New Townhomes Coming to Hayes Barton Move Forward
The owners and development team of 908 Williamson Drive are excited to announce that their community is moving forward.
The existing structures on the property are scheduled to be removed in August. The development team expects full sitework to begin later this year. Marketing and sales efforts are underway, and townhome construction is set to begin in early 2026.
For the past three (3) years, a small group of Hayes Barton property owners has challenged the City of Raleigh’s approval of the 908 Williamson subdivision. At the same time, some Hayes Barton property owners are also suing the City to invalidate its Missing Middle housing initiatives, which were designed to bring more diverse housing options to Raleigh. Last year, a judge dismissed the 908 Williamson developers from this lawsuit and ordered that the neighbors pay the developer’s legal fees. The actions of these few Hayes Barton property owners have forced Raleigh taxpayers to foot the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees related to the 908 Williamson subdivision approval and subsequent appeals.
“These attacks were designed to force us to give up on this project by slowing us down to the point where it would be financially difficult to hang on,” said Johnny Chappell, a member of the development team. “But, we own the land and we’re confident in our plan, which is compatible with the neighborhood. We’re moving forward.”
“It’s been a challenging experience for us,” Chappell continued. “But, Raleigh taxpayers are the ones that this group is taking advantage of, and it’s all because they don’t want townhomes in their neighborhood. Their arguments aren’t based on facts, they’re based on their desire to control what gets built in Hayes Barton, and their willingness for taxpayers to bear the cost of their actions.”
“Raleigh taxpayers are the ones that this group is taking advantage of, and it’s all because they don’t want townhomes in their neighborhood.”
– Johnny Chappell, Owner/Founder of Chappell
According to data published by the City of Raleigh in June, over 1,300 townhome units have been approved since the Missing Middle reforms went into effect in 2021. Of those, only two projects, totalling 33 units, have been challenged. Those appeals have two common threads: wealthy property owners opposed to Missing Middle housing, and attorney Craig Justus of Asheville, who represents the group of Hayes Barton property owners and the Raleigh Country Club.
Frank Gordon, another attorney who represents the Hayes Barton property owners and lives in the neighborhood, shed light on his clients’ beliefs in an interview with The Assembly in 2022. “Instead of tearing it all apart and screwing it up, maybe we should say, ‘We’re full.’”
When completed, the development team intends for the 17 townhomes to complement the neighborhood, while providing additional housing options for Raleigh residents. “Hayes Barton is a wonderful area and most of our neighbors have been very kind,” Chappell said. “We intend to leave the place better than we found it.”
Chappell and its development partners are collaborating on multiple other Missing Middle, ITB luxury home collections across the Triangle.
In the Village District area, Phase I of construction is completed at Oberlin Heights, 11 luxury rooftop townhomes with private elevators, and Phase II is nearly finished. So far, almost 20% of homes have sold, with sales activity quickly gaining momentum. Just down the street, Oberlin Villas is also taking shape with construction underway on this courtyard-style luxury duet collection.
In Downtown Raleigh, move-in-ready homes are available at Phase I of IDYLE, Downtown’s first net-zero-ready townhome community. The collection features solar panels, Tesla Powerwalls, and more eco-friendly features that help the homes generate more power than they consume.
One (1) residence has already sold, and Phase II construction is expected to be completed by fall 2025.
At Duplin, a boutique duo of high-end, luxury ITB homes, one (1) residence is move-in ready, boasting recent price improvements and buyer incentives, while the other has sold.
Chappell has also collaborated on several past ITB Raleigh developments, including Lyon, a duet-style, modern home collection near the Village District, and Nottingham, a boutique collection of seven (7) high-end, single-family homes.
For more information on Chappell and its new developments, please visit Chappellres.com.
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