Preston Development Company has big plans for Pittsboro, but an urban planning consultant says it isn't very clear what they are.
The Chatham Park project is meant to turn thousands of acres into full neighborhoods of residences and office space just 15 miles from Chapel Hill. It could turn the town into a sizeable city. The project is controversial, and Pittsboro hired the Lawrence Group in Davidson to review its master plan.
Consultant Craig Lewis told a town meeting last night that the project lacks a central vision, and a lot of details are missing from the document:
'There's just some unanswered questions in there right now.' - Craig Lewis
“Types of housing, the types of streets, open space: How much? how is it configured? Where is it located? How we deal with elements of public art... issues of affordable housing,” Lewis said. “There's just some unanswered questions in there right now.”
Lewis says he doesn't think the project itself is flawed, and believes Preston Development will be able to put together a more complete document. But Lewis says it's important to get it all in writing before moving forward.
Preston Development put together this video about the project and the land on which it would be built.