This is the latest installment in our Main Street NC series from the 吉彩网网站 Politics Podcast. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face, from storm damage to gentrification.
Midway, about 15 minutes south of Winston-Salem, wasn鈥檛 even a town for most of its history. The Davidson County community became a municipality in 2006 in an effort to avoid getting annexed into the nearby city.
Local leaders didn't want to pay higher city property taxes, and they wanted to prevent high-density development. Forming a town with its own planning and zoning rules was an effort to keep its rural character despite the Triad region鈥檚 growth.
You won鈥檛 see many new subdivisions under construction right now in Midway, but town leaders like Mayor John Byrum are planning to build a big expansion of the town's centerpiece, a 16-acre park along rolling hills that opened a few years ago. With multiple playgrounds and a large pavilion for picnics and events, it鈥檚 the sort of park you鈥檇 expect to see in a larger city.
"We have about 20 acres that the town still owns that's undeveloped, that's right next to our current park," Byrum said. "We want to continue to build out an additional 20 acres of recreation, some green space. We've had vision sessions where ideas have been thrown out, perhaps pickleball or disc golf. We like the idea of having non-traditional recreation."
The town has prioritized the park even with its limited revenue from having one of the lowest property tax rates in the state.
Midway is one of several low-tax, low-density towns in North Carolina where homes have to be built on larger lots and commercial development faces some limitations. Many of these towns were formed several decades ago before the state legislature limited towns and cities from expanding their boundaries without the consent of property owners.
The slow-growth approach hasn鈥檛 been controversial in Midway, but that鈥檚 not the case everywhere.
North of Greensboro, the town of Summerfield recently tried to block a mixed-use development with apartments. Town leaders weren鈥檛 able to reach a compromise with the developer, and that led to legislation from Senate leader Phil Berger to remove the entire property from town limits.
The legislative intervention prompted outcry from local leaders, including state Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, when it passed the House last year.
"This is the largest deannexation in North Carolina history," Harrison said. "I believe it sets a dangerous precedent. I can't imagine why any of us think this is a good idea to do this to the town of Summerfield."
Berger, however, said at the time that the legislature had to step in because the two sides couldn't work out an agreement.
Back in Midway though, there have been no big battles between developers and the town council, and there鈥檚 been no push for denser development.
That means new businesses here tend to locate in the town鈥檚 existing small retail centers, like the town鈥檚 only coffee shop, Grind Daily, which opened in 2023.
Jamie Hoke and her husband Alex own the coffee shop, a place that hosts church groups and chess clubs. They write a Bible verse on each cup they serve.
Jamie said residents of Midway prefer the smaller businesses.
"When people come in here, they are very big on supporting local," she said. "They don't want big complexes. They don't want big-name things around here. They like their small stuff."
There is a Starbucks under construction about three miles south, but that鈥檚 outside the town of Midway in the area known as Welcome. That part of Davidson County is unincorporated and has looser zoning rules.
Other Midway businesses predate its establishment as a town. Midway General Store has stood on the main road since 1936. It's been in the same family ever since, and while it started as a grocery, it's now the sort of small-town hardware store where you can pick up anything from a can of Cheerwine to plumbing supplies and fertilizer.
Owner Hal McAlpine said he's seen tobacco fields replaced by houses, and he expects the store will close when he eventually retires.
"I鈥檒l probably go down with the ship, or the ship will go down with me," McAlpine said. "Most people don鈥檛 want to put in that many hours."
吉彩网网站 spoke with Mayor John Byrum at the town hall to find out more about how Midway formed and what鈥檚 happened in the 18 years since.
NOTE: This transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Tell me about the history of Midway and why the community decided to incorporate as a town in 2006.
鈥淚t was all about a desire to retain our rural identity. At the time, there were various cities being annexed by larger municipalities or cities. So small towns were maybe a target, and there was a fear that Winston-Salem proper would one day come a little south into Davidson County and take what is now known as the town of Midway. The incorporation of the town really happened as a result of trying to preserve the identity of Midway.鈥�
Given the low tax rate, how did you decide early on what services were going to be offered?
鈥淭he state actually gives a lot of guidance when it comes to that. When a city or town is formed, you have to provide a basic number of essential services. The essential services we provide here in Midway is garbage pickup, we also provide street lights. We get to have a planning and zoning board, a board of adjustment, and they get to hear requests from citizens if they want to rezone their property.鈥�
How would you describe the differences between how Midway has developed over the past two decades as compared to unincorporated neighboring communities around here that are also dealing with some of the same suburban growth pressures?
鈥淚f you wanted to develop a business or put up a neighborhood, residential and commercial developers would probably find Midway to be a little bit more restrictive. But that's not to keep development from happening, it鈥檚 to help maintain the density, the look, the architectural feel of what an area is.鈥�
Did the development controversy in Summerfield create any concerns here that this could become a trend affecting some other low-density, low-tax towns across North Carolina?
鈥淚 hope it won't happen. Unfortunately, sometimes those things don't get worked out without there being collateral damage for the municipality and for developers and for different individuals who are involved in the process. We take it as it comes, and deal with it and just try to be level-headed. We really do try to make decisions solely based off what's best for the town.鈥�
Hear more from Byrum and 吉彩网网站's visit to Midway on the 吉彩网网站 Politics Podcast.
