Orange County NC Website
172 <br /> DRAFT <br /> 220 Tennis Club is a non-profit that offers affordable high quality tennis instruction but it also offers our community something <br /> 221 else. It gives us a place to build relationships with other local people of all ages and backgrounds that may have never <br /> 222 otherwise crossed paths. So please give Orange Tennis a home. <br /> 223 <br /> 224 John Hughes: I have been in Orange County since 1972, lived in Cedar Grove since 1974. 1 empathize with people who <br /> 225 are looking at traffic issues and water issues, however I do love to play tennis. I am a founding member of Orange <br /> 226 Tennis Club.We started planning in 2006 and became a reality in 2009.We are a 501 c3 organization. Our original <br /> 227 mission was to provide tennis to anyone in Northern Orange County who wanted to play tennis regardless of their ability <br /> 228 to pay.We have a sliding scale fee, and we offer scholarships to anyone who wants to play. Of the 200 members that <br /> 229 John mentioned, 100 of those are children under the age of 18, ages 4-18. We have clinics 5 days a week for all ages <br /> 230 and abilities,we have summer camps. Prior to Covid,we had 2 community events every year that invited folks from all <br /> 231 over, particularly the Fairview community,we provided 300-400 rackets, 200 cans of tennis balls to people so they could <br /> 232 start playing tennis.We have experienced a lot of growth during Covid.The CDC said that tennis was a safe sport to <br /> 233 play so our membership jumped.We are at capacity. Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association is faced with a cap that we <br /> 234 will have to impose pretty soon because we can not accept anymore people because there is just no space. So 1 <br /> 235 encourage you to support this project for the tennis facilities. I am 74, 1 figure I have got 15 more good years of tennis <br /> 236 and if this one doesn't happen, then I hope that you put putting tennis courts in Northern Orange County on your agenda <br /> 237 as some part of your planning opportunities. <br /> 238 <br /> 239 Raul Herrera: I am a resident of this beautiful town. I am speaking as a member of the business community and the <br /> 240 Hispanic community. Our community lacks recreation facilities, our community needs amenities such as baseball, and <br /> 241 tennis courts and recreational facilities. When youth are part of athletics and part of a team,they understand how to be <br /> 242 productive citizens as they become adults.Accessible and affordable, athletics keep our youths out of trouble.The <br /> 243 proposed facility includes schools that are aimed at providing access to quality education and quality sport centers that <br /> 244 we so desperately need. The area of concern by neighbors has been addressed by the developer. I believe this project <br /> 245 will create more equity for our youth and their families who do not have access in close proximity to these services.We <br /> 246 live on the corner of Victoria Drive and Orange High School Road,that is less than a mile from Orange High School and <br /> 247 Orange Middle School. In the 17 years that I have lived there, I can hardly feel the traffic.Thank you for voting yes to this <br /> 248 rezoning. <br /> 249 <br /> 250 Rhonda Zack: Has lived in the Wyngate neighborhood off of Lawrence Road for more than 20 years. I wanted to support <br /> 251 this project because I have been on the side of the developers, I've sat in your seats and had Kimley Horne do traffic <br /> 252 impact analysis for me before, so I wanted to support it. I looked through the information carefully and I have read the <br /> 253 traffic impact analysis with great interest. I was really disappointed because I was stunned that the intersection of Old NC <br /> 254 10 and Lawrence Road was completely ignored in that analysis. It's a very dangerous intersection currently and they are <br /> 255 looking at adding 15,000 cars in this general vicinity and are saying that hardly any of them will be coming from the south <br /> 256 and that is ridiculous.That says that all the people here who are supporting tennis and the baseball fields, and the STEM <br /> 257 schools are not going to be coming from Beckett's Ridge and Waterstone or Joppa Oaks. None of them are going to be <br /> 258 coming up Old NC 10 and going up Lawrence Road to the site,that's ludicrous. It's a direct route to get there from the <br /> 259 south of the site. I don't understand how that could be so neglected in the traffic impact analysis and I am really <br /> 260 concerned about that intersection. My husband,who spoke earlier,who only has one arm, he lost his arm on Old NC 10. <br /> 261 This is not a conceptual danger for us.This is reality. It's a dangerous road now and you are going to add a lot of traffic <br /> 262 to it. I am here to say, I support baseball fields, I support tennis, I support STEM schools but not on this site, not on this <br /> 263 road. It is the wrong place for it. I ask for you to vote no on this. <br /> 264 <br /> 265 Scott Czecklewski: I am CEO of the Hillsborough Chamber of Commerce and I am speaking tonight on behalf of our <br /> 266 Board of Directors. The Chamber's mission is to promote both economic development and quality of life, so we carefully <br /> 267 consider all sides of an issue before we take a position.The applicant created the plans for this site based on needs <br /> 268 expressed by the public and for the Hillsborough Youth Athletic Association and the Orange Tennis Club. Even more <br /> 269 importantly,the applicant studied the established ....development ordinance and created a project that fits within the <br /> 270 scope of the development deemed appropriate for this site. The applicant then determined and carried out everything <br /> 271 required to have the school approved according to state and municipal regulations.This zoning change and proposed <br /> 272 uses are consistent with the Orange County Comprehensive Plan. The plan identifies this parcel in a twenty-year <br /> 273 transition area which means that the county intended for it to evolve in this manner on this land.As the Chamber Board <br /> 274 studied this proposal, it was easy to identify the need for the infrastructure that this rezoning will open the door to build. <br />