Agenda - 10-07-2008- 7b - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

290 ~'~ ®l~TI,Y--1~T®T 1-~1~I'VEI) Y~+ T ~Y ~®C;C 1 2 Spence Dickenson acknowledged the Planning Board for all of the work that has been 3 done. He wonders how much the County is using some of the benefits of the resources around 4 the country such as energy efficiency resources. He made reference to eco-municipalities and 5 that there are some resources for reducing dependence on fossil fuels, synthetic chemicals, etc. 6 He said that he is particularly looking out for the children and the future. There are only a few 7 places Jeff with unlimited expanse. 8 9 Robin Taylor-Hall asked when the critical watershed and the sewer plan for Efland would 10 be addressed. 11 Chair Jacobs said that it would be addressed in the implementation phase. 12 13 Ben Lloyd made reference to the water critical areas. He said that he is very concerned 14 with water quality. He has been on the Board of Directors of Orange-Alamance Water Systems 15 for 37 years. Ne said that Orange-Alamance is noted for providing some of the puresf and best 16 water in the state. He said that the County should look at available technology that will allow 17 reasonable growth in some of the nearly 19,000 acres of Orange County in the water quality 18 critical area where no public water, no public sewer, or commercial and industry activity is 19 allowed. He referred specifically to exits 160 and 161 on I-85/I-40 in the Seven Mile Creek area. 20 Ne said he has hosted three staff members from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, 21 one being the chief environmentalist. The opinion was that Orange County had the most 22 potential area in the State of North Carolina and any surrounding state to attract good, clean, 23 low-water using, non-polluting economic growth. There have been three economic 24 development districts in Orange County for about 15 years. The problem is that no one has 25 come because they do not like the locations or the regulations. Three and a half years ago, the 26 Board of County Commissioners made a commitment to bring 5,000 new commercial jobs and 27 increase the commercial tax base in Orange County to $125 million by June 2010. As of today, 28 nothing has been done. He said that if there is to be no reservoir on Seven Mile Creek, the 29 critical designation should be removed and the one-half mile requirement should be changed to 30 the topographical one-half mile. Due to the no-growth policy in the last 20 years, there has 31 been 20 years of continual property tax increases. In the same 20 years, there has been a 32 529% increase in the property tax. He said that lifelong County residents are leaving because 33 they can no longer afford to live in Orange County. He asked the County Commissioners what 34 they plan to do about it. 35 Dolly Hunter lives in Bingham Township and is a member of the Orange County 36 Comprehensive Plan Coalition. She thanked the Planning Board for the efforts of developing 37 this plan in two years. She asked the Planning Board to make a final effort to please consider 38 all of the recommendations made by the Coalition on transportation, housing, economic 39 development, and land use. She asked the County Commissioners to please give the Planning 40 Board time to thoughtfully consider all of the public comments'and make this a quality 41 document. She asked specifically that a table that was in the first draft of the Natural and 42 Cultural System Element be reinserted. This was Table 6.7 called Groundwater Recharge 43 Rates. This shows that the average acreage needed is 1.11 acres as a minimum lot size to 44 recharge groundwater in Orange County: This is essential information in order to interpret the 45 minimum lot size needed in the future land use planning implementation phase of this plan. She 46 asked the County Commissioners to please make the Comprehensive Plan Update a document 47 that reflects the concerns of its citizens and can easily be understood by its citizens and those 4.8 making policies from it for the next 20 years. 49 Deonna Angelillo asked about Senate Bill 1925 regarding'the airport authority that will be 50 formed. The airport will be established in Orange County. She asked how the public will know 51 who the Board of County Commissioners has appointed to this authority: She asked about the