By Susan Dickson
Staff Writer
County residents were both strongly opposed to and in support of the proposed Buckhorn Village development at a packed Board of County Commissioners public hearing Monday night.
Several residents who live close to the site of the planned development, which is near I-85 and Buckhorn Road at the site of the Buckhorn Flea Market, said they were concerned the development would drive up their property taxes and they wouldn’t be able to sell their homes.
“This development is going to be detrimental to my property,†said Debra Elmore, a Buckhorn Road resident. “Nobody’s going to want to buy my land because it’s sitting right beside a mall.â€
“This township where we’re located has always been like the stepchild of Orange County,†she continued. “All of sudden, these developers are coming in and we’re like the golden child.
“People’s lives are going to change in this community.â€
Others said the development could bring in much-needed sales tax revenue.
“The project will bring more revenue that can fund a lot of school teachers,†said Bill Bunch, chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, adding that the project’s developers are locally based and will work to attract local businesses.
Developers and county officials have said the development could bring in sales tax revenue and curb property tax increases. According to county Planning Director Craig Benedict, while county residents lead the state in per capita retail dollars spent, 53 percent of those dollars are spent outside the county.
According to the developers, if the project is approved they would break ground in mid-2010 and anticipate completion four or five years later. Roger Perry, president of East West Partners, the firm developing Buckhorn Village, said the project could bring in $6 million a year in sales tax revenue.
The proposed development includes three individual development districts totaling nearly 130 acres, with a proposed maximum of about 1.1 million square feet of building space for the entire property. The first district, about 41 acres, would include no more than four large retailers with a total of 185,000 square feet.
The second district, about 40 acres with 522,000 square feet of buildings, would support mixed-use development including retail, office, restaurants, indoor theaters, hotels, residential and other similar uses. The third district would be the development’s largest district, with about 606,000 square feet on 48 acres. It would include large-scale retail development as well as possible mixed-use projects and an area for local government that would house police, fire or emergency services.
For the Buckhorn Road Associates to begin work on the development, the county must approve the proposed rezoning and special-use permit.
Ben Lloyd, a former county commissioner and a resident of Efland, said that the commissioners need the development in order to bring in additional revenue and curb property tax increases.
“This Buckhorn Village, I applaud. It’s the first positive step in years relative to providing the needs for the people and giving us tax relief,†he said. “Something has got to give somewhere. People are paying all they can pay.â€
Other county residents said they were concerned about the effects the mall could have on the county and encouraged the board to pursue other types of projects to bring in revenue and jobs.
“I am almost appalled that the future for Orange County is a mall. This is not why we live in Orange County. We would live in Charlotte or Cary,†said Jim Stock. “I think that there is such a lack of leadership that people are being led by developers.
“With more PhDs per square foot that you can shake a stick at, this county ought to be able to come up with something beneficial for the future,†he continued. “We can say no to this [development] I think.â€
The commissioners will discuss the proposed development at their regular meeting on March 6, and could take action as early as May 1. The Orange County Planning Board will provide recommendations to the board of commissioners throughout the review process.
I moved to Orange County because it wasn’t scarred by sprawling retail eyesores. Jim Stock is right. If you want to live in a cookie-cutter house next to a Home Depot then move to Cary.