PITTSBORO - A Chatham County developer who is building the largest commercial development yet on U.S. 15-501 between Chapel Hill and Pittsboro met with residents Thursday to discuss the possibility of adding a large retail store.

The group of about 50 residents, however, expressed opposition to the proposal.

"Your new plan flies in the face of what people thought you were doing originally," Allison Weakley told Travis Blake during his presentation.

Originally, Blake, of Blake and Associates, said the 500,000-square-foot Williams Corner would include about 200,000 square feet of retail space, as well as medical offices and 40 to 60 townhouses. Tenants, he said, would include UNC HealthCare, a national chain drugstore, a bookstore, restaurants and a grocery store.

Blake now says he wants to cut out the residential units, add more medical offices, and put in a 115,000-square-foot retail store on the northeast corner of the property.

Blake's partner in the project, Luis Rios, of development firm Zapolski and Rudd, said if they can't get community support for that kind of store, then they will toss the proposal.

"We're testing your reaction first," he said to the residents.

The majority of the residents said they were against a "big-box" store there, adding it would cause traffic congestion as well as attract more big chain stores that could hurt local businesses.

Chatham County Commissioners approved Williams Corner in January after many slow-growth community groups, including Chatham Citizens for Effective Communities, backed the project because it was friendly to pedestrians and the environment.

Blake said Williams Corner will have a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant, which will be enclosed in a building and have no odor. The treated water, he added, will be used for cooling the large buildings, and carpets will be made from recycled material.

Williams Corner will be the fourth large shopping center in the eight miles between Chapel Hill and Fearrington Village. The others are at Southern Village in Chapel Hill, Cole Park Plaza near Manns Chapel Road, and Chatham Downs. And Briar Chapel, a 2,300 home subdivision, is approved to be built nearby.

Rios said he and Blake plan to host more community meetings to continue the discussion of their proposal.

Get $150+ in coupons in every Sunday N&O. Click here for convenient home delivery.