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Home My WebLink About20121074 Ver 1_Public Comments_201301041%- lo-14 ( aW ) Richard and Joann Kohl 352 Baltimore Trails Lane Advance, NC 27006 December 31, 2012 Mr. Michael Moran Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. One Ashley Way Arcadia, WI 54612 Mr. John Thomas Raleigh Regulatory Field Office 3331 Heritage Trade Drive, Suite 105 Wake Forest, NC 27587 Ms. Karen Higgins G �@ RauV51 NC Division of Water Quality JAN 0 4 2012 1650 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699 Nrt - WATER ou Tv Re: Corps Action ID #SAW- 2012 -01900 Dear Mr. Moran, Mr. Thomas and Ms. Higgins: We recently received a Public Notice dated December 6, 2012 referenced as SAW- 2012 -01900 describing the Davie County expansion project of Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. (Ashley). The Public Notice requires an unreasonable comment deadline of January 7, 2013. Adequate and timely studies and reports have not been provided to us to adequately assess the impact to our property. My wife and I own Lot #5 in the Baltimore Trails subdivision totaling nearly 20 acres of which border the Ashley property. Buffalo Creek (a creek collecting run-off from the Ashley property) flows through our property connecting with Dutchman's Creek and eventually emptying into High Rock Lake. Our land, of which we have built a home and barn for our horses and pool, along with a deep water well for our consumption, and creek will be one of the non Ashley properties affected by the changes requested in the Public Notice. We are one of four properties that the road to our homes crosses over Buffalo Creek and during heavy rains the creek has significantly risen. At one time before a new culvert was installed the creek had crested. We have alot of money invested in our home and land and our development is home to others who also have alot Invested. At this time, we and others who may have similar or additional questions request the following: 1) Change the comment deadline of January 7, 2013 to a date (at least a three month delay) when we will have ample information and time to understand the requested changes. 1 2) A comprehensive study and report detailing the impact (both physical and financial) to our property of all Ashley changes. We do not have the expertise or financial resources to research all the possible impacts. It appears such study is completely based on the following quote taken from the Public Notice. The Public Notice under Evaluation page 7 reads "The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against it's reasonably foreseeable detriments ". 3) Will there be toxic materials affecting both the creek water and underground water sources? 4) Will there be routine testing of water (both above and below ground) from the Ashely property to other properties by an independent firm to test for toxic materials? 5) Will there be a vegetation buffer zone to protect surrounding residential properties from noises, sounds and lighting? 6) Will there be fumes from any toxic materials? 7) We understand that there will be paving done for parking lots and concern arises from that. 8) We have read of wetlands being built over regarding Ashley Furniture in Madison, WI creating flooding. Once all this is approved there will be no turning back. The value of our property and safety must be taken into consideration. We desire to be amiable neighbors, but we must demand that our property be safe from any and all actions undertaken by Ashley. We believe North Carolina and Davie County jobs are very important to our state, community and economy, but individual property rights and values must be protected. If such rights are not protected for each individual ultimately they are lost by all. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Yours truly, Richard Kohl 336 - 940 -5729 Copies to: Honorable Richard Burr United States Senator 2000 West First Street, Sutie #508 Winston - Salem, NC 27104 Honorable Kay Hagan United States Senator Green Valley Road, Suite #201 Greensboro, NC 27408 2 Honorable Virginia Foxx House of Representatives 6000 Meadowbrook Mall, Suite #3 Clemmons, NC 27012 Honorable Julia C. Howard NC House of Representatives 16 W. Jones Street, Room #1106 Raleigh, NC 27601