A proposed development just outside of Hillsborough has stirred up strong responses from some nearby residents, leading to a gathering to protest the project.
County residents lined Churton Street near the courthouse holding signs advocating against the Research Triangle Logistics Park on Saturday, August 15. The project, which first submitted its request for a zoning amendment in June, is proposed for 161 acres of undeveloped land between Interstate 40 and Davis Road. Demonstrators said they are advocating against the proposal over concern about the applicant’s plan to build infrastructure for warehousing and manufacturing.
Ronald Sieber was one of the organizers of the demonstration. He voiced his concerns for having development of that size nearby his community.
“It’s just going to take over our rural buffer neighborhood,” said Sieber. “Not only will they do that with the sheer size of the complex, they’ll also take over Davis Road, a two-lane country road that abuts and intersections Old North Carolina 86. Not only will it affect traffic in the intermediary, it will affect it all the way up into the town of Hillsborough.”
Jon Lorusso, another organizer, said he agreed with Sieber. He said if the development becomes primarily warehouses or manufacturing centers, he doubts the community would see much of the benefits.
A protester in Hillsborough holds up a sign advocating against the proposed Research Triangle Logistics Park. An application for a zoning amendment is to be reviewed Wednesday by Orange County.
“There’s ways to develop that land that would be useful to that community at large,” Lorusso said. “This doesn’t provide anything to the community. It’s just a stopping point along the road so they can bring stuff in and bring stuff out.”
While the application for the RTLP project says it would employ “up to 4,500 people globally,” Lorusso said he questions how many of those jobs would go to community members, unlike a different type of development.
“Nobody here is against jobs, we’re all in favor of [adding] jobs,” he said Saturday. “But we need a facility that will actually bring jobs. It’s [clear] that area is going to eventually develop. We’re not going to stop that altogether, but let’s do something practical. Something that has value to the community instead of something where the developer will capitalize make money and we never hear from them again.”
Residents in the area around Davis Road were contacted by the RTLP project applicant to attend neighborhood information meetings, where they can share their thoughts on a proposal. It is a required step for a developer to do so, according to county Planning and Zoning Supervisor Michael Harvey. He’s one of the staff involved with reviewing the project in these early stages.
Harvey said if approved in its current form, the RTLP project could bring warehouse or manufacturing operations to the area, similar to existing ones in the county. He said the property could also ultimately be used for health and technology use, engineering operations or research operations, all of which fit into the zoning amendment the applicant is seeking.
Concept design for the Research Triangle Logistics Park application. (Photo via Kimley + Horn.)
“What I think separates RTLP from those projects,” Harvey described, “is that this is going to be a 2,250,000 square foot operation on 160-something acres of property south of this interstate and it’s going to be in one master plan development.”
The protesters Saturday encouraged participants to register to attend the virtual county Planning Board meeting tonight, which is the second step in the review process. With the RTLP proposal on its agenda, the volunteer members will go over applications to see if they fit with county standards and criteria for a project to be considered by the county commissioners.
Harvey said the planning board will not take any action beyond crafting their own recommendation to the Board of Commissioners whether to approve or reject the project application. He also stood by the three-tiered review process, which will see the county commissioners review the application next month.
“Whatever the outcome of this project is,” said Harvey, “we have an open process that allows the applicant and public fair access. That is something our county commissioners and the manager’s office is adamant about: the processes will be open.”
More information about the Research Triangle Logistics Park proposal can be found on the Orange County planning website.
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