Agenda - 09-16-2008 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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Jahn Tatreau, Realtor® 3211 Shannon Road Suite 140 Durham, NC 27707 Cell 919-672-9559 Office 919-281-8000 KELLER WILLIAMS~ R ~ A ~, r ~ 89 Craig N. Benedict, AICP; Director Michael D. Harvey, AICP, CZO, Zoning Enforcement Officer Orange County Planning & Inspections Department Hillsborough, NC 27278 RE: Planning Board Review of a Class A Special Use Permit application by the Montessori Farm School to develop a private school at 711 Terry Rd. (TMBL 5.10..22/PIN 0806-76-4683) Dear Mr. Benedict, Mr. Harvey, Planning Board, and County Commissioners, I have been asked to review the documentation for the Special Use Permit Application for the Montessori Farm School with their proposed location at 711 Terry Road and the impact on the adjacent property owned by Keith and Dana Tilley. I have been a licensed Real Estate Broker and Realtor® (license number 236807) for over three years and very familiar with this area as I live about one mile from there. Normally, a well planned out school would not have a negative impact on an area. While I am personally not opposed to the school concept, it appears obvious from the documentation that the property is not appropriate for the proposed school and associated facilities and would have a negative impact on the value of the Tilley property. Why? • The proposed property is too narrow lacking sufficient commercial buffers to the neighbors. • Although the acreage sounds like it would be enough, the actual amount of acreage proposed for the buildings and facilities is squeezed into about four acres with insufficient buffers.. • Amore appropriate tract would be much wider to allow for adequate buffers. • The increase in traffic in and out of the school would significantly increase traffic on Terry Road and negatively impact the value of the Tilley property. • My experience is that homeowners place a higher value on property that is more private and place a lower value of property near higher traffic areas. • The documentation clearly reveals that the Tilleys have made a significant investment of time and money in preparation to build their dream home long before the school considered the property. • There are not suilycient visual or sound buffers between the school facilities and the proposed Tilley home site. Many of the trees have been removed on the proposed schoal site greatly reducing the small buffer that was once in place. • It is also clear by evidence of the petition signed by adjoining property owners that the project is not harmonious with the neighborhood, a requirement of the permit. • It is clear that the proposed project also fails the special use permit test that the adjoining property values be increased or maintained.