New lawsuit escalates battle over Chatham Park’s 5,000-acre ‘small-area plan’
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Coalition sues Pittsboro, challenging approval of Chatham Park's 5,000-acre plan
- Plaintiffs argue town bypassed phased SAP review, stripping public oversight
- Decision could lock in land-use, infrastructure and watershed outcomes to 2052
A coalition of community and environmental groups is suing Pittsboro over its recent approval of Chatham Park’s 5,000‑acre South Village plan, arguing the town’s single sweeping sign‑off could leave residents marginalized and with little say over future decisions.
On Jan. 8, Chatham Climate Action Network, 7 Directions of Service and Haw River Assembly filed a 34-page complaint in Chatham County Superior Court, saying the town’s shift from multiple, phased approvals leaves key land-use decisions to a later administrative process that “strips away political accountability.”
The result is the approval of the state’s largest project on an undeveloped tract of land without “information, oversight, or public participation the law requires,” it states.
Megan Kimball, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, filed the lawsuit. She wants the town’s actions to be declared “unlawful, invalid, void, and of no legal affect.”
“What’s at stake is whether decisions affecting flooding, schools, infrastructure capacity, public costs, sacred lands, and the Haw River watershed will be made through transparent legislative planning — or effectively locked in through a standards-based process after the framework is approved,” she told The News & Observer.
On Monday, Pittsboro town officials declined to discuss the matter while the case is active, said spokesperson Caitlin Murphy.
Pittsboro’s ongoing saga
The lawsuit is the latest twist in the long-running fight over Chatham Park’s “small-area plan” for South Village, a section inside the larger 8,500-acre master-planned community under development along U.S. 15-501 and U.S. 64.
Established in 2008, Chatham Park is divided into two small areas or “villages” on the east side of Pittsboro, roughly 30 miles west of Raleigh. Each village has its own “small-area plan,” or SAP, with phases designed to “improve, preserve and regulate it.”
In 2015, the town approved Chatham Park’s rezoning request and master plan. But SAPs must be submitted and approved as the project gets built.
Last November, despite fierce public backlash, the town’s Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the park’s 147-page SAP for South Village.
The proposal by Chatham Park Investors, led by Cary-based Preston Development, consolidates 16 areas into a single group — making it twice the size of the park’s initial North Village plan.
The firm, co-founded by Tim Smith and Julian “Bubba” Rawl, argued it ensures “best land-use practices” and helps private utilities plan for such things as roadways, electricity, gas, and fiber for data and telecommunications.
By 2045, the park is expected to add 60,000 residents, 22,000-plus homes and 22 million square feet of business, medical and commercial construction to the area.
But opponents called Chatham Park Investors’ move a “power grab.”
Some 30 residents spoke against the proposal during the six-hour meeting, which was streamed live on YouTube. They argued it effectively circumvents the process for “public input, flexibility and accountability.”
The lawsuit now raises questions about how the massive project was approved, and what its next phase could mean for Pittsboro’s future.
What’s proposed
South Village’s latest SAP is the eighth version hashed out over the last year with town staff. It covers a wide range of land uses, including residential, retail, and research and development.
According to the plan, the district would be developed in seven phases, spanning from 2028 to 2052. It will bring over 15,000 housing units and more than 9 million square feet of non-residential development to the district.
As part of recent changes, Chatham Park and town representatives agreed to meet regularly over 48 “section-design plans” covering up to 40 acres.
Before the vote, Pittsboro planning director Theresa Thompson reiterated that the board would retain “legislative authority.”
In addition to Chatham Park, over two dozen development projects are in the pipeline for Pittsboro, including Disney’s Asteria community, which is inside Chatham Park but not part of either the North or South villages.
The pending population explosion is putting pressure on the town of 5,000 people to shore up its downtown business district, create spaces for arts and cultural offerings, and build out the infrastructure needed to handle more traffic and stormwater runoff.
This story was originally published January 12, 2026 at 1:15 PM with the headline "New lawsuit escalates battle over Chatham Park’s 5,000-acre ‘small-area plan’."
