Minutes-12-04-2023-Business Meeting

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3 • We have reached a clear and transparent understanding of how our watersheds will be protected Thank you." Terri Buckner provided 3 maps to the Board for reference and read from the following prepared statement: "Water supply watersheds are those watersheds that drain directly into a community drinking water source. According to Chapel Hill's Mayor and Planning staff, Chapel Hill's watershed drains to Jordan Lake and has no impact on University Lake. I've attached three maps to this email. Chapel Hill's water supply watershed is outlined in green on Map 1. It drains to Jordan Lake and is classified as WS-IV. Map 2 is the state map of the eastern section of the University Lake watershed in Carrboro which is a WS-11 (more sensitive). On Map 2, the eastern boundary of the watershed (in pink) weaves in and out around Smith Level Road and then extends further east across 15-501 at the southern tip. Several weeks ago, I notified Chapel Hill staff of the discrepancy between their map (Map 1) and the state map (Map 2). Late last week they notified me that I was correct and shared the modified map (Map 3). The Chapel Hill LUMO is written using the WS-IV standards provided by the state in March 2023. However, according to the state, if any portion of a water supply watershed is classified as WS- 11, then the entire area must be treated as WS-11. That's a difference of 70% built upon vs 30% built upon for zoning. The town staff have not yet weighed in on that claim. However, if it is true, it means that moving the urban services boundary southward will not provide the level of density the Town Council is expecting and creates a serious conflict between the desire for development in this area and the desire to protect our drinking water supply. To me, getting that clarification is something that needs to be investigated before any change to WASMPBA. As a result of this new information, I request that you direct your staff to work with the state and the town of Chapel Hill to determine if the entire area south of Southern Village needs to be reclassified as WS-11 for zoning purposes. Building dense development up to the edges of the WS-11 zone puts our drinking water at risk. It's easy to put a line on the map but harder to ensure that water follows those lines. For that reason, I believe we need some kind of transition area created along the borders of the WS-11 lands. My second request is that you direct County staff to work with town staff to set up a transition zone between the WS-11 and WS-IV lands to protect the more sensitive WS-11 environment when development does occur around 15-501. That protection is necessary to ensure "proper management" of our water resources and to control the costs of drinking water treatment." Andrew Lindstrom from Collins Creek Drive, spoke about the proposed Orange Grove Waste Facility. He thanked the Board members, OWASA members, and the American Legion Post for coming out to see the site for the proposed waste facility and hosting a public information session. He said no one wants the facility at this location and said it will create a lot of problems with traffic, will disrupt everything the community cherishes, and will cause issues for children at the bus stop. He asked the Board to rescind this proposal. Joyce McGuire said her land joins the OWASA biohazard field. She thanked the board members for coming out to see the proposed site. She said there are traffic hazards on the road now and the waste facility would exacerbate it. She said this would cause problems at the bus stop. She said it would devastate their community. Livy Ludington said she is concerned and disappointed about Chapel Hill's recent vote to amend WASMPBA. She said she feels like the decision was rushed and there was pressure by the Chamber of Commerce. She said they did not follow the planning process. She said she is worried about the environmental impact of extending the urban service boundary without having all of the information. She said there are traffic issue, but she is more concerned about the