A Voice for Efland & Orange

A Voice for Efland & Orange

Started
September 23, 2020
Petition to
County Commissioner Renee Price and 6 others
Victory
This petition made change with 5,781 supporters!

Why this petition matters

Started by Jared Cates

*Note: when you sign the petition you'll be asked to donate $3 to Change.org. Please support our efforts by donating to A Voice for Efland & Orange GoFundMe campaign. All funds will be used to support our outreach efforts by paying for printing, signage, and exploring legal options. 

We are a group of concerned Efland residents and property owners who support a collective voice in Efland. We know development is coming and we want a say in how our town changes. 

As such, we are opposed to the proposed rezoning classification of the 104-acre field across from Missy’s Grill and the M Mart on Mt. Willing Rd in Efland. Rezoning from Office/ Research and Manufacturing (O/RM) to Master Plan Development Conditional Zoning (MPD-CZ)* would rob us of any future voice in how this development proceeds and our fate would be in the hands of out-of-state developers. 

Please check out our website www.Voice4Efland.com for more details about our concerns about the proposed Buc-ee’s at Efland Station. 

Please add your signature to voice your opposition to this rezoning. Anyone is welcome to sign and we need locals to please add the reason they are signing. 

The Proposed Development
The developers of Efland Station intend to build a 64,000 square foot, 120-gas nozzle Buc-ee’s Travel Center in Phase 1 of construction (ten times as big as the Sheetz in Hillsborough). Phase 2 would see a new road added between the I-85/70 Connector north of Ben Johnston Rd and Mt. Willing Rd at Turner Rd and include the development of a 120-room hotel and additional manufacturing, office, restaurant, and retail space. The developers have publicly stated that Phase 2 wouldn’t be built for at least 6-8 years. 

Impacts
The impacts of this specific development to the Efland community would be significant:

  • Significant traffic concerns and challenges for neighbors, residents, and commuters:
    • Increases in air, light, and noise pollution from “tens of thousands” of Buc-ee’s visitors that will heavily impact the overall quality of life for the immediate neighborhoods, residences, and farms.
    • The Efland Exit 160 westbound offramp on I-85 / 40 would be permanently closed, meaning westbound travelers would have to use Exit 161 on the Highway 70 Connector to get to Mt. Willing Rd and to Efland, heavily affecting traffic flow to local Efland businesses. 
    • Infrastructure changes and increased traffic will affect travel on Mt. Willing Rd, Highway 70, and Efland-Cedar Grove Church Rd. The I-85 70 Connector will be heavily affected, as well as the intersection of Forrest Ave, Mt. Willing, and the rail line.
  • Fuel runoff from 120 gas pumps is a threat to water quality in the Sevenmile Creek, the Critical Eno Watershed, and the Town of Hillsborough’s water supply. 
  • Crime and safety issues are a concern with thousands of daily trips off the highway by Buc-ee’s visitors 24/7, which could be a stress on rural emergency services in our unincorporated community. 

Timeline
The Orange County Planning Board unanimously passed the developer's rezoning petition on Nov 4. Now the rezoning request could be heard by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) as early as Dec 15. 

If approved by the BOCC on Dec 15, an out-of-state developer with a 3-star Indeed.com rating from their employees and a history of promising a tax base that does not actually materialize will set the tone for development in Efland for the coming decades.

Please add your signature to voice your opposition to the approval of this rezoning request to the Orange County Planning Board and to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners. 

December 15th is the final day to make your voice heard on the Buc-ee's at Efland Station rezoning proposal. 

You must email ocpubliccomment@orangecountync.gov by 3pm on December 15th to sign up to provide virtual verbal public comment during the meeting, which starts at 7pm. 

When submitting the request to speak, please include the following:

  • The date of the meeting (12/15)
  • Your name, address, email, and phone number
  • That you wish to speak on the Buc-ee's at Efland Station rezoning petition 

Prior to the meeting, speakers will be emailed Zoom access information and instructions on how to make comments during the live meeting. You will have 3 minutes max, and you are allowed to turn on your Zoom camera if you desire. 

* (More info here on Conditional Use Zoning)

Victory

This petition made change with 5,781 supporters!

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Decision Makers

  • Renee PriceCounty Commissioner
  • Jamezetta BedfordCounty Commissioner
  • Mark DorosinCounty Commissioner
  • Earl McKeeCounty Commissioner
  • Sally GreeneCounty Commissioner