Agenda - 03-18-2025; 8-a - Minutes

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57 1 Scott Radway said there will still be sprinklers for safety and would like for them to be able 2 to handle the first 10-15 minutes before fire equipment can get there. He said the only difference 3 is that with two stories, the aerial truck does not have to be the first respondent to a fire. 4 Vice-Chair Hamilton asked if the properties will now be two stories. 5 Scott Radway said yes. 6 7 A motion was made by Vice-Chair Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner McKee, to open 8 the public hearing. 9 10 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 11 12 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 13 Danny Eddleman asked since there has been new information presented at the meeting 14 if it would be continued. 15 Chair Bedford said that looking at the time, she is almost certain it will be. 16 Danny Eddleman continued and said a key concern of the Planning Board was about the 17 rural nodes. He said there were two concerns being that the county does not want to make the 18 mom-and-pop node non-conforming but if there is not explicit information on the size of them and 19 how much they can grow, this will be the mechanism that strip development and urban sprawl will 20 grow. He said the urban high- density development being discussed is typically seen when water 21 and sewer are available. He said this is being placed in a rural watershed. He said there is new 22 news about the Haw River watershed being unprotected. He said that OWASA stated in the 2023 23 Plan that the Cane Creek Reservoir could be pulled down to where it would take two years to 24 replenish it and the need to begin to rely more on Jordan Lake is becoming more important. He 25 asked if it is appropriate to consider such massive changes outside of the long-range 50-year 26 planning process. He said the 50-year process will show the items he mentioned are important. 27 Margaret (Peggy) Craft said she has been a resident for over 30 years. She said that she 28 is speaking as a member of the Board from the Hands for Development Cooperative and a 29 longtime member of 2T. She said many folks from 2T are in favor of the development but may 30 waive their time due to the hour and to allow others to speak. She said it was a hard decision to 31 move to a 55+ community but will not be like others that are popping up in the area. She said that 32 they made the decision as a cooperative to clarify the situation. She said it was a very big deal. 33 She said that middle-income seniors need more housing opportunities. She said that this is not a 34 for-profit 55+ community. She said that they trust the Board will make a decision on the facts. 35 Jean Eddleman read the following prepared statement: 36 "My husband and I built our home over 46 years ago and have been living in this rural, 37 residential/agricultural community since that time. We are mindful that our water supply is not 38 unlimited and that conservation, especially in times of drought, is needed. Our property abuts the 39 eastern boundary of the land parcel being considered for re-zoning and the proposed 40 development of high density, high impact residential and commercial uses. We have grave 41 concerns about the proposed re-zoning and the proposed large-scale amendments to the Orange 42 County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). It would make massive changes outside of the 43 long-range planning process to the Comprehensive Land Use Map to permit high density use of 44 AR-1 Rural Node Areas instead of 10- and 20-year Transitional Zones intended for such growth. 45 AR-1 areas were never intended to be used for such growth nor have the municipal water and 46 sewer services to support such growth. These proposed changes permitting high density, 47 high impact growth in areas lacking supportive infrastructure are inconsistent with the 48 UDO. The water and sewer services in the proposed development plan pose a direct, potentially 49 negative impact on the long-term availability of water for members of the existing residential and 50 agricultural community and the entry of sewage effluent into area water tables and into the Haw 51 River and Jordan Lake watersheds. The proposed changes to zoning and land use