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Chapel Hill region continues its track record of being anti development and exclusive while professing progressivism and inclusion. At the end of the day it was just a gas station but those who remember things like the travails of getting a wal-mart or drive through restaurants in chapelboro it fits the mold.
I’ve posted the facts here in the thread. The site is entitled for 2 million feet of development. By right, they can submit plans that fit with the current zoning up to that amount and it will be approved at the staff level. You can choose to ignore the facts and claim that they are anti development at this site if you want, but that doesn’t make it true.
I don't know how I personally feel about Buc-ee's, but the area in question seemed like a prime location for it or something of that nature. It's right next to a major interstate where there's little else, and it's not exactly like that area is bustling at the moment.
I’ve posted the facts here in the thread. The site is entitled for 2 million feet of development. By right, they can submit plans that fit with the current zoning up to that amount and it will be approved at the staff level. You can choose to ignore the facts and claim that they are anti development at this site if you want, but that doesn’t make it true.
I'm not up to date with all the fine details of this particular development in Orange County, but with all the things that have gone on in the area, including in Chapel Hill, over the years, I'm not surprised at all that some people would see what happened with the site as just one more example of the area being anti-development. I have to admit, while I'm not exactly broken up about not having a Buc-ees 15 minutes down the road, I kinda rolled my eyes a little on this one too.
There's a track record of resistance to development in the area. Chapel Hill has been more open to development as of late, but there are still extremely vocal, connected, and organized folks who zealously push back against any development especially certain kinds of development. Elected officials like the County Commissioners are certainly going to be at least somewhat influenced by that. There were say no to Buc-ees signs all over the county and beyond.
That gas station is a better fit for a small town or something. A housing development or an office building is better for that site than a huge gas station. I am glad they pulled out.
Efland is as small as small can be for a town in this part of NC. There is also nothing really here in terms of commercial development. We had to drive to the dumpy grocery store in the next town and there was nowhere close to go for dinner (or take out) except for maybe Missy's walk up window for a hot dog or sandwich. So having a few more things in town would have been great.
However I'm not sure about the "character" of something like Buc-ee's in Efland. It would be nice to see a commercial development that compliments the beautiful farm land in the area so it can still retain some of that rural NC charm.
It was not a good fit for the site by any measure.
Orange County is not anti-development — they just want to make sure it is a good fit for the community. There has been a lot of development in the more northern parts of the county as well as in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Hillsborough has been growing a lot over the past decade or so. But a mega gas station is not what we need especially when Orange County is a leader for the state in environmental concerns. Frankly, gas is old technology. With GM pledging all their new vehicles to be electric in the next 15 yrs that's the way to go. I don't think we will ever be buying another gas/diesel vehicle in our family.
Off topic, but do any Chapel Hill folks know what happened to the idea of the little Frankies/Wheels style amusement area at Carroway? I thought that was a great idea.
It was not a good fit for the site by any measure.
Orange County is not anti-development — they just want to make sure it is a good fit for the community. There has been a lot of development in the more northern parts of the county as well as in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Hillsborough has been growing a lot over the past decade or so. But a mega gas station is not what we need especially when Orange County is a leader for the state in environmental concerns. Frankly, gas is old technology. With GM pledging all their new vehicles to be electric in the next 15 yrs that's the way to go. I don't think we will ever be buying another gas/diesel vehicle in our family.
Off topic, but do any Chapel Hill folks know what happened to the idea of the little Frankies/Wheels style amusement area at Carroway? I thought that was a great idea.
This is a very chapel hill answer. We're not against it in concept, we're just against you.
Big gas stations wal-marts and drive throughs don't fit either I guess. I mean look chapel hill is full.of smart people and I don't expect they wouldn't have a reason or tell you why it isn't the case but the truth is out there.
Wake and Durham are astronomically ahead of OC on development its not even close and it's not even up for debate. What this does is push regular folk out to farther flung places to commute in while OC avails it self of a luxurious buffer zone and an overpriced housing stock mostly from the 80s
I guess 40 commuters need to pound sand or just drive a little farther unless OCs image gets tarnished now if that 40 driver drove a Tesla maybe OC might be interested in accomodating them
This is a very chapel hill answer. We're not against it in concept, we're just against you.
The site in question has a creek on it and is environmentally sensitive. Buccees just wasn't a good fit. It wouldn't have provided many jobs, the money generated would go back to Texas, and it was an environmental disaster waiting to happen.
Again, I'm not against well thought out development that brings something to Orange County that we need, but we have plenty of gas stations. Lots of people in OC were in favor of Costco coming, although it didn't pan out, but we got the baby Target instead and that has been pretty nice. What we could really use is the amusement center they were talking about a year or two ago. I looked it up to refresh my memory. It's a Putt-Putt Fun Center with electric go carts, batting cages, putt-putt (of course), laser tag, arcade, etc. It got put on the backburner with the pandemic, but I hope they do build it.
Last edited by poppydog; 02-07-2021 at 04:26 PM..
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