Residents of the Bronwyn and Midway communities in Aberdeen are still trying to seek greater understanding of each other's points of view regarding a proposed Habitat for Humanity project.

They met Monday evening with Elizabeth Cox, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of the NC Sandhills, at the Habitat office on N.C. 5 in in Aberdeen. Cox presented revised plans that would meet the requirements of the town's R-15 residential zoning district in the Midway community located south of Bronwyn Street and north of Midway Road.

Habitat for Humanity and residents from Midway are asking the Aberdeen Town Board to rezone the area to allow Habitat to build a neighborhood that would help revitalize the aging, historically black community. It is currently zoned R-20.

Habitat had previously asked the town to rezone the property to R-10, which would allow more houses on the property, but the Town Board suggested that a R-15 residential zone would be a better transition between the Midway and Bronwyn communities.

Monday's meeting was the second to be held with Habitat and residents from the two communities.

At the last meeting, Bronwyn residents asked Cox to reconsider the number of houses proposed for the project and to increase the buffer zone between the project and their homes bordering the perimeter. The previous plans under R-10 residential zoning standards proposed 31 houses on 10,000-square-foot lots.

The project's revised plans add 5,000 square feet to lots and increased the size of the houses from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet. The increase in dimensions reduced the number of houses to 25 and allowed Habitat to maintain a buffer of trees between the project and Bronwyn.

The plans also include the proposed name of the development, Midway Gardens, which was chosen by residents of Midway. The street that will run through the development will be called "Victory Lane" to commemorate the long struggle for equality that the community has fought for at least 60 years to overcome.

Bronwyn resident Angelo Vaccaro still opposes any kind of rezoning. He and other residents were skeptical as to why Habitat sought to buy the land when it knew it could not afford to build on the property under the current R-20 residential zone.

"R-20 -- that's what it was purchased at," Vaccaro said.

Vaccaro is also concerned about the number of residents that the project will bring to that area over time.

"The influx of 25 more homes -- it lessens the possibility that it's going to stay that way," Vaccaro said.

'It's a Compromise'

Cox said the new plans take the concerns of Bronwyn residents into consideration by reducing the number of homes and adding more green space.

"I know it's not what you'd like to see," Cox said. "But to me, it's a compromise on our part, and I hope you see that the same way."

Cox said that if a developer had bought the land, residents of Midway would have been priced out of their community by high-end development.

"We had to snap up the land in a very short period of time, or a developer was going to get it," Cox said.

Across from both Bronwyn Street and Midway Road, on Saunders Boulevard, apartment complexes are under construction. These projects are the types of development that both communities do not want coming into their backyards.

"Midway would soon become a golf course," said Maurice Holland, Sr., president of the Midway Community Association. "I'm not going to stand for the neighborhood to deteriorate and be taken over."

Bronwyn residents also expressed concerns over potential secondary owners of the homes. Habitat for Humanity has a thorough screening process for its homeowners, but once the home is paid off, they can sell their houses to anyone.

Residents from both the Midway and Bronwyn communities countered that anyone in either community can already sell a home to someone who might not be considered a good neighbor.

Some residents from Bronwyn admitted that their community already has some of the problems that they fear about this project.

"You're going to do what you need to do, but at the same time, you have to realize that no neighborhood is immune to anything," said Barbara Patterson, who is from Midway.

Cox said the neighborhood would have a community association that would enforce the covenants of Habitat. She has already hired someone to oversee the association.

'Build a Community'

Cox and Holland spent a great deal of time during the meeting trying to stress the project's importance.

"We understand your concerns, but we also want you to consider our concerns," Holland said to the Bronwyn residents.

Holland said he has spent 30 years of his life just trying to get water and sewer services to Midway.

"This is an effort to save several generations of work to build a community and see it work," Holland said. "This a first in Aberdeen where you have two diverse communities coming together to resolve an issue."

Holland has already had people from Midway contact him, expressing interest in the Habitat houses. Those include people who would like to move back to the community, but cannot afford to do so.

Others are living in the community but are staying with family members or renting homes.

Glad to See Progress

Some Bronwyn residents are glad to see progress in Midway, though they are concerned about the project's effects on their community.

Jane Cole and her husband, Phillip, have been residents of the Bronwyn community for 22 years, though they do not live on one of the lots bordering the proposed project.

"Obviously you're always going to be concerned about your community and the value of your house," Cole said. "But Midway is a good community."

Cox encouraged residents from both communities to get involved in the Habitat homeowner selection process and to come visit building sites around the county to fully understand what the organization does.

She promised the residents that she wants to create a community for hard-working people that will bring Bronwyn and Midway together in compromise.

"I will work harder to make the best neighborhood than any developer you'll ever work with," Cox said.

The Aberdeen Planning Board approved a recommendation for R-15 rezoning of the Habitat property at its meeting Oct. 15. The town commissioners will review the recommendation at their next work session Oct. 29, and they hopes to hold a public hearing at their next meeting Nov. 9.

Hannah Sharpe can be reached at (910) 693-2485.