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13 PUBLIC COMMENT: Betty Compton said that she was speaking on behalf of herself and Dwight Compton. They are the owners of Creekside Farm, Cedar Grove, NC. They participated in the community meetings. Betty Compton read a letter as follows: We are writing to express our support for the proposed Northern Park that adjoins the Northern Human Services Center in Cedar Grove with one exception. We cannot support the inclusion of the option for"boating and fishing," (or as the proposal states, "recreational amenity" and the use of the pond as a part of this project.) The primary reason for our position is that the body of water is not the property of the County except for a very small section as outlined on the map. We share ownership of this body of water with Ms. Hattie Vanhook heirs and Mr. Terry Fuqua. We own the majority of the water. A second and equally compelling reason for our position is that the proposed future option of boating and fishing places the owners of the body of water at risk and makes us liable for any and all incidents or mishaps that occur when someone is either on the water in a boat, or on and around the water's edge for scenic walks and fishing. A third reason for our position is that the amount of trash and debris will be considerable, and, yes, will be the responsibility of the owners, not the County. The body of water is neither a pond nor a lake. It is a sediment structure that was built for the primary purpose of"catching" the mud and silt that would otherwise flow into Orange Lake. It was placed on this site, predominantly on Compton property, as a part of the building of Orange Lake in the mid-1970's. There were very specific guidelines and contractual agreements between the Comptons, other owners and the Federal Government, North Carolina, and Orange County concerning the use of this water. The agreement allows the use of the water for conservation purposes, for irrigation and for fishing from our side where we are responsible for any situations that arise. Several years ago, while Dwight was serving on the Board of Directors for Parks and Recreation, we made a concerted effort to make it possible for the County to build "walking paths" and to allow scenic walks and even fishing as a part of the proposed Greenway Project for Northern Orange. As the project was moving forward we "opened our gates" and allowed some fishing. It was a disaster from the start as we watched debris accumulate, grounds succumb to the tires of trucks and trailers, and, on a few occasions, we even dealt with a mishap on the water. We consulted out attorney and learned that we were vulnerable and that any one who was on the water from any location made us liable for any and all mishaps that occurred. Thus we express our concern for mishaps on the water from any and all locations from either side of the body of water. We are advocates for our County. We are firm believers in growth, but not when it places such a profound burden on us and our neighbor landowners of the Compton Pond that is described in the proposal for the new Northern Park that is here for your consideration. We are asking you to instruct the Recreation and Parks staff to remove any and all reference to the pond as a part of this proposal. We made our request known at the very first meeting with the community and the Recreation and Parks staff. After that meeting (where no one from the community listed the pond as a top priority for use of the park), the pond was not discussed. However, it appears again in the proposal before you tonight under the heading of Proposed Future Use of the Park. We ask that you remove it from the packet proposal here for your consideration tonight. Thank you, Dwight and Betty Compton