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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - 196907147 -F 208 MINUTES OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS July 14, 1969 The Board of County Commissioners of Orange County met in adjourned joint session with the County Planning Board at 8:00 ofclock P.M. on Monday, July 14, 1969, in the Courtroom of the Courthouse in Hillsborough for the purpose of holding a Pulbio Hearing on the re-zoning of a four hundred and fifty-three acre site in Chapel Hill Township which is currently owned by Fiber Industries, Inc. Members Present: Chairman Carl M. Smith and Commissioners Harvey D. Bennett, William C. Ray and Henry S. Walker. Members Absent: Commissioner Ira A. Ward. Also present were Charles Johnston, Chairman Orange County Planning Board, Robert Strayhorn, Preston Hogan and Clarence Sockwell, members of the Orange County Planning Board. Chairman Smith called the meeting to order. Chairman Smith read a letter from Earl Hubbard, Executive Director of the State Board of Water & Air Resources Commission. Chairman Smith stated that he was in receipt of a petition which rocuested that the public hearing be adjourned to a date to be set in the fall of the year. Chairman Smith advised the audience the Planning Board and the Board of Commissioners had jointly considered the request made in the petition and had decided to deny same. Chairman Smith asked Norman Long, County Zoning Officer, to read the request for re-zoning to be considered. Norman Long, County Zoning officer, read the application for re-zoning of a four hundred and fifty-three acre tract described as parcel #4 on tax map 16A in Chapel Hill Township from residential to an industrial zone. Chairman Smith turned the chair over to Charles Johnston, Chairman Orange County Planning Board, to conduct the public hearing. Chairman Johnston called upon Richard Sahlie, Chief Engineer of Fiber Industries, Inc., to explain what his company was proposing to construct at their site in Chapel Hill Township. At the conclusion of Mr. Sahlie's remarks, Chairman Johnston advised the audience that the Board had decided to allot 1:15 minutes to proponents of the re-zoning proposal and 1:15 minutes to opponents of the re-zoning proposal. He requested each side to select its Chairman. Chairman Johnston was advised that J. S. Dorton would act as Chairman for the proponents and that B. B. Olive would act as Chairman for the opponents. Chairman Johnston introduced J. S. Dorton, Chairman of the proponents. Mr. Dorton was the first speaker for the proponents. The.following persons spoke for the proponents of the re-zoning proposal. James Johnson, former Director of Development of Duke Power Company. Dr. Roy Lindahl, Chairman of the Chapel Hill School Board, read a resolution of endorsement passed by the Chapel Hill School Board. Paul Alston, Exeoutive Director of the Joint Orange-Chatham Community Action Program, read letters and resolutions of endorsement prepared by the Orange Community Action Agency. Don Matheson, former member of the North Carolina State Senate, read and delivered to the Chairman letters of endorsement from the Farm Organization of the County. Mrs. Quentin Patterson read letters of endorsement from the County Granges. Horace Johnson, member of the Orange County Human Relations Council, spoke giving his individual endorsement of the re-zoning proposal. Roland McClamrock, former Mayor of Chapel Hill, spoke in favor of the re-zoning proposal. Paul Guthrie spoke in favor of the re-zoning proposal. Bill Dorsett spoke giving the endorsement of the orange County Farm Bureau to the re-zoning proposal. . 1 Robert Nichols read a resolution of endorsement from the Orange County Soil & Water Conservation District. Fred S. Cates, Mayor of the Town of Hillsborough, read letters of endorsement from the Hillsborough Town Board, the Hillsborough Lions Club, and the North Central Piedmont Resources Conservation and Development District. Bonner D. Sawyer, Trustee of the James M. Johnston Charitable and Educational Trust, expressed the approval of this group to the re-zoning proposal. This group owns the property formerly belonging to James M. Johnston, deceased, which adjoins the land of Fiber Industries, Inc. Everett Kennedy, Director of the Hillsborough Savings & Loan Association, advised the group this agency had, by recorded resolution, endorsed the re-zoning proposal. P. H. Craig, Chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, speaking as a private citizen endorsed the re-zoning proposal. Edwin Caldwell, a Research Chemist of Chapel Hill, spoke giving his individual endorsement of the re-zoning proposal. Chairman Johnston declared that the time alloted for proponents of the re-zoning proposal was over. Chairman Johnston announced that Fred White, Director of Forestry with Duke University, i would speak giving the official view of Duke University on the proposal. The time consumed j by Mr. White would not be counted as time used by the opponents of the issue. Mr. White advised those persons present that Duke University felt it had the duty to protect its forest lands and, therefore, would oppose the re-zoning reeuest unless all effluent from the plant was piped away from the forest to a more suitable section of New Hope Creek. i Chairman Johnston then recognized J. C. Morrow, U.N.C. Provost, to give the official view of the University of North Carolina regarding the re-zoning proposal. Mr. Morrow declared the University of North Carolina opposed to the re-zoning proposal. August M. Kuhlmann, a retired Industrial Development