By: Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
Early Friday morning, a modest but resolute group of Southeast Raleigh and broader Triangle residents gathered outside a home on Barwell Road to protest a new road construction project they say is unfolding without transparency, community consent, or regard for civil and property rights.
The protest was led by Reverend Isiah Green, a prominent voice in the neighborhood who has been championing community concerns around the ongoing development and its repercussions.
“We didn’t come to socialize. We came here for business; we come today to let the world know what’s been going on in Raleigh, Wake County, and North Carolina,” Rev. Green declared, opening the event with a forceful call for accountability.
Pastor Shirley Bryant of Sandford opened the protest with an invocation, followed by Rev. Green’s speech, which wove together personal testimony, legal grievances, and powerful community appeals.
Green, who identified himself as the first Black Master Sergeant in North Carolina and the first to win an international award for service in law enforcement, claims to have sued the state of NC more than anyone ever.
“Here in Southeast Raleigh, there has been a lot of construction that’s been going on for several years,” Green said. “In the construction process, dynamite has been the use of dynamite. And the use of dynamite has done property damage, underground well water supplies have been disrupted, sewer systems and standing pine trees have been affected by the dynamiting.”
The area at the heart of the growing controversy lies near Holiday Drive, Bowmont Grove Street, and Karsota Lane—streets not clearly reflected in any of the city’s publicly accessible planning documentation for the project. According to residents, this absence is just one example of what they see as a broader pattern of neglect and exclusion by the City of Raleigh.
Rev. Green had invited Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell and other city representatives to attend the event to clarify the city's position and address community concerns. No elected official or representative from the City of Raleigh appeared.
That absence, community members say, is indicative of a troubling disconnect.
“There’s always an aftermath, especially to dynamiting,” Green emphasized. “You don’t always see the results after dynamiting takes place because it can extend further out. And damages can occur after they’re done here and have moved on from the destruction of your property while they give you nothing.”
What began nearly three years ago as property flagging and dynamite blasting for a proposed connector road—Primrose Bank—has escalated into claims of structural damage, environmental disruption, and deep concerns about safety and civil rights violations.
The new road is intended to connect Holiday Drive with Bowmont Grove Street. However, residents say they were never consulted or notified. Four families have filed formal complaints, and residents say communication from the city has been inconsistent at best and nonexistent at worst.
“I live 60 feet from the construction site and not one person from the city or developers has ever come to speak with us,” said a member of the Stanford family, who has voiced fears over rising traffic, lack of safety buffers, and noise. “We didn’t even get a letter. Nothing.”
The family also issued a written complaint: “There does not appear to be plans to create substantial barriers between the street and our home,” they wrote, noting fears of “potential vandalism, loitering, and increased traffic in a previously quiet area.”
The two potential developers working under City guidance have each said they are not involved in any way in the construction efforts.
Dr. Ulysses Lane, chair of the Southeast Citizen Advisory Council, who attended a meeting related to a project on the other side of Rock Quarry Road, acknowledged the issue.
“From the complaints I’m hearing, there may not have been enough done to let residents understand what this dynamiting was going to do,” Lane said, “and if it was going to damage their property, what they were going to do to mitigate it.”
A key point of frustration for residents is the City’s decision to allow Longleaf Law Partners—a private law firm—to oversee the community feedback process, rather than having city officials or developers directly engage with those impacted.
Adding to the tension, several area residents report real and costly damages from the blasts.
Gail Durham, who lives nearby on Barwell Road, described in a letter to the city how her private well and septic systems were impacted: “Our well water systems became muddy and unusable for days,” she wrote. “A plumber had to pull and replace the water pump. These are not inexpensive fixes.”
Mack Evans, a longtime homeowner, filed a formal complaint with U.S. Representative Deborah Ross, alleging that the city’s use of dynamite without homeowner consent constitutes a “civil rights violation.” Evans also raised concerns about voter suppression, though further details are pending. To date, residents say they have received no responses.
Rev. Green recently followed up with Rep. Ross and also sent a complaint to the U.S. Department of Justice. He told The Carolinian that he has received confirmation that his complaint is under review.
The Carolinian reviewed public records and city planning files. While documentation exists for a widening project on Barwell Road and an application for the Olde Towne Subdivision, there are no clear records involving the disputed areas around Holiday Drive, Bowmont Grove Street, or Karsota Lane.
For Green, the matter is not just about property lines and roadways—it’s about fundamental civil rights.
“I’m going to court to fight this particular development,” Green said. As he closed out the protest, his message was sharp and unmistakable: “You say ‘I’m sorry’, I say ‘I’m glad you admitted it.’”
With tensions rising and trust continuing to erode, Southeast Raleigh residents are calling for more than apologies. They want answers, accountability, and a seat at the table—before the next blast shakes their homes and their confidence, even further.
