Proposed Developments at Union Grove Farm

[Michael Igoe]

Hello Commissioners,

My name is Michael Igoe. I am a student at Carrboro High School and a resident of Carrboro.It has recently come to my attention that there are plans for extensive development at Union Grove Farm on Dairyland Road. It is my understanding that there are plans for a hotel, restaurant, a 2500 seat amphitheater, and other various forms of development.

These developments worry me for a few reasons. One of these is preservation of water resources. The water we drink is supplied in large part by University Lake, which is located not more than a half a mile from my house. I worry that these large developments will have a large and negative effect on that water. Morgan Creek, one of the main sources of water for the reservoir, has headwaters on and near the farm. The development of this space could have negative impacts, such as increased runoff. All of this development would rely on well and septic systems, depleting groundwater supply, and increasing the risk of harmful pollutants in the water.

Additionally, the infrastructure impacts would be huge. The planned amphitheater would have nearly 2,500 seats - almost that of the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) in Durham. This, in addition to the other developments, such as the distillery and restaurant, would require lots of parking, further increasing the area of impervious surfaces. Additionally, the small two lane roads leading to the farm would likely struggle to manage with the hundreds, or even thousands, of cars. 

I could go on about my concerns, however I believe this letter covers some of my biggest. I urge county officials to give these issues serious consideration and to prevent some of the damage this project would cause. I urge county officials to listen to the concerns of constituents and consider doing something about this. 

If you have more information to share, or anything else to ask of me, I can be reached at this email.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Michael Igoe

Student

Carrboro, NC

This message was sent from a student email account at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. All mail correspondence to and from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School students is subject to monitoring by district administrators and may result in disclosure to law enforcement.

[Jamezetta Bedford]

Mr. Igoe,

On behalf of the Board, thank you for sharing your concerns. This matter is currently (as of May 15 last I checked) with the Planning Director. Once he makes a determination, the parties legally involved may appeal to the Orange County Board of Adjustment. That would be a quasi-judicial matter and the Board of County Commissioners cannot intervene. The legislature has made the definition of agritourism extremely board so that venues like this have opened across NC. Only the legislature may restrict or narrow the definition of agritourism. 

Given it's already May 21, it's unlikely the Board of Adjustment would have this matter as a June 11 agenda item. Here's the county website link to follow: https://www.orangecountync.gov/1184/Orange-County-Board-of-Adjustment-BOA 

Sincerely,

Jamezetta Bedford, Chair

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From: Michael Igoe <mri...@students.chccs.k12.nc.us>
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 3:26 PM
To: ALL_BOCC_MANAGER_CLERK <OCB...@orangecountync.gov>
Subject: Proposed Developments at Union Grove Farm

 

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