Minutes 03-06-2025-Business Meeting

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17 Edwin Cox said they put a pump down and run it for 24 hours and measure the water for the full 24 hours. He said it is measured by gallons per minute over the time to make sure it meets the requirements. He said it is monitored after the drawdown to see how quickly it recharges. Vice-Chair Hamilton said she wanted to start the deliberations. She said she appreciates this novel approach to providing housing for seniors. She said what concerns her is the purpose of the rural neighborhood activity node. She said she does not see this development as that. She said it is a residential community for a group of people and a family care home. She said it is not consistent with that node and allowing it would change the character of the area. She said it is hard to imagine it would be affordable given the cost of development. She said it would be appropriate for an area with water and sewer. She said it is important to support farmers in a rural environment and the current zoning does that. She said she does not see this development as consistent with the Comprehensive Plan. Chair Bedford said she thought it was great to have the month in between meetings to get additional information. She said the idea and concept of clustering houses is wise and will support that in the upcoming 2050 Plan. She said that failures are to be expected in any sewer system and those who use it have to pay for it so that isn't a concern for her. She said she appreciated learning more about the water supply, but it is not a concern for her either. She said the request to change the rural neighborhood activity node is not a good idea. She said she went out to the area and saw the variety of housing in the area. She said the Comprehensive Plan has worked to preserve the rural environment and cluster development has been in urban areas. She said she is going to vote to allow family care facilities but does not think that putting this project in that location is not a good fit and will not be supporting it. Commissioner McKee said the entire project hinges on changing the rural activity node. He said he has concern about expanding uses for these nodes outside of what was originally implied. Commissioner Carter said this Board has given a lot of thought to the work of the applicant and concerns of residents. She said it is important to set a direction and be consistent. She said she feels it would take away from consistency. She said that looking at the concerns brought up in the discussion, along with the use in the place where it is being proposed, she is not comfortable with voting yes to this project in this location. She said that she is in favor of clustered development in areas where it is allowed. Commissioner Fowler said there were a lot of desirable parts about this project and appreciates the applicant's willingness to propose conditions. Commissioner Greene said she responded to a request from neighbors to talk and hear their concerns. She said she met with Scott Radway on the site and contacted former commissioner Barry Jacobs and Roger Walden, a retired planner from Chapel Hill. She said both were around during the planning of the rural buffer and the water sewer planning framework. She said the notion of clustered subdivisions was in their minds at the beginning, but there was not the market demand or wherewithal to create the momentum for them. She said the notion that it disrupts farmland by placing cluster housing is not consistent with the plan that goes back to the 1980s. She said she appreciates the information about the wastewater. She said there have been concerns about lighting, but she does not think that it will be particularly disruptive because they will follow dark sky rules. She said it is hard to imagine it would be too noisy. She said she appreciated the letter from Sherry Roseman about the alignment with the Master Aging Plan. She said unless it was to be subsidized, it would not be affordable to most but would be less than "McMansions". She said she is not particularly troubled about the zoning issue and thinks there is support for the argument that additional residents would support commercial development in the node. She said with all that being said, she can't get past the amount of water that will be used. She said the impact this may have on residents in 30-50 years cannot be predicted. She said she does not want to run water and sewer lines all over southwestern Orange County.