County Commisssioners adopt new Comprehensive Plan

The Coalition's position statement is found on it's website along with more background information. Our main problem is the process under which the plan was developed. The Planning Board did not have time to consider all the public comments they received within their designated meeting time this summer. The shortcuts selected to overcome this problem shortchanged those who took the time to engage in the process. Two Coalition members conveyed these and other concerns to the Commissioners at their Nov. 6 meeting. More detail about our concerns are found in a short article where we note the difference between token public participation and citizen power. 

FYI, it appears the Commissioners intend to adopt the proposed plan on Nov. 18. On Nov. 6 Commissioner Jacobs indicated that opportunities to re-examine the public comments may be possible during the plan implementation phase. Other than that not much is known about the implementaion process other than what is found on pages 10-12 of the proposed plan's first chapter, which happens to call for adopting "within the first year of plan adoption" a tall work order:

"A set of evaluation criteria, including a set of sustainability and community building indicators, or metrics, together with specific action statements will be developed for each Plan Element by each Element Advisory Board with assistance of County staff"

Allan Rosen

Allan,

What is your take from your understanding of the Plan?

Mark, each of the plan's seven core chapters includes a needs assessment section. I've not checked to see if a need for a rural airport was identified in any chapter, but I doubt it. You can access each chapter individually online if need be to check for yourself. Start with the Economic Development & Services and Facilities chapters.

Each chapter also includes a list of Goals and Objectives, and I don't recall mention of an airport in any objective either.  

FYI, the plan is not yet a plan.This is by design. The County Commissioners, Planning Department, and Planning Board intend to convert this document into a plan during the implementation phase, likely to begin early next year.

IMHO, the plan is full of shortcomings. I'm concerned that the plan will do little to change the status quo (high cost of housing, anemic commerical tax base, etc.) if concerned citizens are not constructively engaged in the implementation phase.

Allan Rosen

....other than RDU is mentioned in the document. Neither is there any reference to a county airport/jetport in the "Five Year Stratigic Plan"

www.co.orange.nc.us/ecodev/Summit/Complete%20Strat.%20Plan%20Exe%20Sum%208.05.pdf

The five year plans does mention as two of the "wonderful assets" that are attactive about Orange County:

• proximity to two major airports
• "location approximately midway between the Piedmont Triad and the heart of the Research Triangle, with interstate highway connections to both"

I pointed this out to Brad Broadwell in an email exchange last month. Not much success, as he seems to have taken offence when I suggested it was part of his job to be informed about the issue before making statements to the press. As in aside, the thin skin for criticism seems odd for someone in his position and who has made the public statements he has been credited with, so I suspect he just did not want to have the conversation.

I am sure the BOCC are relieved not to have an airport on their plate as they deal with a comprehensive plan. It will be interesting to see if the airport special interests (who ever they are) can succeed using UNC as the front for their effort. I can't imagine that the University is all that thrilled about being point person, even with the relief that would come from closing Horace Williams.

There is good reason for the White Cross people to be worried if an airport is really proposed. There is no where else in Orange that a airport could be put without substantial costs for building a runway.

Everybody can relax, however, with things the way they are: an economy in the toilet and University budgets threatened by drops in State revenue. If the economy comes back and Carolina North takes off, look out White Cross.

The Chapel Hill News reported that Jim Heavner of Vilcom and J. Adam Abram of the James River Group met secretly with Moeser and convinced him to fund an economic benefits study & even contributed $15,000 apiece to the $100,000 study.

And Special Interest Hall of Famer Roger Perry is the Chair of the UNC Board of Trustees.

It is my understanding  that the Kenan Stadium project will be  funded through private contributions.   You or I may not like what other people  choose to donate their money to,  but UNC cannot redirect restricted funds for other uses. I sure would not want them redirecting my paltry contibution to the Arts and Sciences scholarship fund.