We, the undersigned residents, business owners, and stakeholders of Pittsboro and Chatham County, respectfully urge the Town Board of Commissioners to reject the proposed blanket approval of Chatham Park’s 5,000-acre "small area plan." Instead, we advocate for the Town to maintain oversight through the original intent to review multiple, discrete small area plans that allow for careful, transparent, and community-centered planning.

Background and Concerns:

Chatham Park is a transformative development, with the potential to shape the future of Pittsboro for generations. Originally, the Town required a series of individual small area plans (SAPs) to ensure manageable, phased growth, community engagement, environmental consideration, and infrastructure planning. These SAPs are intended to provide the Town and its residents with opportunities to evaluate and influence development at a human scale.

Now, Chatham Park Investors has proposed a single 5,000-acre SAP, effectively circumventing the granular review process that the small area plan framework was designed to support. We believe this is contrary to the spirit of the Town’s original vision and removes crucial mechanisms for public input, flexibility, and accountability.

Why we should maintain the current Small Area Plan process:

• Transparency: Smaller SAPs allow the community to understand and comment on how each section of Chatham Park will be developed.
• Accountability: The Town maintains oversight and can require developers to meet evolving community needs and standards.
• Flexibility: Smaller plans can be adapted over time in response to environmental, economic, and population changes.
• Infrastructure and environmental stewardship: Phased planning ensures responsible growth with appropriate infrastructure and environmental protections.

Our Request:

We respectfully request that the Pittsboro Town Board of Commissioners:

1. Reject the single 5,000-acre SAP proposal from Chatham Park Investors.
2. Reaffirm the requirement for multiple, phased small area plans that align with the original intent of Pittsboro’s development oversight process.
3. Ensure meaningful community engagement and transparency at every stage of Chatham Park’s expansion.

We recognize the importance of growth and economic opportunity, but we believe it must be balanced with sustainability, accountability, and respect for our community’s voice. Pittsboro deserves a thoughtful, participatory planning process—not a blanket approval that limits oversight for decades to come.