|
168
<br /> DRAFT
<br /> 820 going to help the community and pay a living wage? It seems like if we're going to have that, a living wage is going to be
<br /> 821 needed.Another question is, is the County, giving the retailer any kind of tax incentives to be there. I think this would be
<br /> 822 a concern.And we know that you don't want to hear this, but over the course of the past few weeks when people hear
<br /> 823 about the dollar store,they complain about what's happening in Carrboro with the dollar store. They can't keep their store
<br /> 824 open. They don't pay their employees enough to keep the doors open.The doors are always locked,They can't keep the
<br /> 825 doors open when they stock their shelves. If you look at next door neighbor, there's complaints about locking the doors
<br /> 826 of that store, all the time. I have a friend who, several times, a month, she goes through dumpsters of the several dollar
<br /> 827 stores in the county and she finds totally intact containers of goods that they throw away because they don't have
<br /> 828 enough space or whatever on their shelves and she pulls them and she gives it to women with children and she gives
<br /> 829 them to churches and she also sells them in her garage sales too. Do we want something in our community that can't
<br /> 830 handle their inventory, so they add it to our landfill?
<br /> 831
<br /> 832 Deanna Smith- Hi everyone, I'm Deanna Smith. I live off of White Cross road. I appreciate your questions and insights.
<br /> 833 so far that you all have asked in regard to this matter. From what I've heard tonight, it's kind of opened my eyes to the
<br /> 834 whole process of this and overall, I can say that I'm mixed. I feel like Mr. Davis has the right as a taxpayer and a
<br /> 835 landowner to do what he wants with his property, and I support his right to do what he feels is best for his own needs.At
<br /> 836 the same time, I have a piece of property on White Cross Road that eventually, I would like to rezone and have a healing
<br /> 837 center on, and if I ever make it that far in the process of planning and developing, I hope that I have some grace and
<br /> 838 consideration from the community like y'all are giving him at this time. But I do have concerns for the impact on the
<br /> 839 community and especially to Bravo's Market. Some of the things that haven't,fully been said is their canned goods and
<br /> 840 household staples, in addition to the local foods,they talked about,would take an impact from a retail store going in next
<br /> 841 to them and competing with them.And they are a local member of the community.Another concern that I have that was
<br /> 842 raised just because of Mr. Davis's comment that others have tried to purchase that property, but they haven't been able
<br /> 843 to meet the regulations and the guidelines. What are the hindrances to small businesses and other local people trying to
<br /> 844 get that piece of property?What can we do as a community to try to help that out, and what can we do as a board that
<br /> 845 might be able to help influence us to be able to get those other people that we do want in the community there instead of
<br /> 846 a national chain store? Finally,to piggyback on some of, I believe it was Miss Knapp's comments about the guidelines of
<br /> 847 being compatible and harmonious with the community, there were some comments made basically knocking the look of
<br /> 848 the surrounding buildings and steel buildings.That are the businesses of local hard-working members of the community
<br /> 849 and in the vicinity of the place that they're trying to get in that area and so to me, that doesn't sound very harmonious to
<br /> 850 the existing members of the community,they're trying to work with.You know at the end of the day, it's a Dollar General
<br /> 851 that they're trying to put in, not a Tiffany's, so I don't care what facade they put on it.The comments making it sound like
<br /> 852 they are better than what's already there in the community, are offensive and not very appreciated, so as a community
<br /> 853 member, I would ask that you vote no for the rezoning of the property at this time.
<br /> 854
<br /> 855 Statler Gilfillen-Can I see a show of hands, how many people are against this project?Could you raise your hands? How
<br /> 856 many are undecided? How many are in favor?
<br /> 857
<br /> 858 Kevin Reese- I am a 20 year resident of White Cross, born in Orange County. My son went to the Our House Preschool
<br /> 859 that was located in the historic White Cross School.The economic heart of the community is Fiesta Grill and Bravo's
<br /> 860 Market.A lot of us think of Mr. Bravo as the Mayor of White Cross. Whatever retail establishment that goes in there, is
<br /> 861 going to harm those businesses whether it's upscale or not.We don't want it and we don't need it.
<br /> 862
<br /> 863 Beth Bronson- I would like to ask Mr. Davis a question before the public hearing closes. Mr. Davis,when you purchased
<br /> 864 the property in 1975,you were not subject to any kind of zoning conditions, because they did not exist?
<br /> 865
<br /> 866 Vernon Davis-The zoning has changed several times since that time. It's all for the good. Used to, it was more lenient.
<br /> 867 It's a little stricter now but it's gotten so strict that it's hard to meet all the regulations. I had been approached about
<br /> 868 people buying but they couldn't meet all the criteria. This person was able to meet all the rules and regulations that the
<br /> 869 county imposed on them.
<br /> 870
<br /> 871 Beth Bronson-They had the facilities and the resources to meet all those.
<br /> 872
<br /> 873 Vernon Davis-When I first got the property, it was just on a quarter of an acre, and it had no bathroom. When they
<br /> 874 moved the building back,they took the privy, and it was done away with. I could never get septic for the building, so I
<br />
|