Consultant, spoke saying he did not oppose the industry itself, however, before any re-zoning was approved the County should know more about the type of facility Fiber Industries would place on the site. Chairman Johnston then introduced B. B. Olive as Chairman of the opponents to the re-zoning proposal. Mr. Olive presented the official signed petitions which had been submitted to the Board of Commissioners and the County Planning Board. Mr. Olive stated that he wanted to have recorded the fact that he objected to the ruling of the two Boards relative to said petition. The following persons spoke in opposition of the re-zoning proposal: Dr. Joseph Bailey, Duke University Professor of Zoology, spoke in opposition to the development of the plant on this site. Charles Hall, a Scientist completing work on his Doctors Degree, spoke in opposition to the re-zoning proposal. Dr. Don Okum, U.N.C. Professor and Industrial Development Consultant, spoke in opposition to the re-zoning proposal as he felt the narticular site was inappropriate for this type of industry. Helmut Lieth, Professor, spoke at length upon the danger of locating this plant at this particular site. He felt other sites within the county were more suitable. Maynard Hufshmidt, Professor, spoke in opposition to the re-zoning proposal. Professor Holger Nygard of Eno Township spoke in opposition to the re-zoning proposal. Dr. Jack Preiss, former City Councilman of Durham and Faculty Member at Duke University, spoke in opposition to the re-zoning proposal. Ray Green of City Planning & Architertural Associates, spoke in opposition of the re-zoning proposal. He further commented on the inadeouancy of the County Zoning Ordinance as far as controlling industrial development was concerned. James C. Wallace, Professor at North Carolina State University and resident of Chapel Hill, spoke in opposition to the re-zoning proposal. Chairman Johnston declared the time alloted for opponents of the re-zoning proposal was over. He then announced that any person who desired to file a written statement either supporting the proposal for re-zoning or those who opposed the proposal for re-zoning could do so by leaving this statement with Norman Long, County Zoning Officer. Chairman Johnston declared the Public Hearing adjourned. For a more detailed report of this Public Hearing see the Minute Docket of the Orange County Planning Board. The Board of Commissioners then re-convened and adjourned to meet again on Thursday, July 17, 1969, at 8:00 o'clock P.M. Carl M. Smith, Chairman S. M. Gattis, Acting Clerk ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MINUTES OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS July 17, 1969 The Board of County Commissioners-crf Orange County met in adjourned session in the Courtroom of the Courthouse in Hillsborough at 8:00 otclock P.M. on Thursday, Ju17 17, 1969. Members Present: Chairman Carl M. Smith, and Commissioners Harvey A. Bennett, William C. Ray, Henry S. Walker and Ira A. Ward. Members Absent: None Coolidge Porterfield, Representative of the Orange-Chatham Community Action Agency, submitted the following petition: "We, the undersigned residents of Orange County, recognizing the need for more safe and sanitary dwelling accommodations in said county, do hereby petition the Board of County Commissioners to call a public hearing pursuant to the provisions of General Statutes 157-33, as amended by the 1969 General Assembly, on the question of creating a county housing authority." The petition was signed by thirty-three Orange County residents.. Discussion ensued. Upon motion of Commissioner Bennett, seconded by Commissioner Ward, it was moved and unanimously adopted, that a Public Hearing be held at 8:00 o'clock P.M. on Monday, August 4, 1969, in the Courtroom of the Courthouse in Hillsborough, relative to the creation of a County Public Housing Authority. It was agreed that the following notice would be published: "NOTICE Orange County North Carolina The Orange County Board of Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing in the Superior Courtroom of the Orange County Courthouse in Hillsborough, North Carolina at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, August 4, 1969, to determine the public sentiment regarding creation of•a Public Housing Authority for Orange County. Betty June Hayes Clerk, Orange County Board of Commissioners July 24,31" Upon motion of Commissioner Ward, seconded by Commissioner Bennett, it was moved and unanimously adopted, that P. W. Hengeveld be appointed to the Chapel Hill Board of Adjustments to fill the unexpired term of C. Ritchie Bell. Said term expires June 30, 1971. Dr. Roy Lindahl, Chairman of the Chapel Hill School Board and Dr. W. S. Cody, Chapel Hill School Superintendent, presented amended budgets, formerly approved by the School Board, to the County Commissioners for their approval. The amended current expense budget totaled $361,975 from County Sources and the amended Capital Outlay Budget totaled $704,450. Discussion ensued. The County Board of Education reviewed their budgets with the Board. They advised the Commissioners that the very least they could operate on this.year was a Current Expense allotment of $71.00 per student. This situation results principally because of last years level of operation that allowed employment of additional teachers because of previous unexpended balances. They further stated that with the reduction of two teachers from last years total, the previously mentioned figure of $71.00 is the bare minimum with which they felt they could operate. Discussion ensued.