Hayes Barton is ground zero for Raleigh's housing fight
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Campaign signs in the Hayes Barton neighborhood. Photo: Lucille Sherman/Axios
With city council and mayoral elections just around the corner, one of Raleigh's most expensive neighborhoods, Hayes Barton, has become center stage for a debate about the future of housing in the city.
Driving the news: Save Our Neighborhoods, a political action committee with ties to the neighborhood, is hoping to get incumbents off the city council.
- They've peppered the city with campaign signs, and more yards in Hayes Barton have a "Save Our Neighborhoods" sign than not.
Catch up quick: The group formed in reaction to zoning changes that will allow for a developer to tear down a home at 908 Williamson Dr. and build 17 new townhomes in its place.
- The price of the townhomes is expected to be approximately $2M per home.
- The reforms — made last summer — have made the construction of duplexes and townhomes legal by-right in most of the city rather than just single-family homes.
Why it matters: Raleigh has a shortage of housing and a steady influx of new residents moving here every year. It's contributed to a steep rise in housing prices over the past decade, and with more job growth expected, the demand for more housing is expected to remain high.
What's happening: The current council, led by Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin, is trying to combat the issue by increasing the supply of housing in the city to accommodate the growth.
- Zoning reform has been one of Baldwin's biggest policy efforts and will allow for the creation of what she refers to as "missing middle" housing.
The other side: Margie Case, a resident of Hayes Barton and a supporter of Save Our Neighborhoods, argues that creating more housing shouldn't come at the expense of changing a neighborhood's existing character.
- Many opponents also assert residents weren't effectively notified of the city's zoning changes when they were enacted.
What they're saying: "We're not trying to be elitist or snobs here," Case told Axios. "That's not the point at all. We're saying this is such a broad and completely different transformation of Raleigh.
- "To do this and not inform people, and to suddenly change the whole place of Raleigh, simply is undesirable, and we can't undo it once it's done."
What's next: The future of growth in Raleigh will play a role in the election on Nov. 8 — but it remains to be seen how large.
- Baldwin has a sizable funding advantage over her opponents, but a win next month could still come with a council that is more in conflict with her plans.