Orange County NC Website
3 <br /> 1 regulations. Without that information, Chapel Hill's too-vague plans of dense development along <br /> 2 15-501 are missing key data points which may, indeed, impact the suitability of extending urban <br /> 3 services. <br /> 4 Until the watershed issue is resolved, we can't know what kind of development will be allowed in <br /> 5 the Southern Area. The reason I, and others, have been requesting comprehensive planning and <br /> 6 environmental study is to have better insight around what works well for our community's growth <br /> 7 needs as well as the environment, our drinking water, wildlife, traffic and infrastructure, and the <br /> 8 livelihood of current residents. <br /> 9 I'm a member of the Southern Entryway Alliance, a small group of neighbors concerned about <br /> 10 development and its impacts, who have been communicating with you all for some time. We've <br /> 11 been trying to keep folks aware of the proposed WASMPBA amendment, but it's challenging and <br /> 12 time-consuming work. We have an email list with over 100 subscribers, most of whom live in the <br /> 13 Chapel Hill or Carrboro ETJs, and who have expressed deep concern to us about Chapel Hill's <br /> 14 recent WASMPBA amendment vote. Please remember that the Board of County Commissioners <br /> 15 remain the best and only direct representatives for those of us living in the ETJs. We are <br /> 16 collectively hoping for much better clarity around proposed development, before you decide to <br /> 17 take up the Town's request to amend the water and sewer boundaries. <br /> 18 Thanks in advance for your continued attention to this issue. <br /> 19 Julie McClintock read from the following statement: <br /> 20 One reason Orange County and its towns have experienced fewer growing pains than other <br /> 21 neighboring Counties is because we've planned ahead. Orange County engaged in joint planning <br /> 22 when they passed the 1986 Joint Land Use Plan and the WASMPBA agreement. Good joint <br /> 23 planning has allowed our County to protect its rural roots, grow urban densities without sprawl - <br /> 24 in an orderly sustainable way that protects our water supply watersheds. <br /> 25 It was alarming that the Chapel Hill Council proposed to modify the WASMPBA agreement in <br /> 26 November without any common understanding about what they wanted to accomplish when <br /> 27 utilities were added. What happens could vary from acres of townhouses to Bluehill - like <br /> 28 apartment buildings-to something else. We really have no idea, nor do the folks living in southern <br /> 29 Orange County. <br /> 30 Chapel Hill's action was taken in an illogical order. Why not allow full input of residents and <br /> 31 affected parties to comment on land use changes as part of the County's new Land Use Plan? <br /> 32 Why not allow Chapel Hill to complete its land use revisions as part of the Complete Communities <br /> 33 framework when there is a clear plan to propose? Utility map changes can follow. <br /> 34 These are all reasons why the Orange County Commission should await these outcomes and not <br /> 35 make premature changes to the joint planning boundary agreement. <br /> 36 Where did this utility agreement come from? <br /> 37 Julie McClintock continued her comments by stating that she was the OWASA Board Chair at the <br /> 38 time. She said that in the 1990's OWASA was starting to respond to public health emergencies <br /> 39 and requests to put in water and sewer. She said that infrastructure development was starting to <br /> 40 break down the land use plan. She said the local governments got together to create a plan for <br /> 41 where they would put water and sewer. <br /> 42 Julie McClintock continued reading from the following statement: <br /> 43 No one knows the consequences of placing utilities in a water supply watershed without studying <br /> 44 it first. Based on OWASA's calculations, as many as 2,200 residential units would turn Southern <br /> 45 Orange County from rural to urban overnight without any guarantee of BRT funding, missing <br /> 46 middle housing or a traffic free corridor enabling patients to get through to UNC hospitals. <br /> 47 A person identifying himself as Madden thanked the Board for what they do. He asked <br /> 48 the Board how they would they like some more money. He said before the US Constitution was <br /> 49 ratified, representatives came to Hillsborough and voted not to ratify the US constitution because <br /> 50 it wasn't good enough at the time. He wanted to know if it would be possible to appeal to historians <br /> 51 from outside of Orange County who would like to come visit and learn more about that and <br />