Raleigh church changes course on parking lot plan in Five Points

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Raleigh's historic Hayes Barton Baptist Church has reached an agreement with its Five Points neighbors about six houses that the church wanted to remove to create a parking lot and a handicapped accessible entrance to the back of the church.

Church leaders have instead agreed to remove three houses and create affordable housing for the remaining three houses in the 1800 block of White Oak Road.

In March 2018, the church notified neighbors about the plan to build a new parking lot and the church acknowledged it "created justifiable angst in the neighborhood." It prompted the neighbors to start an effort to preserve the homes they called "Save Six."

Church leaders listened to the neighbors and decided to reconsider their parking lot plan.

In addition to removing half as many homes as originally planned, church leaders have also agreed to install a gate on the parking lot, reducing the likelihood of drivers using it as a cut-through when the church is not in use.