Representatives from Natalli Communities and NorthPointe companies presented their proposals before the Orange County Board of Commissioners and the Town of Hillsborough Commissioners on Wednesday night in an effort to build a new shopping facility and housing development in the Orange County and Hillsborough jurisdiction.
Margaret Hauth, the planning director of the town of Hillsborough, said the 600-unit housing development proposed for the area off N.C. 86 and N.C. 57 will present enormous traffic problems if built.
"The proposed land on which the housing development (Natalli Communities) is being built only has a two-lane road with no traffic light," Hauth said. "This will not work knowing that there is also an elementary school (Pathway) nearby that will cause even more traffic in the morning."
The shopping center, proposed by NorthPointe, also poses potential traffic problems.
Orange County Commissioner Margaret Brown said the box strip mall project proposed for the area off Interstate 85 and N.C. 86 will not be favorable for pedestrians.
"The shopping mall will generate a lot of people and the design produced by the company takes no consideration of pedestrians who live around the vicinity," Brown said.
Hillsborough Commissioner Frances L. Dancy said this is not the first time the development plan by NorthPointe has surfaced.
"Last year they came before the board in an effort to make their development accessible to the water and sewer area in Orange County," Dancy said.
But Brown said both projects have a lot of problems that conflict with what they are looking for in the design of the district.
