Agenda 04-02-24; 8-a - Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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2 1 relevant was her point that we must actively preserve existing undeveloped forests, as well as 2 plant new trees, to aid in carbon sequestration. I ask you: what kind of environmental impact 3 would clear cutting 250 acres have (around 70% of the approximate 360 acres included in the 4 new boundary)? Without a plan, without guidelines, how can we be sure that development 5 pressure won't lead to worst case scenarios? 6 Today, you've also received a letter from the Southern Entryway Alliance with 66 signatures, 7 people in and around the southern area who want to see more planning and more community 8 engagement. Nearly every day over the past week, I've spoken with a neighbor who had little to 9 no idea what WASMPBA was, let alone what its amendment would mean. 10 So I close with this: the Board of County Commissioners has an opportunity. You, like I, may 11 agree with Chapel Hill's goals in principle — increasing missing middle housing, increasing 12 affordable housing, the Complete Communities Framework. But you can, for now, withhold your 13 vote to amend WASMPBA, and make your "yes" contingent upon additional analysis and public 14 information sessions. Let's find the win-win plan first — together — so that we actually achieve 15 those goals without disastrous and costly unintended side effects." 16 Terri Buckner read the following statement to the Board: 17 "I've listened to the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Town Councils discuss the WASMPBA expansion, 18 and it's clear this project is all about affordable housing. But those discussions have paid zero 19 attention to how much affordable housing already exists down here and how it might be 20 impacted. The two parcels identified for affordable housing so far clearly won't pay for the sewer 21 expansion so how much more market rate housing will be needed to justify that expense? No one 22 knows, especially since OWASA can't estimate the cost of the sewer line expansion until there is 23 a zoning plan. 24 In none of the discussions focused on affordable housing, have any of the elected officials asked 25 who will be displaced. Neither town has recognized or acknowledged the people currently living 26 in this area as part of their decision making. 27 At your seat is a table with a high-level profile of Who Lives in the Expansion Area? 28 Land records can't really tell us who they are, but they do provide clues. Two-thirds of the 29 residences were built prior to Southern Village. Some of these properties have been owned for 30 over 20 years, two for close to 50. The median size of the homes is 1,400 square feet and the 31 median lot size is just over 1 acre. There are million-dollar homes in the area, but there are more 32 affordable, low-income homes and there are several homes that the data leads me to believe are 33 quite low-income residences. But that's just me sitting here with GIS data. It's not the kind of 34 formal analysis I expect from my local governments before moving ahead with a major project. 35 Many of the homeowners and renters in the area are unaware of what is coming at them. These 36 residents.... these people.... deserve to be recognized and respected before their lives are turned 37 upside down. They especially don't deserve to be run out of their affordable homes for some 38 vague hope of building more affordable housing that is significantly more expensive than where 39 they currently live. 40 The town's stated vision includes no plan for bringing new businesses to the area and OWASA's 41 capacity analysis specifically stated it was for residential only. I suppose that means it will still be 42 closer to do our grocery shopping in Chatham County. And I'm sure the constant harassment by 43 land speculators will get worse. 44 Before you finalize your vote, please advocate for those residents. Make sure they understand 45 what is going to happen, the costs of annexation, the loss of the surrounding tree cover, and the 46 impact on their family finances. Listen to what they have to say before you turn their lives over to 47 a haphazard development process." 48 Valarie Schwartz said she has lived in the Southern ETJ for 25 years in the Dogwood 49 Acres community. She said the BOCC is the only government body that represents residents of 50 the ETJ. She said the elected officials in the Towns can say they voted to bring more affordable 51 housing, but said the County is responsible for the infrastructure in the ETJ, not the Towns. She