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Approved 8.7.24
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<br /> 1352
<br />Dan Eddleman: Mr. Stober, our planning director, reminded us sternly at the first meeting here that is 1353
<br />about land use, not intent. You've heard a lot about intent, but the bottom line is you have 1354
<br />to judge this on what the footprint is on the ground and what you see in this plan is a large 1355
<br />development R5 zoning category which, again, the land use plan specifically states where 1356
<br />those areas are perfectly acceptable. This approach and their intent could have been 1357
<br />applied to those areas. Mr. Gilfillen made a comment about quick speeches and one that 1358
<br />came to mind to me is, "We hold these truths to be self-evident". And it is in the land use 1359
<br />planning principles 5 and 8, preservation of rural land and rural character, future growth 1360
<br />and development should occur in a manner that preserves and enhances the existing 1361
<br />character of the county, its townships and rural crossroads. Land use goal three, a variety 1362
<br />of land uses that are coordinated within a program that limits sprawl, preserves 1363
<br />community, rural character, minimizes land use conflicts, supported by an efficient and 1364
<br />balanced transportation system, discourages urban sprawl, this is Land Use LU-3.1, 1365
<br />discourages urban sprawl, encourages separation of urban and rural land use and direct 1366
<br />new development into areas where community facilities and services exist. To coordinate 1367
<br />land use, this is LU-3.4, coordinate land use patterns that facilitate the expanded use of 1368
<br />non-automobile transportation modes. This is NA-17, maintain and protect land that 1369
<br />contains valuable productive water, productive resources such as prime farmland, prime 1370
<br />forest land and directing incompatible development away from these areas. We hold this 1371
<br />to be the truth in this matter. Let me read something quickly here from the 2022 long 1372
<br />range OWASA land use plan for water. While we, this is OWASA speaking, have plenty 1373
<br />of water in the most circumstances, Cane Creek Reservoir is vulnerable to extended 1374
<br />drought or back-to-back droughts. It was designed to maximize storage which is 1375
<br />generally good and provides a higher yield; however, it has a relatively small drainage 1376
<br />area for storage volume and can take a long time to refill. University Lake refills quickly, 1377
<br />but it doesn't hold enough water for our daily needs. Cane Creek Reservoir can take over 1378
<br />a year to refill under these weather conditions. Chapel Hill's water supply is these 1379
<br />agricultural, low population density land contains small creeks and tributaries that feed 1380
<br />into the reservoir. This is about Chapel Hill's water supply. I'm surprised that Chapel Hill 1381
<br />doesn't have the opportunity to speak on this matter, so I think that's why it should be part 1382
<br />of the comprehensive plan in the future. 1383
<br /> 1384
<br />Mike Fox: Mike Fox, thank you for allowing me to speak. I have until 10, is that correct? I’m kidding. 1385
<br />I'm opposed to the rezoning. Alan, Maria, Scott, they've all been in my house, we live right 1386
<br />across the street from this proposed development. Our property, 20 acres, my daughter's 1387
<br />property, 2½ acres, could probably not sit more directly right in front of where this land is. 1388
<br />If I would have had any idea, I did a couple years ago, that Tom was going sell his 1389
<br />property, I would have done my best to purchase it myself or get people around us to 1390
<br />purchase it, because we just love the 90 acres of trees there. My daughter lives right next 1391
<br />door, I have her two horses right there on Goldmine Loop. I don't like the horses, but I 1392
<br />don't want them spooked all the time with the noise. Very concerned about all this. 1393
<br />We've been meeting with them for 2 years, went into the meeting very open-minded 1394
<br />because initially you're like, okay, well, this is something that's never heard of this before, 1395
<br />I left the last meeting proud of myself that I learned what a rural activity node was. So 1396
<br />now that I've learned all this, and I see what's getting ready to happen here, this is totally 1397
<br />inconsistent with why we moved out there, Tom said he's been there for six generations, 1398
<br />Gaston Pierce has been there 3-4 years, generation farmers, right next to this 1399
<br />development. This is a massive project, so Fiddlehead Corner they say that they're going 1400
<br />to blend in with rural Orange County. There's no 3-story building within miles of where 1401
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