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<br /> 713 Brian Collie-Towards that question referring to the trip generation numbers,we feel that 54 spaces there per the UDO is
<br /> 714 overkill. We feel that any paved surface that's not needed there is better.
<br /> 715
<br /> 716 Diantha Rau- I just want to speak to the character of our rural community which was mentioned by several folks here.
<br /> 717 Facades and aesthetically pleasing buildings are one thing, but the character of our community is its people and our
<br /> 718 small businesses that we have there. We have Mom and Pop businesses which will be impacted, I believe,very
<br /> 719 negatively by a national chain coming in and setting up shop on that corner.We have a local market that uses local
<br /> 720 meats and local dairy products.We have a restaurant;the Fiesta Grill and we have artisans and woodworkers in the
<br /> 721 community.We also have our gas stations which are also convenience marts.A Dollar General store would be an affront
<br /> 722 to the character of our community I believe. I strongly encourage your denial of this applicant in terms of
<br /> 723 recommendations.
<br /> 724
<br /> 725 Charity Kirk-Can I touch on something? It's become clear to me that we are not supposed to be disallowing a Dollar
<br /> 726 General,we are supposed to be disallowing a retail establishment here. So,the community, I'm very clear that you don't
<br /> 727 want a Dollar General but to help me, I would be very interested why you don't want a retail establishment of this size on
<br /> 728 that corner.We've been told that we cannot disallow a Dollar General because that's discriminatory and the North
<br /> 729 Carolina's statutes don't allow that. So, if you could speak in a broader sense about the size of the establishment,or
<br /> 730 something else,that would be helpful to me to help make my decision.
<br /> 731
<br /> 732 Diantha Rau-Sure,well, any type of a retail store, particularly a national one, I don't know what other ones would be on
<br /> 733 the table, a Walgreens or anything like that, interferes with the Mom and Pop businesses that we have in the area.We
<br /> 734 rely on them,they rely on our business, and they could be put out of business by a retail store coming in there. That's my
<br /> 735 concern.
<br /> 736
<br /> 737 Sadie Rapp- I'm here on behalf of preserve Rural Orange. Based on the applicant's presentation, at the neighborhood
<br /> 738 information meeting, I believe that they seem to have misunderstood our core concerns. They characterize the
<br /> 739 communities protest as being largely about the aesthetics of the building, the using up of limited commercial zoning, and
<br /> 740 the vagueness of the proposal. I would like to recognize their effort to assuage these concerns, but it doesn't change the
<br /> 741 basic nature of the project. Preserving your own character, not just about aesthetics, but it's also about values. The
<br /> 742 purpose of conditional zoning is to allow an exception to existing zoning to meet a distinct need of the community. To pull
<br /> 743 from the language of the County's unified development ordinance; The exception comes with a high standard to ensure
<br /> 744 compatibility and harmony with the surrounding areas and take applicable regulations to an equivalent or higher degree
<br /> 745 when it comes to things like improved level of amenities, creative design, and a better environment.These standards
<br /> 746 and expectations are lofty,we have data from the Institute for local self-reliance, as well as Consumer Reports,that
<br /> 747 shows that dollar store proliferation is associated with a hollowing out of the local business economy.They use their
<br /> 748 purchasing power to put any competitor out of business, including those that currently provide significant jobs, carry local
<br /> 749 products, meaningfully contribute to the economic well-being of the area, and also serve our needs in a dynamic and
<br /> 750 responsive way.A dollar store which siphons profits from our neighborhood and out-of-state has none of these qualities.
<br /> 751 It's important to say that we are not opposed to economic development in general, but we deserve better than this
<br /> 752 project. I simply cannot see how the term "Good civic design"could suit this project that is so grossly redundant,with the
<br /> 753 many dollar stores in an 8-mile radius, and also create such conflict with the businesses in its orbit. On the basis of the
<br /> 754 guidelines set forth in the UDO, I believe that the Board has a responsibility to vote against approving conditional zoning
<br /> 755 as it is in direct conflict with the requirement that development be, as the UDO states, compatible and harmonious with
<br /> 756 White Cross,thank you.
<br /> 757
<br /> 758 Amanda Griffin-There were a lot of questions around what businesses exist and the size of the buildings that are there
<br /> 759 right now. This is my neighborhood, and I can speak very clearly to any of those questions that I heard some of you have
<br /> 760 earlier. I sent an email, I don't know if you have access to that right now, but I emailed the planning board with a map
<br /> 761 that has descriptions of all the local businesses and their sizes. Bravos Market is 2,700 square feet and that's our largest
<br /> 762 retailer right now. Between that and the two convenience stores, White Cross Mart which is directly across from the
<br /> 763 proposed lot is 1,680 square feet and the 76 Gas Station is 2,700 square feet with a tire repair shop, so this proposal of
<br /> 764 a 10,640 square foot retailer is grossly disproportionate to the retail size that we have right now, and I think it's totally
<br /> 765 unnecessary. I feel like our retail needs are already met with what we have in the community.There have also been
<br /> 766 some rude comments about the buildings directly across the street, about the HVAC service, that they are big ugly metal
<br /> 767 buildings, but I think that as another resident said earlier, aesthetic concerns are part of it but what's inside is what really
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