Buckhorn Area Plan and land use planning in O.C.

[r...@kenwoodracing.com]

Dear Orange County Board of Commissioners;

I am writing to you specifically regarding the Buckhorn Area Plan (BAP) as well as the  land use planning process for Orange County in general. To date there has been a critical lack of public engagement regarding the BAP. The proposed plan will reflect greatly not only on the immediate area in question, but on what we want Orange County to be in terms of a place to live and work for ourselves and generations to come. Obviously, the plan would have significant impact on the abutters, who are certainly entitled to have significant input before any land use decisions are made, but the concern goes far beyond the immediate scope of the proposed BAP. Most residents live here in large part because they value the rural-residential character of Orange County. There are plenty of regions in the country and in North Carolina which offer industrial development and manufacturing, there are increasingly few which offer a high quality of life for residents with abundant open space, minimal traffic congestion, peaceful small towns and unspoiled natural beauty. Rather than encourage this kind of high impact development between Mebane and Efland, we should be creating a rural buffer between these towns (as exists between Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Durham) to maintain their individual character, while encouraging appropriate infill development in each town to enhance and revitalize the downtown areas. I am absolutely NOT opposed to appropriate development but it should in keeping with the character of the county and the region.

Dramatically expanding the footprint for industry and manufacturing comes at a high price to all O.C residents, not only in terms of quality of life as described above but in terms of actual tax dollars. The cost of extending significant infrastructure (water, sewer, electrical, roads, etc.) to undeveloped areas outside of a downtown is never fully covered by payments from developers and ultimately the city and its residents are left to foot the bill. These projects are like a cancer; once a few cells are established they rapidly spread, take over the entire area and eventually destroy everything in their path. Nothing in the BAP or Orange County planning sets appropriate limitations on how much of Orange County will ultimately be consumed by this kind of irresponsible development. We don’t need another Newark-Elizabeth, New Jersey in Orange County! The choices you make here will decide the quality of life not only for current residents but for our children and grandchildren. The future direction of Orange County sits at a critical crossroad, the decisions you make here will determine our future!

 

Sincerely,

H. Robb Levinsky

3805 West. Cornwallis Rd.