Alamance Commissioners Face Landfill Concerns, Planning Board Controversy

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners convened its organizational meeting on December 1 and heard repeated public warning about a proposed landfill on Clap Mill Road, sometimes called Claphamille Mill Road. Multiple residents used public comment to ask commissioners to oppose any landfill proposal if it appears on a future agenda. Carol Davis, a property owner on Kimesville Road, said she spoke for neighbors along Clap Mill Road and warned the landfill would bring heavy truck traffic, noise, diesel exhaust, dust and nighttime lighting.

In other business, commissioners appointed Lee Kimry to a single vacancy on the county planning board from a field of eight applicants. Planning staff reported that the planning board had unanimously recommended Henry Bynes, but the board discussed the unified development ordinance limit that no more than two planning board members may represent the same township as a factor in the appointment. That limit played into the commissioners decision to appoint Kimry rather than follow the planning board recommendation.

County leadership was selected for the coming year and commissioners adopted the 2026 meeting schedule along with the FY26 27 budget calendar, setting timelines for upcoming budget deliberations. Separately, the board authorized staff, by a 3 to 2 vote, to proceed toward signing a contract to pursue purchase of the former Bank of America building for the Tourism Development Authority. The close vote underscored differing views among commissioners about using county resources to support downtown property acquisition and tourism development.

A question of oversight surfaced when Commissioner Thompson requested a full historical accounting of the county’s contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement from inception through termination. He asked for amounts paid, any profits, and details on how funds were used, and requested documentation and a briefing from the sheriff and county administration. That request raises transparency and recordkeeping issues with potential legal and community implications.

For local residents, the meeting highlighted immediate concerns about land use and quality of life along Clap Mill Road, a contested appointment that affects zoning representation, and fiscal and transparency matters that will shape the county budget and development priorities in 2026. Residents should monitor future board agendas for any landfill proposals and for briefings on the ICE contract accounting and Tourism Development Authority progress.