Ground zero for Raleigh's housing fight

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.

The house at 908 Williamson Dr. that could be turned into multiple townhomes. Photo: Lucille Sherman/Axios

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 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.

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