. <br /> 241 <br /> 242 Charity Kirk: We can come up with a legitimate reason. <br /> 243 <br /> 244 Delores Bailey: My question of process is when does the community get to say what they think. <br /> 245 <br /> 246 Cy Stober: If it is approved by the Board of Commissioners,there will be no further opportunity for the community to have any <br /> 247 input on the use. It will come before staff and staff will review the site plan and ensure conformance with the UDO use <br /> 248 standards. Unless it's a Special Use Permit, in which case it would go to the Board of Adjustment,which would also be a <br /> 249 public hearing. <br /> 250 <br /> 251 Overlapping Conversations <br /> 252 <br /> 253 Amanda Griffin: I'm Amanda Griffin and I'm a homeowner in this very small community. I live on Everett Lane across from the <br /> 254 proposed rezoning lot and I wrote a treatise, I didn't know there was going to be a limit. I'm just going to have to bullet point <br /> 255 some of my main topic points here. I see that the Statement of Consistency does recommend for approval because it states it <br /> 256 moves acreage from residential to commercial and that it is in an area that is already more developed. I urge you to take the <br /> 257 following into consideration. As discussed,this lot is substantially located within a resource protection area. This may not <br /> 258 have any legal significance currently but it is talked about in the Comprehensive Plan. Land Use Goal 1, Objective 1.1 issues <br /> 259 that it is to avoid higher density, higher intensity development in area with protected cultural resources which is a direct <br /> 260 opposition to the current rationale used in the Statement of Consistency for this application. Also extending the lot's existing <br /> 261 commercial zoning by a substantial 3.67 acres seems to inevitably promote higher density and higher density development <br /> 262 which according to the Comprehensive Plan, should be avoided, specifically related to resource protections areas.The lot also <br /> 263 falls into Rural Community Activity Node, Land Use Goal 2, Objective 2.4 applies directly to these rural crossroad communities <br /> 264 and issues guidance to identify whether current regulations permit appropriate development that is in character with these <br /> 265 communities,which I say strongly, this is not. Land Use Goal 1, Objective 1.1 further calls for sustainable development <br /> 266 checklist to evaluate and report on whether both proposed developments are quote"compatible with existing natural, cultural <br /> 267 resources and whether they will enhance community character". I believe this directly concerns this rezoning proposal;as <br /> 268 discussed there's a possibility there could up to 40,000 sq.ft. unit or maybe just a 10,000 sq.ft. proposed for this. It is <br /> 269 dramatically out of character for our local crossroads community and would be a tremendous change from what exists there <br /> 270 already. Also,this will eat up nearly 5 acres of valuable commercial development that could be used on more valuable <br /> 271 properties or will better serve the community. I also do believe that the language used in the Comprehensive Plan and Land <br /> 272 Use Goals makes the planned use of this lot not only relevant but in fact imperative to consider when making this rezoning <br /> 273 decision. The application does state the intended use of this lot is for retail sales which is greatly redundant in our community. <br /> 274 We have a local grocer, Bravos Market, which serves local produce, local meat and dairy,they employ locally, are owned <br /> 275 locally and sits on locally owned land. A large chain store would directly threaten them and take locally circulated money and <br /> 276 distribute it elsewhere. The zoning application submitted says quote"this rezoning should meet the intended purpose of the <br /> 277 Orange County Comprehensive Plan to provide retail sales to the community"this seems a woefully inadequate consideration <br /> 278 of the Comprehensive Plan and a redundancy in our neighborhood. Thank you. <br /> 279 <br />