10-2-17 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

IV. PUBLIC COMMENTS Pursuant to General Statute § 152A-52.1, Chair Dalrymple opened the floor for Public Comments. The following people signed up to speak and were permitted 3 minutes for comments: ■ Keely Wood, 363 Angel Rd, Sanford, NC (Fracking) ■ Keith Clark, 306 Village Drive, Sanford, NC (Concealed Cary) ■ Debbie Hall, 957 Cumnock Road, Sanford, NC (Fracking) ■ Charles Oldham, 2205 Southern Rd, Sanford, NC (Fracing) ■ Terica Luxton, 3616 Lee Avenue, Sanford, NC (Fracking and Mining) V. OLD BUSINESS Consideration of Extension of Ordinance Imposing Temporary Moratorium on Oil and Gas Development and Mining Within Lee County County Attorney Whitney Parrish provided the board with information regarding the extension of the Temporary Moratorium on Oil and Gas Development and Mining within Lee County. In December 2015, the Board of Commissioners adopted a temporary moratorium on oil and gas development and mining within Lee County. The temporary moratorium was passed to allow the County to have more time to study the potential impacts of oil and gas development and to update its land use plan and unified development ordinance. As such, the County is still in the process of adopting the land use plan. A similar moratorium was adopted in Chatham County. As a result, Chatham County hired a consultant, Charles Yuill, to review oil and gas development within Chatham County. His report implicated that Lee County will be affected by potential oil and gas development. After laying the groundwork in Chatham County, Lee County has now entered into an agreement with Dr. Yuill to complete a study in Lee County. These studies have taken more time than originally anticipated. Ms. Parrish further stated that there is still uncertainty at the State level concerning the Oil and Gas Commission's rules for fracking and whether they are constitutional. North Carolina General Statute § 153A -340(h) provides the criteria local governments must meet to allow temporary moratoria to be placed on any city or county development approval. An extension can be allowed on a moratorium if the county has taken all feasible and reasonable steps to address the problems or conditions that led to the imposition of the moratorium and that new facts and conditions warrant extension. The statute requires a public hearing to be held on the moratorium. Ms. Parrish concluded by recommending a 12 month extension if the Board chooses to extend the moratorium in which case the Board will need to vote to hold a public hearing. Planning Director Marshall Downey provided the Board with an update on the Land Use Plan. He stated that the consultant had been tasked with studying extractions not only oil and gas, but also surface extractions with the expectation of identifying from a public policy perspective areas with oil and gas and areas appropriate for rezoning. Once the land use plan is adopted, we will have a public guide for areas of Page 3 17